Dining Duets // From Masa to Mekong

Six courses, 2 chefs and a night to savour! We were honestly blown away by the menu and dishes at a recent Dining Duets event, curated by the ever so lovely, Chef Lily Hoa Nguyen of Vietnamese Foodies in collaboration with Lila Molina, a very cool contemporary Mexican concept.

Dining Duets is an ongoing culinary pop up event celebrating creativity, collaboration & shared value in food. And when I saw the menu, I knew it was not to be missed. As a Californian, I am biased in my love of Mexican Food. And when your childhood home was 20 minutes from “Little Saigon”, well, Vietnamese food becomes a regular craving. Where these cuisines differ in their bold spices and seasonings, they share common ground in their ethos. Bright acidity, vibrant herbs, controlled heat and fresh balance. This collaboration made sense to my Chef brain.

We arrived at Alserkal Avenue early and took a little stroll, checking out the galleries and art installations scattered throughout before heading to our 8pm reservation at Lila Molina. The venue was exuding creativity, with cool murals, a rotating art gallery and unique concept store. We were immediately greeted by Chef Shaw Lash, who’s background in Mexican cuisine and culture is inspiring, having worked alongside the legendary Chef Rick Bayless. We were escorted upstairs to the dining room where we waited a few minutes before being seated.  

While perusing the set menus for the evening, our first course arrived. Crispy fried soft shell crab, plump and generous, atop a dollop of bright guacamole, finished with a passion fruit habanero salsa, all served on a crunchy corn tostada. This was it! What a great opening dish. It hit every mark, bright and balanced and a perfect layering of textures. We found ourselves sucked into a vortex of punchy flavors that enthralled us. This dish was enough to gain my loyalty as a repeat customer. Once we came to our senses, we started to take note of the dining room and our neighbors. It became apparent that there were small cracks in the flow of things,  which we attributed to teething problems of 2 chefs coming together for a unique one night experience. However the food, once it finally made it to the table, was exciting.

Our next course, the Wagyu Bun Cha Tacos, arrived. This was a mashup of a vietnamese smash burger & the most perfect flour tortillas.

The chicken fat tortillas stole the show.

Pillowy and supple with that undeniable chew you find in authentic tortillerias. Juicy seasoned wagyu, smashed into homemade flour tortillas, topped with fresh herbs & lacto fermented green chili salsa & bahn mi pickles. This was a perfect example of what can be achieved in fusion cooking, when two culinary experts collide.

On our third course, I found myself in a delicious predicament.  The portion sizes were unapologetically generous, and I was starting to feel full, not that that stopped me from polishing off every last morsel that came to our table. The heaping mound of Raw Shaved Beef Ceviche with a sweet tamarind marinade, poblano chilis, lime pickled onions and peanuts were served with crunchy heirloom corn chips. While we wished there was a little more acidity and heat, the dish itself was inspiring.

Next came the main course of a perfectly grilled 600g Trevally, butterflied with a thick layer of lemongrass and habanero paste. Accompanied with some crisp butter lettuce and a vibrant raw tomatillo salsa, meant to be used to make little bites.

At one point I found myself grabbing forkfuls of the flaky & juicy fish, every bite too good to leave behind. 

Lastly we were served Lila’s Signature Flan, topped with a pink pomelo and lime salsa to give that south east asian flare. The flan was much larger and denser than the flans I’m used to and had more of a new york cheesecake consistency than that familiar jello jiggle. For this I am thankful, the jiggle of jello never sat right with me. There’s something wholly unnatural about it. So Lila’s flan was a treat.

We were absolutely stuffed to the gills by the time dinner was over. As we were leaving the chefs thanked us for coming, we thanked them in turn and were handed a cute takeaway gift of Lila Molina’s house made corn tortilla chips & Vietnamese coffee to enjoy on those mornings when you need an extra big jolt of caffeine to get the day started.

While writing this review, I kept thinking of a recent trip to France. On our first night in Paris, after a 12 hour flight from California, we stumbled into a cozy bistro in le Marais to seek shelter from the cold and find comfort in a bowl of Soupe a L’ognoin. What I discovered was a profound lesson in patience, self reflection and the cultivation of  joie de vivre. Coming from the U.S. where the expectation is that everything is furiously fast, the relaxed, nonchalant pace was challenging. And yet it seemed that I was the only one bothered. Scanning the room, I found myself mesmerized by the atmosphere, the sounds of laughter & robust conversations & unrushed attitudes. I made a conscious decision to slow down and appreciate sitting across from my favorite dining partner/s, relishing in the moment. This mindfulness is perhaps my favorite souvenir and has turned into a dining ritual.

This was not a perfect night, there were clear challenges, but the food was exceptional and while service was struggling, it was never unkind. We found the team to be friendly and trying their best, which I have all the patience for. We’re left dreaming of the evening’s dishes while we enthusiastically wait for the next Dining Duets collaboration to drop. In the meantime we’ll be visiting Lila Molina for our warm, fresh tortilla fix.

At the end of the day, I walk away inspired. I learned a few things, I have found new excitement for two cuisines I adore, and the endless possibilities of marrying them together.

//

Mandana Shabani is a chef and Food Editor based in Dubai. If you'd like to get in touch, please email mandana@raemona.com