Que Chula es Puebla

[KatieLoeb]

After reading the recent Craig Laban review of Que Chula es Puebla, I had a hankering for some good authentic Mexican food. I was meeting a friend for dinner tonight and suggested we try it out and she was game, so off we went. This is a cute, bright and clean little dining room at the corner of 2nd & Master in Fishtown, just a bit north of Girard Avenue. Service is cheerful and the servers English is very good. We tried the guacamole, a ceviche tostada. the mole poblano which came recommended by our server and a mushroom quesadilla.

Guacamole was clearly made to order - still chunky and not too heavily spiced. Delicious. Ceviche tostado was great. Next time I'll order one just for myself. Ceviche seemed to be bits of fish and shrimp nicely cured in citrus and very light and flavorful. The quesadilla was stuffed with sauteed mushrooms and cheese and was also very tasty. But the mole was the star and the best I've ever had. Two chicken drumsticks were covered in a dark and smoky sauce and the meat fell off the bones when attacked with a fork. Platter had rice, refried beans and shredded lettuce with tomato and avocado on it as well. The chicken was just right wrapped up in a warm flour tortilla with a little bit of the lettuce and tomato on top. This mole had so much going on I could barely decipher the explosion of spice, nuttiness and deep cocoa notes partying on my tongue. This is the real deal folks. I asked the waitress who made the mole and she said her mom makes it in Puebla and ships it to them! Her mom must be one of the most prized cooks in Puebla, because this stuff was rockin' good!

I've been a faithful devotee of the Washington Avenue area taquerias for a while, and I have no doubt I'll continue to eat at my favorites regularly, but the trip to Fishtown is worth the trouble if you want to have some really well made and authentic Puebla cooking. The menu at Que Chula is quite extensive, so there's many more reconaissance missions ahead to try out the various tacos, tamales and seafood dishes on the menu. BYO makes it nice and there were proper wine glasses if you requested them. My friend and I enjoyed a sparkling rose with our dinner (Yellowtail, if you can believe it, and it was pretty good and well matched to the spicy fare) and service was mostly efficient and very friendly and pleasant. Oh, and did I mention how silly the prices were? Our feast came to a ridiculously reasonable $28 before a tip for all that yummy food. And I still have a piece of quesadilla to have for lunch tomorrow. Fantastic and my new fave Mexican haunt...

Edited May 21, 2009 by KatieLoeb (log)