Divinely Delicious Du Mexique!

A late breakfast on Friday, at Marakame Cafe, kicked off my Mom’s birthday weekend which was followed by a much deserved day of pampering at  Arenas Day Spa . I had pre-booked a treatment room that could accommodate the both of us so that we could spend the day together while we enjoyed a relaxing massage and then a facial that used ultrasound technology. The service and staff were great and they have special prices for Cancunenses which guarantees that this particular spa junkie will be booking more treatments there in the future.

Yummy Snails!

After a relaxing afternoon we went home to get ready for my Mom’s special birthday dinner at Du Mexique, a french restaurant downtown, owned and operated by Chef Alain Grimond. I had been following their facebook page for a while and drooling over Sonja’s (the chef’s wife)  daily posts, which never fail to make my stomach grumble ,so since my Mom loves anything french and I love trying new places it seemed like the ideal place to celebrate. When we arrived we were greeted by Chef Alain and taken to our beautifully decorated table surrounded by colourful contemporary art  hung on the walls. The restaurant is set up to serve no more than 20 people at a time and it has a lovely garden as well as a small lounge outdoors.

Duck magret

As my Mom perused the wine menu I smiled to myself because we had already spoken with Chef Alain the night before and informed him that we would like a bottle of  Verve Clicquot brought to the table as a surprise, a generous gift from my Dad, so my Mom ordered a bottle of white wine but was pleasantly taken aback when the champagne arrived on ice. We toasted my Mom and nibbled on some pate as we discussed the menu. Du Mexique’s menu changes often as Chef Alain chooses  only the freshest ingredients available at any given time of the year. We chose the classic escargot bourguignon dish as our appetizer and we were not disappointed. The tender snails cooked in a delectable garlic-butter sauce went great with the champagne and were quickly devoured.

Rack lamb

Next, we ordered our main meal, Cesar and my Mom chose the rack of lamb with  honey syrup made from the agave plant and I chose the duck magret in a citrus sauce. Both meals were excellent! The duck was perfectly paired with the tangy sauce and the rack of lamb was tender and cooked to perfection. Both meals were accompanied by delicate french beans, a small roasted potato,  carrot and a tomato Provencal. After our meal we retired to the lounge area for a change of scenery and to finish off our champagne.

The birthday girl!

We returned to the dining area as Chef Alain brought my Mom’s final surprise of the evening to the table…chocolate profiteroles filled with creamy mascarpone cheese encased in a cookie cake crust and adorned with fresh berries all on a plate with “Happy Birthday Sheilan” written in powdered cacao. WOW!!! A dessert truly fit for the gods. We oohed and aahed as we swallowed each divine morsel until we could eat no more. Finally, it was time to go and we thanked Chef Alain for a truly special evening.

Divine Dessert

It had been an amazing day full of surprises for my Mom and a mouth-watering meal that I will not soon forget. We headed home to get a good night’s rest because on  Saturday we  celebrated my Mom’s actual birthday with a party at her house. Another great evening that finished off my Mom’s birthday with a bang!

Birthday party

Are you a foodie? What is one of your favourite dishes or restaurants in Cancun?

About these ads