food

Mexican cuisine has come a long way in New York City in the last fifteen years, but the new tasting menu at Hecho en Dumbo is a sign that it hasn’t peaked yet. French-style service, technique and presentation meet Mexican food in this five-course meal, served at the bar in front of the open kitchen, which the restaurant recently transformed from just extra seating to a communal “chef’s table.”

Here’s a pictorial tour of the meal, which, with a few freebies thrown in for all the diners that night, topped out to seven courses for just $55. The setting may not be as fancy as a Boulud restaurant, but it’s an interesting window into the inner workings of a very busy kitchen. Chef Danny Mena, a Mexico City native who previously cooked at the Modern, manages a team of five, who quickly dish out small plates of roasted kid goat, wild striped sea bass, local beet salad and more. They’re as beautifully presented as French cuisine, made with artisanal ingredients contrasting in an inventive way, but the flavor is distinctly Mexican.

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