Description
A meal at Kachina, which opened in the Westin Westminster in the fall of 2012, is supposed to be “a magical trip through the Southwest,” according to its menu. The dining room is separated from the exhibition kitchen by a partition of pueblo-style niches; the space is lovely, if overdone. The menu needs some editing, too -- and diners could also crash into a stiff bill if they order too much from the gimmicky food cart. But there are some worthy stops. Sliders, a special on the stand-alone “Chef and Butcher” menu, are well-seasoned, with housemade chile-laden buns to complement the aged, high-quality beef butchered in-house. Navajo tacos, with puffy fry bread substituted for hard corn shells, are delicious; the menu lists seven variations. Green-chile corn chowder, thick with kernels, pairs the earthiness of corn with hearty chicken and potatoes. Pork posole rojo, in a rich stock flavored with hog’s head and three kinds of chiles, includes morsels of browned pork and heirloom hominy. And for a satisfying final destination, brake for chocolate-and-chile-filled beignets, dusted in cinnamon and sugar and dipped in goat’s-milk caramel. If you don’t steer carefully, though, Kachina is a Southwestern cliché straight out of Epcot.
