Description
MexiKosher: The name may inspire skepticism but the casual Mexican eatery delivers what it promises, tacos and burritos, carne asada and birria, salsa and guacamole, all under Kehilla kosher supervision.
Born to a Japanese father and Mexican mother, chef Katsuji Tanabe relocated to L.A. and after a stint in the kitchen of Shiloh's, a kosher steakhouse only a few blocks away. While there, Tanabe won over skeptical diners -- and kosher inspectors -- with his "bacon" cheeseburger. He follows that with kosher carnitas. Is such a dish even possible? Yes. Better than that, it's actually quite good.
Everything at MexiKosher is solid (though $2-3 more than you'd pay at a comparable non-kosher Mexican restaurant), but their best dish is carnitas. It's no slow-cooked pork shoulder. Instead, it's a tasty, succulent mix of beef and duck, with just the right amount of fat. Order it and one of the line cooks will pile a heap of the carnitas on the tree stump that serves as a cutting board and chop it into soft, dripping bits then pile it with pickled onions, cilantro and pico de gallo.
None of the meats are spicy, so if you're looking for heat in your meat, MexiKosher is not that restaurant. The place does, however, have a dozen sauces you can use to spice up your taco, burrito, rice bowl or salad. (The sweet-hot chipotle is a winner.)
The city's first (and only?) kosher Mexican restaurant isn't any brilliant leap forward in Mexican cuisine, but it is solid, tasty Mexican food for a demographic that deserves more diverse and compelling dining options.
BONUS: The chicken wings, glazed and sweet with just a bit of spice, are a winner.
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