Culi’s Restaurant and Bar

Eron and I absolutely loved our first two visits to Culi’s (see our reviews in April 2017). So, we were very much looking forward to coming here again yesterday evening. We’re typically late-diners. So by the time we arrived at around 8:30 PM, there were only two other parties. On our previous visits, we were seated at the tables located on the small front patio area. This time, Erik (our favourite waiter from April) showed us to a table on their second floor patio extension.

Second floor dining room.

Second floor extended patio area overlooking front entrance.

The staff were, as usual; extremely welcoming, genial, and efficient. Within moments we had our first round of bevies in front of us and we had ordered our appetizer.

The first dish to arrive was Culi’s complimentary Ceviche. It has been served to us in a different artistic presentation on each visit. However, while the presentation varies, their Ceviche remains one of our favourites; tangy but not overpoweringly limey, moist without being sloppy-wet, and full of texture and flavour. It is served with crispy tortillas, dry flat-toast, and a spicy Habanero salsa.

Culi’s complimentary Ceviche with Habanero salsa.

Cali’s Ceviche; this time in a cucumber-strip bowl.

Culi’s Ceviche on tortillas topped with their tangy-hot Habanero salsa.

Next came our appetizer choice; Culi’s Caprese Salad. Their take on this Italian classic has a slab of mozzarella cheese on equally robust slices of beefsteak tomato topped with a leaf of Mexican Basil, pesto, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The only non-positive was that Eron felt this season’s Mexican Basil did not have as strong a flavour as the basil from April. Otherwise, thumbs up from both of us.

Culi’s Caprese Salad.

My choice for entree this evening was Culi’s Pan-Seared Tuna with a Wasabi-Soy Reduction. I have been looking forward to trying this dish since April; at that time they lacked fresh-caught local tuna and couldn’t serve it. Erik told me that the tuna was available and very fresh. So, I had to go for it.

The presentation was beautiful; literally a feast for the eyes. Two large pieces of tuna (easily enough to share between two) on top of grilled vegetables. Garnished with grilled Star Fruit and deep-fried vermicelli. And drizzled with their wasabi-soy reduction sauce. The Star Fruit was a pleasant surprise. Normally, I find it to be quite tart but once grilled, it was mildly sweet but very “crunchy”. The muted flavour of the fruit becomes lost against the robustness of the sauce but the crunch is a terrific counter-point to the firm texture of the fresh tuna. The Wasabi-Soy Reduction was a fantastic accompaniment to the tuna. It was not overwhelmingly salty, had a very satisfying “meaty” Umami savoriness, and carried a tantalizing hint of (we believe) Cumin. The vegetables also deserve some mention. There were slices of zucchini, julienned carrots, green beans, and wilted spinach. Except for the spinach (and rightfully so), the vegetables were all crisp had snap. For those who enjoy their tuna rare, this dish will be a memorable treat.

Culi’s Pan-Seared Tuna with a Wasabi-Soy Reduction.

The tuna was perfectly pan-seared with a pronounced crust and the desired rare centre.

Perfectly done; and this was an end-piece.

Eron’s choice this evening was Culi’s Coconut Shrimp. She says, “I know it’s a touristy choice, but I like it.” And that’s certainly as good a reason as any to order any dish. This dish came presented as a work of art. The colours, textures, and mixture of shapes all combined to make it seem more like a sculpture than plated food. A satisfying number of pieces of coconut-battered butterflied shrimp on mixed vegetables and cubed pineapple topped with deep-fried vermicelli, yam ribbons, and spinach. A house-made Mango Chutney was served to accompany the shrimp. Our only criticism of this dish was that it was not quite as good as we remembered from April. Our best guess is that the oil in which they were cooked was not hot enough. In April’s version, the batter was slightly crispier and the shredded coconut had a more pronounced toasting which really brought out it’s flavour. Additionally, last evening’s batter felt slightly more “greasy”; not a lot more, but noticeable. However, despite our nit-pickiness, Culi’s version of this dish is still head and shoulders above that of many other establishments and their presentation was second to none.

Culi’s Coconut Shrimp.

As in many other restaurants, the entrees are accompanied by a basket of bread. Here at Culi’s they even apply their culinary art to this oft overlooked part of the meal.

Culi’s basket of bread.

The one real “problem” with us coming to dine at Culi’s is that no matter our good intentions, we always over-eat when we come here; the food looks and tastes so good we tend to eat it all… and then, we just have to order dessert.

My choice was Culi’s Vanilla Flan. Once again, their presentation was elegant and appealing. The flan was garnished with spun sugar and a whole raspberry (it’s hiding behind the flan) and came with a biscuit and fresh whipped cream. The flan was very rich and creamy and was able to avoid the plasticy, gelatinous feel of some. The creamy “mouth-feel” and richness were perfectly balanced by the burnt-sugar/caramel flavour and crunchiness of the spun sugar. It’s as good a flan as I’ve ever had.

Culi’s Vanilla Flan.

Eron’s choice was… surprise, surprise; Culi’s Key Lime Pie. And why not… it is the pie to travel to Bucerias for! The key lime part of the pie is spectacular. At first taste, you get the sensation of cool, thick, creaminess. Then your tongue tastes the tart-sweetness of the key limes. The next second brings a climb to a crescendo of limey-tartness that almost brings tears to your eyes. And finally, the taste slides back down to a creamy-tartness as it hits the rear of your palate. Wow! A Key Lime Pie that is like a rollercoaster-ride for your tastebuds. Bar-none, Culi’s version is still one of our all-time favourite desserts.

Culi’s Key Lime Pie.

Culi’s has become, and remains, one of our favourite restaurants. It is a near-perfect balance of value received for money spent. The serving staff are excellent, the kitchen crew remain consistent, and the owner has managed to keep his employees engaged. The entire establishment is kept extremely clean and tidy. And the atmosphere is at once elegant yet not off-putting. The only constructive criticisms we can offer are in regards to the ambiance. It is our suggestion that for evening dining, the overhead lighting be dimmed slightly and that small vases containing flowers be placed on the tables. The lower level of lighting will help foster a more intimate feel and the flowers would add a vibrant splash of colour to otherwise monochromatic table settings.

Our dinner consisted of an appetizer, two entrees, two desserts, two Margaritas, a beer, and a coffee. The total came to about 680 Pesos (approximately $45 USD) which places Culi’s firmly in our mid-priced category. As before, Eron and I whole-heartedly recommend Culi’s Restaurant and Bar. Here you get the fine dining experience at an affordable price-point; truly, great dining without making your wallet weep.

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We managed one more visit (on December 18th) during this short trip to Bucerias. Once again, the service was impeccable even though the restaurant had quite a few more parties.

For the appetizer, we chose to try the Mussels in Garlic and Butter. The mussels were absolutely HUGE; they looked to be the size of oysters on the half-shell. Because of their size, we dove into them with some trepidation; we both expressed our hope that they weren’t “chewy”. Well, we shouldn’t have been concerned. They were delicious with a firm but not overly chewy mouth-feel and drenched with garlicy-buttery goodness. And their bread was perfect for dipping into the garlic and butter mixture.

Mussels in Garlic and Butter.

For my entrée, I went with one of my favourites from our April visits; the Agave-Glazed Pork Tenderloin. The pork comes nestled on top of grilled vegetables and is accompanied by an Ancho Chili Red Wine Reduction. As expected, the vegetables and the pork were cooked to perfection. However, this evening, the reduction was somewhat lacking. Both in quantity (there just quite enough) and in intensity of flavour; the sauce was not reduced sufficiently to bring out the richness I remembered from April. It was not “great”, but still was a very good dish.

Agave Glazed Pork Tenderloin.

Eron had the “Catch of the Day”; fresh-caught Mahi Mahi in a Chimichurri Sauce with Rosemary-Roasted Baby Potatoes and vegetables. According to Eron, everything in the dish was cooked well but over-all the Mahi Mahi lacked flavour and didn’t do anything to excite her palate. She would not order this again.

Mahi Mahi in a Chimichurri Sauce.

We both had the Key Lime Pie for dessert. Compared to last time, it was very good but not “spectacular”. As we frequent Culi’s, we are noticing some small inconsistencies in the quality of their preparation. However, they remain our choice for the best “bang-for-your-buck” fine dining value in Bucerias.

Important note: Culi’s is a CASH-Only establishment. They do not accept credit cards and the closest ATM (HSBC) will be on Highway 200, about 3 blocks south from 5 de Mayo (towards Las Palmas).

Calle 5 de Mayo # 32, Bucerias 63732, Mexico – +52 322 159 6929

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