Visiting the delightfully upscale and vibrant neighborhood of Roma Norte recently — the location for Alfonso Cuarón’s Oscar-winning film ROMA — my wife and I settled on dinner at Yemanya, which is known for its creative and intriguing blend of South American, tropical Mexican and Caribbean cuisine. When we arrived early one evening, we were ushered into the beautifully appointed and intimate back patio. Our first few minutes were spent admiring the architecture and design of the restaurant, which has a modern, tropical flair.
After ordering from a nice selection of cocktails, we dove into the menu, which was available in both Spanish and English. My wife and I are both lovers of seafood, and the variety of seafood offerings was impressive. We could hardly decide between the arborio rice, with shrimp, octopus and scallops, or choices of grilled or curried fish. The combination of flavors was engaging, such as octopus, grilled with papalo pesto and yellow pepper chimichurri, or tuna seared with sweet guava sauce and elderberry liqueur. I chose the octopus and my wife decided on the tuna.
An even more fascinating feature of the offerings were the appetizers, which included a mix of ceviche dishes with tasty accompaniments, smoked shrimp and octopus, among others. The accompanying sauces were served in small dishes, presented with creative touches like flower pedals. As we dug into our appetizers, the skies over Mexico City turned dark and a few raindrops began to fall over the open patio. Our attentive waiters quickly ushered us into the covered area of the restaurant and we continued our meal without any interruption.
It’s often tricky to order octopus in a restaurant because few chefs know how either to cook it properly to bring out its wonderful flavor and texture. However, the octopus at Yemanya was cooked to perfection and, coupled with pesto, yellow pepper chimichurri, was truly memorable. My wife was equally ecstatic about her tuna dish. We had only enough room for a serving of jimbelê, a delicious corn-based Brazilian sweet concoction. An unforgettable meal at Yemanya in Roma Norte.
Yemanya, Orizaba 154, Roma Nte., Cuauhtémoc, 06700 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico