Valle de Guadalupe: Malva
Tucked behind a gorgeous canopy of greenery in the Valle de Guadalupe, you will find Chef Roberto Alcocer's restaurant: Malva. We first met Roberto back in 2012, when we dined at Asao in Tecate. He approached us with a very welcoming manner, but more than that you could see and feel the passion that he had behind his food. I knew that we would see him in the near future succeeding at what he loves the most. Fast forward to now, we are seated with our two littles inside what feels like our own jungle-esque getaway. The views peering out to the magical wine valley, made me just take in a deep sigh of relief. You know, that "ahhhh" moment. The walls are donned in artful and colorful graffiti, with an open air kitchen that grabbed Giovanni's attention right off the bat. He loves to watch his food being made, especially when he can watch the cooks in action. We stopped in for an early supper, knowing that Malva was going to host a dinner later on in the evening to raise awareness for La Vaquita Marina.
The views peering out to the magical wine valley, made me just take in a deep sigh of relief.
To our surprise Roberto presented us with the dishes that would be represented at the event. First up, the Cabrilla crudo. This was the dish that Antonio continued to bring up for the rest of the evening. Every bite was clean and bright. Giovanni couldn't get over the tortilla dust circle on my plate, as his little fingers got into try it even before I did. Following that delicious dish, was shrimp aguachile. Even as I think about it right now, I can still taste the tender bites of shrimp doused in orange citrus and studded with hints of Habanero. Simply put, mouthwatering.
The bowl of velvety butternut squash and shrimp soup was both light and comforting. A soup that could easily be enjoyed in warmer temps. I would like a pot of this easily at my disposal please! Who knew how much I loved beef jus on fish. A perfectly cooked piece of fish drizzled in beef jus, and run through parsnip puree on every bite, made it too easy not to love.
As soon as the plate of dessert was set down, Giovanni called dibs on the Malva marshmallow. I cornered the Malva sorbet and Mascarpone cheese, which made a lovely duet together.
The plates were cleared, and I felt a sudden tugging on my arm. "Mama, let's go see the animals now." Oh yes, make a short walk up the hill from the dining area, and you will find the property's sheep, goats, chickens, and even cows. Giovanni seemed a bit more weary once we became face to face with the animals, but Camila was more than excited frantically waving and pointing at all of them. She let out a high pitched squeal every time we heard a "bahhhh!"
Whether you decide to bring the kids in tow or not to Malva, either way it was an absolutely lovely experience! For me the food, ambience, and company was more than I could have asked for.
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Km 96 carretera Ens Tecate, 22755 San Antonio De Las Minas, Baja California