Tequila-spiced cocktails. Silk scarves embroidered with Mayan symbols. The smell of guacamole flavouring the air. Those are some of the delights that guests experience at Four Seasons Toronto during its themed week, “Mexico Meets Yorkville,” running until October 1.
There’s no shortage of cuisine, fashion, décor and music straight from Méjico, all organized to give Toronto travellers a taste of what they’re missing from the most populous Spanish-speaking country in the world.
“People don’t try authentic Mexican food unless something like this happens,” says Samantha Geer, director of public relations for Four Seasons Toronto.
In fact, the hotel enjoyed a Mexican makeover to fully immerse its clientele in the spirit of tamales and salsa de cuithacoche. When I walk into the hotel’s Avenue Bar & Lounge, a large Mexican flag greets me, as flamenco guitar music trickles softly in the background. Sugar-rimmed tequila shots stand sentry beside cocktails with names such as Cosmoquila and El Diablo. A colourful ceviche bar spreads across the bar’s main floor, offering delicacies such as prawn, scallop and bass marinated in citrus juice.
As I sip a Cosmoquila (4 Copas Blanco tequila, Grand Marnier, cranberry and lime juices), the hotel’s guest chefs join executive sous-chef Robert Bartley and Geer to explain why Mexican food is worth promoting.
“Not all of it is spicy,” says Jose Alfredo Jimenez of Four Seasons Punta Mita in Mexico. “This week, we wanted to give Toronto a blend of classic and fusion Mexican food.” He smiles brightly. “But the guests here are on top of what’s new, so we have to keep updated.”
What can inquisitive guests expect? Appetizers bursting with innovation — lobster taco with cactus escabeche — and entrees tweaked to tantalize the palate. “Barbacoa” style duck breast and lamb with achiote-scented soft potatoes are some of the highlights.
“We wanted to cook food from all corners of Mexico,” says Felipe Bucio of Four Seasons Mexico City. That means bringing fish from Yucatan, for example, to flaunt unusual dishes.
Another hallmark of this week’s culinary fiesta is the attention paid to incorporating Mexican spices. Bartley enjoys learning from the visiting chefs new spicing techniques such as adobo seasoning, which is a paste to marinate pork made from tomatoes, onions, cloves, cumin and dried chilli peppers.
And what of the Mexican desserts that receives little international attention? The guest chefs are looking to change that by showcasing unusual delights such as tequila crème brulee and three milk sponge cake seasoned with chocolate-flavoured chilis.
“I love Mexican chocolate,” Geer gushes. “It’s a complete turnaround from the milk chocolate we’re used to.”
When I taste the cuisine at Avenue, I immediately understand why the buzz has been overwhelming. The bass is tender and delectable, while adobo-spiced salmon never overpowers the palate. A dessert of molten chocolate cake may be rich for the sugar averse, but its chocolate sauce center works as a very satisfying finisher. A perfect sidekick to the food is the 4 Copas Tequila made from 100 per cent agave. The tequila doesn’t burn and finishes with a clean aftertaste that actually tastes refreshing.
“Tequila is a wonderful drink to have anytime,” says Brad Donovan, Canadian operations manager for 4 Copas.
4 Copas Tequila is also on hand at a private party for the Mexican consul general Carlos Pujalte, who greets me with a wide smile and hearty handshake. At Truffles Restaurant, his guests mill about sipping tequila-spiced margaritas and dipping tortillas into guacamole topped with grated cheese. Pujalte tells me that he is ecstatic to bring Mexico to Toronto, an endeavour designed to stimulate interest in a culture rich with life and pizzazz.
For some, attracting interest starts with visuals. In addtion to a hotel peppered with Mexican décor, the theme week is designed to fully involve guests in stylish haute couture, and so enters stage right the items designed by Cristina Pineda and Ricardo Covalin. At a lunchtime fashion show, models catwalk between tables wearing vibrantly coloured silk scarves and Mayan-themed skirts. Silk handbags and ties are also on display.
“Our clothes are very trendy and very Hispanic,” says Claudia Samaniego, public relations officer for Pineda Covalin.
The culture parade doesn’t stop there. Music is on tap every night with the renowned Latin guitarist Jorge Lopez. Add a tequila-making presentation conducted nightly and Four Seasons Toronto is once again showing off how it offers the best flavours from around the world.
When I leave the hotel, a thought dawns on me: I might not know Mexico intimately, but I feel like I know it a bit better than I did before. It’s like watching an engrossing documentary that puts you in the action. That’s what “Mexico Meets Yorkville” does: Throws you into the Mexican lifestyle by distilling the best of the country’s culture into a week-long extravaganza.
