Los Atico gets high marks for its fusion-y fine dining Mexican fare, quirky artwork ambience and edgy-cool speakeasy vibe.
Diving headfirst into a Bangkok dining scene teeming with pretenders to the Mexican cuisine throne, Los Atico Mexican Restaurant and Tequila Bar has landed with a splash into the buzzing nighttime foodscape of Sukhumvit soi 11.
A must-try starter, the Tableside Guacamole and chips (420B++) is prepared fresh at your table, with Pico de Gallo sauce and pomegranate facing off in a sweet-tang flavour fugue not found in other renditions of this mashed avocado dip. The Sea Bass Ceviche (340B++) is another good light-fare opener option, featuring exquisitely fresh fish properly "seared" white in its onion and lemon juice marinate.
The Crispy Pork Tostada (190B++) is a palate-pleasing fiesta of flavours – with spit-roasted pork belly, avocado and black garlic sour cream artfully arranged on a pan-grilled corn tortilla – the toppings nicely complimented by the hearty-tasting cornmeal flatcake.
Indulging in a bit of culinary gentrification of Mexico's "ambassador" dish to the world, Los Atico offers a selection of Street Tacos that flatter the corn tortillas with posh topping options like Rib Eye Beef with chimichurri (parsley-olive oil) sauce (160B++); Tequila-marinated Lobster (190B++) or Beer-battered fish (110B++).
Looking like something straight off of the Flintstones drive-through menu, the massive BBQ Barbacoa Beef Short Rib (1,700++) features wood-smoked USDA beef so tender it simply falls off the bone, while the rich smokehouse flavour is authentic American BBQ-grade delicious.
The Spatchcock Grilled Chicken (700B++) arrives as a whole, split-back bird marinated in a flavourful Al Pastor sauce with diced mango and pineapple offering a sweet counterpoint to the gorgeously char-blackened skin and tender, perfectly seasoned meat.
The ever-so-rich Chocolate Flan (220++) should not be missed. The custard-mousse hybrid is made with top-quality dark chocolate and paired with a generous streak of blueberry coulis.
Along with the exciting, house-original and authentic Mexican dishes, Los Atico puts the adventure into wetting the old whistle with some 40 brands of Tequila and mescal, making it the region's most extensive selection of the fiery Mexican cactus juice. Helping to familiarise us with the daunting array, American bar manager Rudy set us up with a three-shot sampling flight that started with a grassy tasting Silver/Blonde label aged around 2 months (170++/1 oz. pour); a repostado (‘rested') 1 year aged (470++/1 oz. pour) and a 3-year old anero (‘aged') (420++/1 oz. pour) which dazzled our palate with its distinctive vanilla/cream soda finish.
Apropos its Mexican roots, the décor at Los Atico rocks a macabre-chic motif of stylized skeletons and grinning skulls, reminiscent of traditional imagery associated with the popular Mexican remembrance holiday known as Day of the Dead. Most impressively, the death-themed décor covering the walls is entirely original artwork created American collective 3 Graffiti Kings, who were flown in from Miami for the one-off interior decoration gig.
Extra props are in order for the street-cred eliciting ‘Cholo'-look staff uniforms (top-buttoned plaid shirts and flipped-around baseball caps) as well as for the use of environmentally friendly (and no doubt pricey) cardboard take-out containers.
Los Atico thematically lives up to its speakeasy image in that its upstairs location is pretty much concealed from the main road. Just look for sister-brand outlet Cali-Mex and head upstairs.
Los Atico Mexican Restaurant and Bar
26/8-9 Soi Sukhumvit 11 (upstairs at Cali-Mex)
Open Daily from 5:00 PM
Phone: (02) 015-8100
