Cocina 38 in Playa del Carmen; a local’s point of view.By Nicola Inwood
There is a new restaurant in town and although at first we were reluctant to share for fear of changing this great spot, we decided we had to share this little piece of heaven.
The food is excellent, the service great, the atmosphere is wonderful and, we like the husband and wife team that own the place.
Now a bit of back ground before we get started.
Here at the Life Just Became Simpler
Community, we are foodies.We like good food; we like to appreciate food for what it is, whether it is a dining experience, a cooking experience, a cultural experience, or a friendship experience.
We are not food snobs. We do not only dine in the best of the best restaurants, we do not turn our noses up at restaurant if they are not just “so”, we love a fresh piece of fruit, a great cut of meat, a great local hangout, a great bowl of pasta, you name it we like it. We truly appreciate the fact that if those who are serving, cooking or preparing the food are passionate about what they do then we are in.
It is easy, when eating food, to know when the food is prepared with passion or is just prepared with the idea of wolfing down a meal for the sake of a full belly. Cochinita pibil on 20th street, from one of the local vendors, is a torta made with passion, with precision and with the intention that this food should be savored with each and every bite…we love food like this…we seek out food like this…..we appreciate food prepared with this intention of passion in mind.
So the latest place of choice for all of us, for our foodie customers, which we have a lot of, is Cocina 38.
This place is not for everyone, we know that this restaurant will not appeal to all audiences.
Similar to 30th Ave, not everyone likes everything.
We just think that this place rocks and give it the rocks up!
We don’t want to give a long-winded review, but we will make the following points:
1.
They currently have a great Mexican house wine.
Hats off to Cocina 38 for appreciating and offering, local Mexican wines.
Well done!
2.
They do hard to cook food very, very well.
This is not easy and consistency night after night is hard too.
This is mastered.
3.
Their decor is simple and tasteful.
There is no pomp and circumstance, it is food served simply and well.
Thumbs up!
4.
They have details that no one matches here in Playa Del Carmen.
Order a coffee and you will be given, for free, some little chocolates that are probably the best I have ever tasted (and you are talking to a non chocolate fan).
Kudos!
There are many other great things to say about this restaurant, and again we have to stress that this may not be for everyone.
The price point may be too high, the quietness annoying for those who need noise and chaos, the menu choices too far out…this is not a fast food place as they need time to build each plate, one customer at a time.
If you are looking for a quick bite before going out partying, we would say don’t go…this is a place to savor and appreciate..
Well done Cocina 38.
We appreciate your passion for food, local flavors, fusion and just being nice people.
Have you been?
Cocina 38 is located on 5th Avenue between 38th and 40th Streets in Playa del Carmen.
Telephone: 984-873-0655
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written by KKD,
June 13, 2009
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We completely agree. Cocina 38 is a breath of fresh air in the food world of Playa. Elegant and quiet, it is a perfect romantic dinner spot with excellent wine and comfy setting. Roberto and Lisa the owners are just lovely and always make us feel like they have been waiting for us. They are continually updating the menu which makes for interesting choices that are not always the same. The block where they are located (5th between 38th and 40th) is becoming a very cool part of Playa, in large part because of Cocina 38. We hope they are here for the long run.