No Menu, No Rules: A Spontaneous Culinary Experience at El Violli

Many gourmet restaurants have entrees that are deceptively small in portion (think bite-size) that you leave the restaurant having paid an exorbitant sum of money and still feeling hungry. However, that certainly was not the case at El Violli Restaurant, which opened in October 2010 in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Bahia de Banderas, Nayarit.

The concept of the restaurant is "No Menu, No Rules," an idea originated from the desire of Chef Casiano Reyes "to not be constrained by ingredients or a menu that is not always at their prime or a lesser quality," according to the website. The experience of spontaneous cuisine begins when diners choose between a tasting menu of 3 or 5 courses. Afterward the Chef selects the freshest products in the market according to our allergies or restrictions, and personalizes the menu.

"Each creation is an interesting combination of ingredients perfectly chosen and carefully prepared with modern and unique techniques that show the great flavors of Mexican cuisine. Creativity and enthusiasm of talented Chef Carlos Rojas are reflected in all his preparations."

We decided to settle on a three-course meal (and thank god we did! You will find out why eventually...). The dining experience began with a cheese stick. I asked the waiter to make all my food dairy-free (no cream, no cheese, etc.) so he didn't place one on my stone plate, but I nibbled on a piece of Audrey's. It had a pretty strong cheesey flavor. By the way, this wasn't part of the three-course menu.

Nor was this a part of it. The complementary dish was Parrotfish Carpaccio served with tortilla squares, cubed tomatoes, and basil with lime vinaigrette.

I have never had or heard of parrotfish before, but its name comes from the fish's beak-like mouth that resembles a parrot. The fish was thinly sliced and pounded. Th tortilla chips on top added pleasurable crunchiness to the otherwise mushy dish. I love the scent of basil.

It tasted like ceviche because it was marinated in a citrus juice. The lime flavor was a bit strong, but since I was pretty hungry, I finished the whole thing. Oh, how I regretted this afterward...haha.

Our "first course" was a pairing of Duck Confit Empanada and Shrimp in Pesto Basil Sauce.

The Duck Confit Empanada had raspberry sauce on top with basil and some kind of sweet puree underneath.

The sweetness from the empanada and the raspberry sauce paired well with the savory duck confit inside.

I wish I could get the exact name and ingredient in the dish, but alas, El Violli has no menu.

The duck confit was extremely flavorful and screamed the taste of DUCK. The meat was quite tender because it had been immersed in fat. The empanada pastry was a bit too buttery and greasy for me.

Next to the duck was Shrimp in Pesto Basil Salsa with Asparagus. The shrimp was covered in some sort of chewy, thin noodle-like wrappings.

The shrimps in Mexico are definitely more plump and juicier than those in the U.S. The pesto sauce was slightly oily. Hmm now that I think about it, I wonder if they used tomatillos (green tomatoes) to flavor this dish.

i got the shrimp on the right because I asked for a dairy-free cuisine, but the others received...

Stuffed banana pepper with cheese sauce on top with strawberries and basil. I love the combination of savory and fruits that they emphasize in the appetizer.

The next dish was Braised Beef and Stuffed Plantain with some sort of mushroom sauce on top.

Mexican cuisine is very generous with salsa (tomatoes, onions, and basil). I can see it poured on top of almost every dish.

Upon "dissecting" the dish, I discovered the plantain underneath the beef.

The stuffed plantain was probably my favorite dish of the night. I loved the sweet plantain, grilled to perfection, with mashed black bean inside.

For people who dislike mushy stuff, this wouldn't be a pleasant dish. But I personally loved it, especially because I got a little bit of crunchiness and texture from the asparagus.

I think the beef on top was the same part as galbi because it was quite fatty. Even though the restaurant was dark and I couldn't really see the meat that well, when I took a bite, all I could taste was the gelatinous fattiness.

This was the "regular" dish (whereas mine was the dairy-free one) with cheese sauce on top.

This was another complementary dish.

Shrimp, Scallop, and Squid on Top of Spicy Chipotle Tortilla Chips. It had red onions, basil, and a slice of avocado as well.

The chipotle dressing on top of the tortilla chips were quite spicy, but it was nice having something "fresh" (seafood) after the previous two quite "heavy" dishes.

Next we got what we thought was the main dish: Grilled Mahi Mahi with Pineapple Puree and Crispy Tortilla Chips

The Mahi Mahi was slightly overcooked because it tasted dry. Again, the crunchiness from the crispy tortilla chips added nice texture to the dish. I was a big fan of the sweet pineapple puree.

After we finished our fish, the waiter asked, "Are you guys ready for the main course?" Say what? We thought he was joking so we laughed it off and said, "Oh, that was funny. You have got to be kidding." The waiter then replied, "Umm I'm serious. I'm not joking." He brought this dish shortly after: Lamb with Green Apple Arugula on Top.

Reviewing the dishes now, I see a pattern going on with El Violli. First, they love pairing sweet and savory (especially with fruits), use lots of basil and salsa for the added flavors, and always makes sure that we get a diverse range of textures (crunchy and soft/mushy).

The lamb tasted like pulled pork...that's how tender it was! Even though I was really full, I still ate most of it.

You can sort of see the red pepper seasoning on the lamb. I like my meat slightly spicy.

"This is the pre-dessert," the waiter told us as he brought us a plate of Pineapple and Garlic Chips.

I never thought garlic and pineapple would go well together, but then again, sweet and salty always makes for a great combination.

After all the dishes that we had above, the meal finally ended with the real dessert. Each of us got a different dessert to share. This is the Mango Souffle with Raspberry Sorbet.

The souffle was nice and warm inside, and not too sweet. The sorbet was so refreshing. It had coconut flakes at the bottom.

Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream. Before they brought the dessert, Audrey, who also doesn't like chocolate, said, "Please let it be chocolate" so she wouldn't eat it. Ironically, the waiter placed the one chocolate dessert right in front of her.

Deconstructed Torte with Almond Ice Cream. The mousse was quite heavy and creamy. It had popcorn flakes on top.

The Corn Cake with White Chocolate and Coconut Ice Cream was the most exotic and "Mexican" dessert. The Corn Cake paired really well with the white chocolate and cold ice cream.

If there is "Pre-Dessert," there has to be "Post-Dessert" as well: Chocolate-dipped Strawberries with White Chocolate Drizzles.

I was way too full for this dessert. Towards the end we were begging them to stop brining us food. Haha. Despite feeling satiated afterward, we made another reservation at the restaurant later this week because the food was so unique and delicious. I am hoping the offerings will be very different the second time around. I am already looking forward to embarking on another culinary adventure at El Violli. This time, though, I need to pace myself and not eat everything in the beginning!