libations and innovations!. one of the comforts, and arguably dangers, of going to a mexican restaurant is the promise of eating tried and true traditional, albeit tired, predictable, and relatively plain, dishes with little variety. the brains behindkomalisympathize with the market and have decided to design a menu that deviates from your expectations.
after perusing their cocktail menu and wine selection, it becomes quite obvious you are very unlikely to order a 7-11 lime slurpee with jose cuervo or similar mixto misted on the top. the cocktails are inspired, although not always executed to their promise. while their wine list is extensive and offers a variation with sensible prices, their libations titillate the annals of the mind with thoughts of pineapple infused tequilas and unusual but attractive pairing, such as their signature prickly pear margarita or the impressive habanero margarita, made with habanero syrup and chile dusted rim, a certain highlight of the evening
at first glance, the entrée names are plain and promise nothing different. after reading the entrée's descriptions and ingredients, you know you're in for something different and, quite possibly, special. the queso fundido was fresh and chock full of cactus, mushrooms, onions, spooned by oaxaca cheese. my salmon was delivered on a bed of banana leaves, in which it was cooked, accompanied with perfectly sautéed medley of squash and zucchini.
don't let the appetizers' size deceive you.komalitakes the concept of appetizer seriously for they simply whet your tastes and teasingly prepare you for the orgy of flavors waiting dormant in your entrée. judging from my party's reactions to both presentation and tastes,komaliis guaranteed to arouse.
the evening ended with what arguably is the best dessert in dallas, komali's chocoflan, a succulent flan placed squarely on top of a chocolate cake rich with flavors like chiles, oranges, and berries. the complexity is the real delight as no one flavor champions the dessert, but the challenge of the idea is met by all. among their other desserts: homemade ice creams in unique flavors, like cotija cheese and avocado, with surprisingly delightful results and a rightful yearning for a second scoop.
komali is ambitious and the risks are noteworthy. it's difficult to enter a market heavily saturated with tradition and haunted by inexpensive alternatives. the substitutes spook the innovators. while the substitutes are only touted for the price of the meal, they cannot truly be called substitutes, because they lack the spirit of a pioneer rising to the gargantuan challenge of resuscitating an injured cuisine. although pioneers may fail, there is no substitute for trying. sometimes, therein lies the success.