Mexican fare is the latest to join the more than 20 international cuisines offered by Hong Kong Catering Management's restaurants.
Izote (the izote is the flower from the yucca plant), in Lan Kwai Fong, seats about 100 people, including 25 in the bar area, near the entrance. The large, airy space is decorated in warm colours with bright accents.
'Mexican restaurants [in Hong Kong] are tiny places, painted in ugly colours with no taste,' says director Carmelo Lopez. 'The impression they give of Mexico is very bad. It's not a poor country; it's not a miserable place - that was Mexico 200 years ago. Today it is a beautiful country with a lot of money and beautiful restaurants, like this.'
Izote serves authentic, regional dishes. 'Nobody else [in Hong Kong] serves mole [a rich sauce made with nuts, spices and chocolate]. This isn't Tex-Mex made by some junior cook who doesn't know how to make Mexican food,' says Lopez. 'We have a Mexican chef.'
He says the food is tailored to local palates, but customers can request more fire. Three spicy sauces are also available for diners who like to turn up the heat.
Starters include shrimp cocktail (far right; HK$135), lobster tacos (HK$140) and stuffed jalapenos (HK$80). Among the selection of mains are pork loin in green mole (HK$185), duck breast in red mole (HK$205) and sirloin in seven-chillies oil (HK$225). Desserts include banana tacos (HK$50) and corn cakes (HK$50).