LA HOYA COMIDA MEXICANA

Buenos dias! It was a one fine day when we decided to visit the one of the new Mexican diner in town! Well it's not literally "new" but since there's still little competition of Mexican cuisines here in Jakarta, especially in shopping malls! So let's see if this one could really represent its origin! FYI, La Hoya is a member of Arena Gourmet : Penang Bistro, Seribu Rasa, Hong Kong Cafe, and Tatsuya.

Entrance with a mini fountain in the middle of a shopping mall has made me quite amazed! They have a quite luxurious taste in interior instead of rooting to a south american native idea of design. They have a wine rack as well as some glasses, which makes me a bit confused if they were for serving or decorating purposes.

Here's the interior! Looks cozy, enough lighting to work or have some professional meeting, so you can both work and chill out with friends here!

I love the leather's amber color as well as their functionality! Comfortable and spacious!

Little details always amaze me. I love the craftsmanship of everything: ceilings, walls, ornaments, it's got great execution and you can't help but be dazzled!

They also have this buffet table for events! There was an event when we arrived there, so take note that you might book this place for one!

COCKTAIL SELECTION

For those of you who thirst for something with a kick of alcohol (hey, a bit won't hurt!) Here are some of them! They have little alcohol content so it's still perfect for you to unwind with these refreshing cocktails! Didn't drink though because I drove here alone, but here goes the pics!!

MEXICAN MOONWALK 

FROZEN LA HOYA MARGARITA 

COCOA MONTERREY

MOCKTAIL SELECTION

..or for some of you that would love to be refreshed in the same way WITHOUT the alcohol, there are these mocktails to liven your day: they usually replace the alcohol with soda to give a kick!

VIRGIN LYCHEE MOJITO

EL PONCHE

ICE HORCHATA

CARIBBEAN MANGO

LOS NACHOS // TORTILLA CHIPS IDR 58k

Crispy tortilla chips dressed with cheddar cheese sauce, home made beef chorizo, jalapeño pickles, sour cream, guacamole and fresh pico de gallo

Our compulsory appetizer (or snack) before starting any Mexican meal! Good for side dishes and to hangout with friends as you just always have something to munch with! In terms of taste, well nothing's new here: it's just as described, not so different than any other nachos you could find elsewhere. Only loved the cheddar cheese sauce since I'm such a cheese lover!

ENSALADA LA HOYA IDR 55k

Mixture of green leaves, spinach, roasted bell pepper, crunchy cheddar cheese croutons, beef bacon, and creamy yellow dressing

The very thing I love about this bowl of salad is its dressing! The creamy yellow dressing was so fresh and it entirely liven up the whole bowl, taking our appetite up a notch to the main course! The beef bacons are underneath though so you might not see them in the picture! The harmony within this one salad bowl is almost perfect that it's so refreshing and appetizing at the same time!

TACO DE CAMARON // SHRIMP TACO IDR 69k

Soft taco filled with cajun style shrimp, sauteed in butter, garnished with pico de gallo, crunchy cabbage, and lettuce

This one's a soft tortilla taco with shrimps inside. Nothing out of this space though. I've hardly been impressed by tacos, the meat amount is great but I think it's being overwhelmed by the amount of vegetables on top! Not that I don't like vegetables but I think the taste balance is a bit off, perhaps a better balancing would make this dish turn out great!

LAS QUESADILLAS // CHEESE FILLED TORTILLA IDR 55k

Flour tortilla, filled with a savory mixture of cheese, garnished with sour cream, guacamole and fresh Pico de Gallo

Againnn my personal favorite! Quesadillas (don't forget to read the double L with a "y" since it's Spanish) are made of tortilla flour, which makes the main difference, although similar to, French crepes. This has been one of my favorite dish ever (remember the delicious quesadilla at Bengawan? Although that one has meat inside and this one's just a basic, cheese quesadilla, it still tastes heavenly!), and this one certainly meets up my expectation! Best eaten warm as the cheese's still melting though: YUM!!!

 Melted cheese inside! Who doesn't love it?

TACO DE BARBACOA // BEEF TACO IDR 73k

Crispy taco filled with pulled beef, beef charizo, pico de gallo, cabbage, and lettuce. Dressed with mango chipotle sauce, served with guacamole, sour cream, and cheddar cheese

So I chose the crispy taco for this one! Well I gotta admit that I'm not a really big fan of taco overall. The reason being is that the tortilla wrap is overpowering the overall toppings PLUS the vegetables were a bit too much for me as well. They used a good amount of meat into it but it seemed that the overall taste wasn't too balanced. However! The pulled beef was really tender and juicy, so you might want to reduce the vegetables a little bit and see if it'd taste better.

ENCHILADAS GRINGAS // FRIED BURRITO IDR 60k (chicken) / 68k (beef)

Deep fried burrito filled with juicy beef or chicken grilled fajitas, savory Mexican red rice and sauteed mix of bell peppers, garnished with light green salad.

Choice of sauce:

Salsa Rosa - Savory roasted tomato and onion with a hint of smokey chipotle chili

Salsa Verde - Creamy green mexican tomatillo sauce with a delicious hint of serrano chili

For those of you who're not familiar of burritos, it's actually a deep fried tortilla wrap with Mexican red rice and toppings inside. Eating rice while grabbing it is common in Mexican tradition as it's practical. Taste wise was great, despite being too filling as you eat something deep fried, flour, rice, and cheese at the same time. Not that I don't like it, but my tongue was starving to try other dishes and I don't wanna stop here just yet!

LA PASTA AL AJILLO (SHRIMPS FETTUCCINE) IDR 65k

Fettuccine with shrimps and creamy ajillo sauce

As you can see in the picture, it's a bit different from the usual Italian pasta as they only put a little bit of sauce to the pasta, resulting it to be more dry. To me it's still lacking a punch in matter of taste, still love the saucy feel of pasta and how the sauce blends all the ingredients into one. But hey, it's a Mexican restaurant so let's not be harsh in judging *ehm* Italian pasta.

CHURROS IDR 33k

Homemade churros served with chocolate dipping sauce

Now this is what I call nice! Sprinkled with cinnamon sugar beforehand, this churros have two dipping sauces: milk chocolate and caramel chocolate. Both are so YUMMY! Only shortcoming was that the dough got hard so quick (need more improver?) that the best taste expires before you know it. Still great to be eaten when fresh! 

EL DELICADO // FROZEN BASIL CREAM IDR 37k
Basil parfait served over cranberry and pistachio crumble, strawberries, and balsamic reduction

Alright, so this one is very interesting! I was totally astonished by its very existence itself and honestly I didn’t think it’d work out wonderfully (oh prejudices!). Amazingly though, they work out! The texture is creamy enough to be called ice cream with a pleasant basil aroma that is well complimented by the toppings and the balsamic sauce. Original!

PASTEL DE TRES LECHES // SPONGE CAKE IDR 35k

A sweet mixture of three milks soaked this fluffy sponge cake, topped with mocha frosting and toasted coconut

Said to be soaked in 3 different kinds of milk, it's a soft, moist sponge cake whose texture I ADORE so much! Well it tastes really similar to tiramisu though. Since I'm in neutral stance with tiramisu, this didn't totally wow me in terms of flavor, but this one is so well made!

It was a pleasant visit overall! My verdict weighs totally in favor for my great love to quesadillas, but the rest are also great! Fulfills its role to be an upcoming competitor in Mexican cuisine market as well!

THANKYOU CLEMENT MATHIAS FOR THE LUNCH!!

LA HOYA COMIDA MEXICANA

Mall Gandaria City

Mainstreet Dining Level G Unit MG 31-32

Jl. Sultan Iskandar Muda, Kebayoran Lama
Jakarta Selatan 12240

(021) 29236458

Opening Hours: 
Weekdays 10:00 - 00:00 WIB
Weekend 10:00 - 02:00 WIB

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