Cinco de Mayo at Rosa Mexicano

Cinco de Mayo, is celebrated in the United States and in Mexico on May 5 and it is a significant breakthrough in Mexican history. It celebrates the Battle of Puebla, when a small contingent of Mexican soldiers, led by General Ignacio Zaragoza, defeated Napoleon III's formidable army.
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo

Aside from it being a celebration of independence, it's also a great excuse to enjoy delicious Mexican food! :D Mark and I were invited to the Cinco de Mayo celebration at Rosa Mexicano, but since we couldn't make it on the day itself, we were given the chance to commemorate this special event the day after. :p

We were able to experience and indulge in authentic Mexican dishes at Rosa Mexicano. The restaurant exudes warmth with its red, orange, and yellow interiors. The colorful wall accents also added playfulness to the ambience.

This Mexican landscape backdrop, where diners can take photos in traditional Mexican clothes, also definitely completed the authentic Mexican vibe.

We started our Mexican degustation with Rosa Mexicano's signature drinks, Passion Fruit Mojito and Frozen Strawberry Margarita. Alcoholic drinks are prohibited, so these were just mocktails. My Frozen Strawberry Margarita was so refreshing but I must admit that I loved Mark's Passion Fruit Mojito more!

Passion Fruit Mojito - AED 25.00 and Frozen Strawberry Margarita - AED 24.00

We obliged when the server suggested that we try out their guacamole for our starters. I already knew that it was indeed a good choice when the server started making the guacamole right in front of us.

Fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, and cilantro, and avocado were mixed in a stone mortar to create this bowlful of goodness. It was served with fresh tortilla chips which Mark and I couldn't stop nibbling as we dunk them into the delectable guacamole. We both love avocados so Rosa Mexicano's guacamole instantly became a favorite!

Guacamole en Molcajete

AED 54.00 (for 2-3 persons)

AED 89.00 (for 4-6 persons)

Tortilla Chips and Tomato Salsa

I wasn't keen in checking the menu and didn't notice that the guacamole already comes with tortilla chips and tomato salsa, so I ordered for the Nachos de Tres Queso (Three Cheese Nachos).

It came in a generous serving of hand-cut crispy tortillas topped with black beans, queso fresco, cheddar, Chihuahua cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, chipotle, and serrano chilies. It was such an eye candy and the serving was undeniably generous, but the taste didn't come close to what the guacamole has already whetted our palates with.

Nachos de Tres Queso - AED 39.00

with braised chicken or beef short ribs - AED 49.00

We got the Crispy Stuffed Chicken and the Tampiquena con Camarones for our mains. The contrast of flavors from tangy tomatillo sauce where the chicken lay, sour cream, and sun-dried tomatoes and the slightly sweet and salty cheese plus spinach filling actually worked well altoghether. I love how the crispy chicken is tender and juicy on the inside which is a nice complement to the chewy filling. It was good but not something to rave about.

Crispy Stuffed Chicken - AED 49.00

The dish is accompanied with house rice and re-fried black beans. The rice tasted like biryani and the black beans tasted more like the usual ginisang monggo (lentil soup) that I grew up with, but this one is on the dry side and the beans are mashed.

House Rice and Re-fried Black Beans

Tampiquena con Camarones is a traditional grilled rib eye steak, topped with rocket leaves, cherry tomatoes, radish, and cheese, with honey lime dressing. The steak wasn't a show stopper as well. It tasted good but it was a little too dry. The salad topping was good though.

The dish also came with sautéed shrimps mixed with roasted tomato jalapeño caper sauce, which I loved! I like how I can tolerate the spiciness of the shrimps. I just wish there were more shrimps in the plate. Haha! The seasoned potato fries that came with it was delicious as well.

Tampiquena con Camarones - AED 99.00

We were already full that we didn't finish the dishes and we were ready to call it a night when the server asked us to stay for desserts. We were supposed to beg off until he suggested that we try their churros. :D

A pink paper bag on a dish with three sauces were served to us. The server then gave the paper bag a good shake before he dropped the contents into the plate and pieces of steaming hot traditional Mexican donuts covered with granulated sugar welcomed me. It was like music to my ears and a sight to behold! :D

Churros en Bolsa - AED 29.00

It comes with caramel, chocolate, and strawberry dipping sauces. I immediately dunked the churros and tried each sauce. The crunchy crust and sugar added texture to the soft core. Every bite felt like heaven! I personally love it with the chocolate sauce, while Mark was raving about the caramel sauce.

And since I was craving for ice cream, we also got their ice cream sundae. Scoops of chocolate and vanilla ice cream plus strawberry sorbet, with ancho chile brownies, fresh strawberries, drizzled with raspberry-guajillo sauce, topped with whipped cream and cherry were served to us.

Ice Cream Sundae - AED 32.00

There's also a small bowl of piloncillo-espresso sauce which I generously drizzled over the ice cream. I instantly dug into the bowl of goodness and satisfied my sweet tooth. The piloncillo-espresso sauce was so good and tasted so much like dark chocolate. I personally loved the vanilla-espresso-fresh strawberry-brownie combination! :-p~

Ice Cream Sundae - AED 32.00

Although some dishes didn't really had us raving, I must say that the drinks, guacamole, and desserts saved the night. The overall dining experience was also great. We were serenaded with lively Mexican music by the Mariachi duo while we're enjoying a Mexican feast.

Customer service was also admirable. As I've observed, when in restaurants/establishments/hotels here in the UAE, it's very unusual for Filipino staff to be hospitable to fellow Filipino guests as how they are with other nationalities. But it was different with Ruwie's case. He's very enthusiastic in suggesting their best-sellers. He even stops by our table to check on us and to have small talks. He was the one who served us that night and he made sure that we had a great time.

And I know he's not doing that just because he knows that I'll be doing a food review, as he's just the same with all the other diners that he's attending to that night. Good job, Ruwie! :) Thank you so much, Rosa Mexicano, for having us! ♥

For updates about Rosa Mexicano, Dubai, you can visit and like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RosaMexicanoAR, or follow them on Instagram: @rosamexicanoar or Twitter: @RosaMexicanoAR. You can also visit their website at http://www.rosamexicano.com/international/dubaimall.

ROSA MEXICANO, Dubai Mall

The Dubai Mall, Dubai
United Arab Emirates
TEL: +971.4.388.2505
Nearest Metro Station: Burj Khalifa/Dubai Maill (Red Line)

We were guests at Rosa Mexicano and our meal was complimentary, but as always, this post is sincerely written and all views and opinions are my own.