When Yesenia Chavez and her family were creating the menu for Le\u00f1a, their first restaurant, they decided not to feature tacos as entr\u00e9es. Chavez told me they wanted to make Mexican dishes that aren\u2019t routinely served. \u201cBoth of my parents have a passion for food,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cYou see the love and the time and dedication that goes into making a plate that takes hours to make.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beyond tacos, burritos and enchiladas, the cooks in Le\u00f1a\u2019s kitchen are making mole, Cornish game hen and grilled lobster. Many of her parents\u2019 recipes are featured on the menu with additional ones from her brother-in-law, head chef; her brother, sous chef; and Chavez herself. While her parents are from a small town in Guanajuato, the food doesn\u2019t represent one particular region. Chavez has traveled across Mexico. She brought the best-tasting dishes back with her. \u201cIt\u2019s just a blend of experiences that we\u2019ve had with what we grew up with,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Le\u00f1a also has a mission to change the perception that Mexican food equals fast food. \u201cHearing people speak about it, there\u2019s a misconception that it\u2019s cheap and easy to make,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s totally not the case.\u201d Her parents\u2019 recipes are the point of departure for authentic flavors. \u201cBut we wanted to put more of a modern elevated twist to it,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I spoke with Chavez after eating dinner at Le\u00f1a without knowing that the tacos were meant to be appetizers. The menu is large, long and full of options. I scanned the \u201cPlatos Fuertes\u201d section, which included pork shank, ribs and \u201ccolossal\u201d shrimp, but succumbed to my particular fondness for tacos. From the list of seven choices\u2014under the headline \u201cLas Siete Maravillas Del Taco\u201d\u2014I ordered three.<\/p>\n
My halibut al dorado ($6) was the best fish taco I\u2019ve had this year. The fish was beer-battered and served with chipotle mayo, cabbage, pico de gallo and an aguacate salsa. They\u2019re described as \u201cmini,\u201d but they\u2019re really street-sized. The kitchen smartly makes the protein the star of the plate and gets the supplemental proportions right. Salsas, herbs, radishes and onions are added as enhancements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As Chavez noted, tacos can be built with practically any ingredient. To narrow down the taco choices to only seven, they started with her father\u2019s signature dishes, carnitas and birria. \u201cAnd then we\u2019re doing our style of carne asada,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re using a 14-ounce ribeye.\u201d Diners can order all seven tacos for $32. Chavez said, \u201cIt\u2019s the best way to introduce yourself to the flavors that we\u2019ve got going on in the rest of the menu.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another taco maravilla that\u2019s popular in Mexico is lengua, or beef tongue. \u201cWe were very iffy about that one because when people see or hear \u2018beef tongue\u2019 some people are turned away,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cIn our household, you can\u2019t go wrong with a taco de lengua.\u201d She described it as a super-tender meat that pairs well with their salsa verde. She added, \u201cWe wanted to keep that as well so people can explore it and see it in a different light.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The tortillas were delicious and tasted like they were freshly made. \u201cWe use masa from La Finca Tortilleria in Oakland,\u201d Chavez said. \u201cAll of our vendors are smaller. Most of them are family-owned businesses because that\u2019s the only way that we survive, right? Supporting each other.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
In addition to tacos, we tried the poblano enmolado ($22), which comes with tortillas and two sides\u2014guacamole and beans in our case. The sauce was sumptuous, velvety maroon and it made me want to try Le\u00f1a\u2019s other sauces. We also tried the oxtail and short rib birria, pork belly smothered in salsa verde, and a whole branzino marinated in achiote, garlic and citrus.<\/p>\n
Le\u00f1a\u2019s chile verde keeps the essential flavors of her mother\u2019s recipe intact, but she decided to make it with strips of pork belly. The Cornish game hen is also served in a mole sauce. \u201cIt\u2019s the same flavor, the same authenticity that we grew up with, but it looks a lot nicer,\u201d Chavez said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Customers have told her, \u201cThis is so different from what we\u2019re used to seeing at Mexican restaurants,\u201d particularly on that part of the island.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Le\u00f1a, 2431 Central Ave., Alameda. Open Tue-Sun for dinner and weekends for brunch. IG: @lena.alameda<\/a>.<\/p>\n