New chef, new flavours: Here's a glimpse of the refreshed and revamped Mexican kitchen El Mero Mero

El Mero Mero was established in 2014 at CHIJMES by Mexican-born Alejandro Blanco, and quickly became a go-to favourite of throngs of after-work folk looking for a tipple within the bustling Civic district. Five years on, this Mexican establishment has completed a makeover, and relaunched in July with a sweeping revamp.

Alejandro Blanco, founder of El Mero Mero and Senor Taco

Chef Luis Rodringuez (left) and me. Photo: @airi.withlove

In the kitchen, Jorge Rosas has taken over the reins from outgoing chef Luis Rodriguez, introducing with him a refreshing spin to classic Mexican dishes without straying too far from traditional recipes. Hailing from Oaxaca, Chef Jorge naturally gravitates towards timeless favourites that are inextricably linked to the Mexican culinary haven. Indeed, Oaxacan staples such as corn feature prominently throughout the menu.

This bowl of addictive tortilla chips is given complimentary to all diners. Though humble and unassuming in appearance, these chips pack a punch in terms of depth, of both flavour and texture. Both chips and sauce are made from scratch - with the former intentionally rolled into a slight curl to allow easy scooping of the sauce. 

Corn Sampler (S$15)

Char-grilled organic baby corns, smoked huitaloche donuts, chilli mayo.

Corn is an integral component of any born-and-bred Mexican’s diet, and this sampler is an excellent introduction to the Mexican interpretation of this ubiquitous and versatile crop. Baby corn is grilled to a nicely-browned crisp exterior, drawing out its natural sweetness. Chef Jorge boldly pairs this safe, near-universal favourite with huitlacoche, which certainly is more of an acquired taste, with its musty flavours.

Other botanas you can find include crowd pleasers such as guacamole with tortillas and bacon-wrapped smoked chicken skewers.

Ceviche Y Toastadas

El Mero Mero offers two types of raw fish cured in a piquant cocktail of seasonings and other accompaniments, both served with toasted handmade tortilla shells.

Toastadas de Atun (S$17)

Consists of tuna tartar, avocado puree, chipotle mayo, matchstick tempura banana shallots on a crispy corn tortilla. You can also opt for a version with hamachi and coconut, alongside trout roe and avocado puree.

In pursuit of depth of flavour, El Mero Mero grills all mains in a josper charcoal oven, much lauded for imparting smoky and complex layers of flavour to a wide range of meats.

Crispy Suckling Pig (S$34). 

Red meats often work brilliantly with josper grills, and the suckling pig here affirms that, The meat is cooked for 12-hours before it is topped with charred pineapple sauce and tiaquepaque mexican salsa. This melt-in-your-mouth tenderness is an unforgettable experience.

Tacos

One of Mexico’s most instantly-recognizable culinary classics would be the taco. At El Mero Mero, their 4-inch tacos are freshly made locally, and come in pairs with your desired filling.

Baja Fish (S$14).

 Tempura tooth fish with pico de gallo and pickled shallots, chipotle mayo and flour tortilla.

Try the Baja fish - sustainably-caught Tempura tooth fish with pico de gallo and pickled shallots and chipotle mayo.

Carnitas (S$13). 

If you prefer a more gamey protein, go for the Carnitas. Pork neck and belly is wonderfully caramelized and accompanied by homemade pineapple salsa, pickled shallots & purple cabbage.

Smoked chocolate skulls (S$14).

We ate some skulls for desserts. Yes, these skulls are the motif of Mexico and they eat candied skulls as a celebration of "the day of the dead". The day of the dead is kind of equivalent to our seventh month in the context of Singapore. El Mero Mero use pieces of Habenaro (a type of chilli pepper) to give a slight kick on your palate. Mezcal, a mexican distilled spirit made from the agave plant, is also added.

Corona-rita (S$28).

One cannot complete a true Mexican culinary adventure without downing a drink or two! El Mero Mero is indeed well-stocked to satiate guests’ alcoholic desires.

Classic lime margarita and upside down corona beer.

One of the best alcoholic drinks I've had - loveeeeee it!

Ambience and service at El Mero Mero

I opted for the counter seats which overlook the open kitchen and did not regret it a second - it was a wonderful performance of the chefs as they hurry through the orders in an organized chaos fashion. There is something therapeutic in watching them - there is hardly any shouting of orders, everyone knows their role fully well and the team was dedicated to make every dish perfect. It was a stellar orchestra with the symphony of cooking played by the chefs: the rhythmic chopping of knives, the soft whirring of the machines, occasional opening and closing of the drawers and hurried footsteps.

Huang took the time to share in detail about his dishes and his recent trip

El Mero Mero

Address: 30 Victoria Street, #01-20 Chijmes, Singapore 187996
Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 5:00pm – 11:00pm
Friday - Saturday 5:00pm – 11:30am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ElMeroMeroSg