Expect coastal Mexican cuisine with a focus on seafood.
We may be heading into winter, but chef and restaurateur Richard Sandoval is making sure tropical vibes are available all year round in New York City.
Located in Midtown East, his latest restaurant, Tán, is inspired by Tulum and the Yucatán Peninsula—meaning you can expect coastal Mexican cuisine with a focus on seafood. A collaboration with chef Jonatán Gómez Luna Torres, this latest eatery marks Sandoval’s seventh opening this year alone, continuing his NYC takeover after an outpost of the Dominican restaurant Jalao debuted over the summer.
“When I first opened Maya in New York City 25 years ago, I didn’t think I would have 60+ locations one day, but my passion for introducing Latin cuisine to the world continuously inspires me to bring new things to different markets and regions each year,” Sandoval said in a statement. “Tán, like my other locations, was conceptualized with Richard Sandoval Hospitality’s ‘old ways, new hands’ approach, marrying traditional Latin flavors with innovative cooking techniques from chef Gómez Luna and I.”
The two are serving up fare inspired by both of their backgrounds, with Mexican favorites given an upscale twist. The aguachile Tán, for example, is a crispy potato and chorizo taco with shrimp and aguachile verde, while sea scallop ceviche comes adorned with coconut, habanero, radish leaf and passion fruit. A bone-marrow small plate features the rich ingredient alongside black garlic, octopus, salsa verde and a housemade corn tortilla. And on the lighter side, a tuna tostada tops a crispy corn tortilla with tuna, ponzu, avocado, Meyer lemon chili oil and pico de gallo.
As far as larger plates go, seafood enchiladas are swathed in a creamy guajillo sauce, with queso fresco, crema and baby greens. The ocean’s delicacies play the main role on this part of the menu as well, with lobster, red snapper, prawns and scallops all starring in their own dishes. If you’re more in the mood for meat, though, there’s pork belly with charred eggplant purée, heirloom carrots and black chilmole sauce, as well as a rib eye accompanied by morita chili jus, vanilla-orange sweet potato purée and grilled vegetables.
Later this month, the adjoining lounge Lúm will open, serving an agave-focused beverage program. Drinks such as the Mayan Manhattan and the La Brisas del Océano will feature ingredients prepped in the kitchen, including tortilla ash and oyster-stuffed olives, providing a seamless link between the food and the cocktails.
“Tán and Lúm will offer an avant-garde culinary experience for guests—daring and fun, with bold flavors, but still keeping with the fine traditions of Mexican cuisine that we all know and love,” Gómez Luna said in a statement.
Located at 209 East 49th Street, Tán opens on December 8, serving dinner from 5 pm to 10 pm Sunday through Thursday and until 11 pm on Friday and Saturday.
And in this dreary weather, it’s the next best thing to a trip to Mexico.
The Cancun Post
