DISH OF THE WEEK: Tikin Xic at EL VARADERO in Islas Mujeres, Mexico

Every week, I document another dish that impressed and satiated me during my food adventures around New York City

I found myself in Mexico because it was the site of the most recent Urban Adventures global conference. I’m lucky enough to have a job that takes me to many different parts of the world.

Our conference happened on Isla Mujeres, which is a gorgeous quaint island a few miles off the shore of Cancún. But on the other side of the Caribbean (quite a bit further) lies Cuba. So it wasn’t so crazy for me to go to a Cuban restaurant on this island in Mexico.

The funny thing is the most amazing dish I tried here was actually a Mexican dish. The ropa vieja and maduros were absolutely incredible, but the Tikin Xic (a Yucatán specialty) was by far the most memorable.

We have some great Mexican food in New York City but most of it originates from the area of Puebla, where the majority of the Mexican immigrants in the city hail from. We do have some decent Oaxacan and Mexico City inspired restaurants. But I have yet to discover anyone selling the Yucatán Tikin Xic (although a quick search shows Tacombi using it in fish tacos).

I had never heard about it before coming to the Yucatán. And I got to fully experience it at El Varadero. Yes, a Cuban restaurant.

Tikin xic (pronounced teekeen cheek) is a Mayan preparation of fish. At this waterfront restaurant, the two pound red snapper was first presented to the table fresh before we all agreed on it. About twenty minutes later, it came butterflied and darkened red with achiote (a seed that is used a lot to dye things red and give them a beautifully subtle pepperiness).

It was also served with tongs that allowed you to pull the tender white flesh from the plate and savor all the spices that enhanced the butteriness of the fish. It was dotted with onions, peppers, and lime. We all agreed it was one of the most memorable things we tried in Mexico.

El Varadero is a bit off the usual path. I first discovered it from a boat when we were on our way for an evening cruise. When our taxi pulled up to the address, we had to walk a bit before we discovered this wonderful hideaway. I wish we had visited it earlier in the week so we could have returned and told all of our colleagues. And they too would have been able to try this very special Yucatán dish at a traditional Cuban restaurant on an island in Mexico.