Isla Mujeres Restaurant-Mar Abismo from 2022 by Sister #3
During the pandemic a number of folks on Isla Mujeres started cooking at home and delivering food to people’s homes and hotels. On our spring 2022 trip to the island we decided it was time to take advantage of this new trend and tried out a few of these.
My favourite by far is Mar Abismo.
You could not meet a more personable man than owner Ponce. We had a nice chat when he delivered our lunch. He told me about his wife Irene’s love of cooking and that love shone so brightly as soon as I tasted her food.
When dining in Mexico I often order enchiladas. I love them and enjoy that everyone’s version, while similar, are just a bit different from the next. I have taken a few cooking classes in Mexico in an effort to improve my skills cooking this cuisine. I learned to cook molé in Puerto Morelos and enchilada Suiza in Isla Mujeres. Since then I have tried to reproduce them at home with limited success. Part of the problem is I can’t get the exact same ingredients in Canada as I can in Isla. And even when I am able to locate things like fresh tomatillos, they have traveled a long way to my grocery and don’t have the same beautiful freshness. Also, I believe that these slow cooked sauces take years of practice to perfect. They seem so easy to the masters that were showing me how to make them.
On this day we ordered chicken enchiladas from Mar Abismo. One in molé sauce, a smoky, dark, rich gravy featuring dark chocolate and roasted chilies. The other prepared Suiza style in a green tomatillo sauce with Swiss cheese and Mexican crema topping. These were by far the best versions of these dishes I have ever had. I think about them all the time and can’t wait to return to the island to order them again and have a little visit with Ponce.
Mar Abismo is only available by deliver only on Wednesday to Saturday mornings. Their menu changes from day to day and often features chiliquilles, omelettes, and a variety of egg dishes.
Kath’s quote: “He walked funny, like every step hurt him, but don’t let that fool you. You should’ve seen him run when it was enchilada day in the cafeteria.”― Rick Riordan
Love never fails.