The Xaak restaurant at the Xcaret Arte hotel welcomes Leña y Olivo from Tlaxcala

By Miriam Carmo

The Xaak restaurant at the Xcaret Arte hotel welcomed chef Marco Mellado of Leña y Olivo in Tlaxcala for one of its several bi-monthly dinners.

Xaak Restaurant is a project developed by four nationally and internationally renowned chefs who are part of the hotel’s culinary collective. They are Roberto Solís from Mérida, Paco Méndez, who has lived in Barcelona since 2011, local chef Jonatan Gómez Luna , and Alejandro Ruíz from Oaxaca. The restaurant offers a concept of contemporary Mexican cuisine through a tasting menu that chronicles the chefs’ careers.

Here you’ll experience an exceptional fine dining experience in a cozy atmosphere with warm tones and natural decor. Each dish blends the best of modern Mexican cuisine, thanks to the vast experience of each of these chefs, supported by Chef Luis Arzápalo 

Chef Marco Mellado of Wood and Olive

Guest chef Marco Mellado has dedicated himself to blending authentic local flavors with exceptional technical expertise at his restaurant in Tlaxcala. Leña y Olivo serves dishes cooked over charcoal and wood, with the oven and grill at the heart of their cuisine. They offer a contemporary Mexican culinary concept with fresh, flavorful ingredients, ideally served for sharing. One of the restaurant’s defining features is the way their artisanal salsas are freshly prepared at the table.

Pairing dinner at Xaak

For this pairing dinner at Xaak Restaurant, we started with akami, nori, and shitake salad by Chef Arzápalo paired with a Don Julio cocktail. Then, we paired tlatlapa, beans, and togarashi by Chef Mellado paired with Puerta de Lobo orange wine. We continued with hamachi, passion fruit, and wasabi ice cream by the house chef with a Sauvignon Blanc from the Don Leo winery in Parras. For the fourth course, Chef Mellado prepared lobster with huitlacoche and truffle paired with Whispering Angel wine.