Sazon is one of my favorite restaurants in Santa Fe. It is my go to restaurant for special occasions, that is why we ate inside. Wow! It has been over a year since we had dinner inside a restaurant. Yes, it feels weird to even say that. But is was also a special occasion, one of our dear friend’s birthday. Oh, and we were all finally fully vaccinated. All good.
Sazon was a little different than previous visits. The people at Sazon are taking the pandemic seriously. I was so glad. When you enter there is a machine to take your temperature. Masks were still required. I thought that was a good thing. There were also less tables with more space between them. Our waitstaff wore masks and gloves. I made a reservation over a week ahead of time. I never thought that I could just walk in but because of the loss of tables, you need to be aware reservations are just a little harder to come by.
The food is still special and inspired. Chef Fernando Olea was happy to see us. He was very happy that his restaurant was up and running. Yes, he had to make some changes like the table spacing, staff wearing PPE, and how the mole sample was presented. Those were small concessions to adhere to for our safety.
We each received our own individual mole sampler. Previously, the mole sampler was a shared dish. I always thought this was a great idea so that you could get a real taste of the moles before you ordered. It was beautiful and tasted as good as it looked. There was enough mole on the plate even for me. Nicely executed.
This is the one time where I will have fish instead of my beloved vegetables. I had the Camaron-Tini(28). The shrimp come from the Gulf coast. They are lightly battered with an incredible sweet chili aioli with some noodles. Oh my!!! I am so glad I had this for my entree.
I love that this is served in a martini glass. I don’t drink martinis but have always loved the glassware. To me this is the best usage of this glassware that I can think of. The fresh orchid made this shrimp dish look and taste spectacular. It was a rare treat. The shrimp batter was so light and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. I savored every bite.
As you can see from this side view, there was a great deal of shrimp in those three gorgeous pieces of shrimp. The Thai sweet aioli had a good kick to it. The aioli was a wonderful addition to the shrimp. Well Done!
We also had the Xochimilco(18) which is huitlacoche(corn mold) which was made into a savory, earthy corn truffle over mini tortillas.They were made with native spices and had queso fresco. It, too, was a feast for the eye as well as delicious. I thought it looked like a piece of Modern Art.
I had the House Salad(ensalada de las casa(15) for my main. It was a salad consisting of baby spinach, mango, cotija chees, white onion, and bacon. I forgot to ask to have the salad without the bacon so I had to eat around the bacon bits. The salad came with a delicious cilantro vinaigrette artfully drawn around the plate.
We also had the atun(40) or tuna. It was so photogenic. It too, tasted as good as it looked. The tuna was an incredible quality. I’d say like very good sushi. You could almost cut it with your fork, The red cabbage was crisp and added a deep color to the presentation of the tuna. The tuna was perfectly seared. The mixed greens were delightful as well. If you like tuna, this is the dish you should have. You will not regret it. I promise.
We didn’t have any room for desert.
You will feel very special because the waitstaff is superb. Everyone works in a team. I am always impressed with the service that you receive.
Sazon is open Monday through Saturday 5pm-8pm. Dress Code is smart casual. Sazon is located on 221 Shelby Street. It is indoor dining only. I made my reservation through Open Table or you could call 505.983.8604
Santa Fe City Different Foodie 