#malolam

Maybe you haven't gotten a chance to visit TI:ME at The Montecillo, I'm sure you've at least heard a few things about it. Run by the same owners of local staples such as Crave Kitchen & Bar as well as Independent Burger, Cantina Malolam strays away from the burgers and, in my opinion, bumps up the taste factor. 

Using re-conditioned shipping containers Malolam is an eye-catcher right off the street. With it's sophisticated urban atmosphere nestled in the middle of an apartment complex, you're sure to find a diverse crowd when you visit. Even though I went midday on a weekday, there were a decent amount of patrons enjoying a bite to eat.

The menu of Cantina Malolam echoes that of the streets of Mexico, with background music to match. Chicharron, corn in a cup, nopal tacos, tortas, ceviche, bacon wrapped hot dogs, and much more. If that's not enough to pull you in, they also host a full bar and $2 Tecates all day, every day.

This is my second time coming to Cafe Malolam. I enjoyed my first experience but knew that I had to come back with a game plan to try as many various items as I could, that meant bringing a friend along (twice the options). I would say that I was pretty victorious in that feat. After being seated at the bar we were quickly given menus and had our drink orders taken by our very attentive bartender/server. 

There are a vast array of starters on their menu, Having already tried the pork belly gorditas ($3), and loving them, my mouth was watering to have them again. Unfortunantly, it seems, they've tweaked their menu a bit and instead of 3 gorditas for $3 (which seemed too good to be true the first time) they now only serve 1. Granted, it's large, but I decided to go for something else instead. 

I ended up getting the pork shanks ($6) and was not disappointed in the least. 

Out came a large on-the-bone pork shank, six house-made corn tortillas, salsa, pickled onions and cilantro in order to build your own taco. The shank itself was tender enough to pull apart with your fingers, or if you're not a savage like me a fork will do as well. The skin was crispy with the right amount of fat and flavored deliciously. I wasn't a huge fan of the foil wrapping due to pieces of it breaking off if you were so inclined to use your fork, so keep an eye out for possible silver flakes. 

It was the perfect amount for two people and if you were by yourself it would easily be enough for a meal and you might even be able to squeeze down a few sides as well.

Next was the taco round. 

What I enjoyed most was that all their tacos were single servings. You could order one of each taco and not break the bank. We opted for two of each of chicken, fish, and coconut shrimp.

The coconut shrimp, with two breaded jumbo shrimp, pineapple-horseradish glaze,and green onions was the clear winner. The mix of sweet and spicy, crunchy and tender were perfect. The grilled chicken was cooked well, and the fish tacos were very flavorful with a nice batter that still let the fish shine through, but I would have to demand everyone try the coconut shrimp. 

Lastly we split a rojado street dog. I thought I'd be most excited for the bacon wrapped dog, but what kept me taking bite after bite was their homemade bun. It's somewhere between cornbread and heaven. Crispy on the outside and light on the inside. The hotdog itself was a little messy to eat, but to me that's what a hotdog should be. The pickled serranos were a new flavor to me but entirely delicious.