Vecina is a modern American Latin style restaurant located in Phoenix Arizona. This is a small casual restaurant that offers seasonal elevated sharing plates, interesting dinners, and upscale desserts. Only high quality ingredients are used and the seafood comes from Chula. Vencina is loved by many but might not be for everyone. The majority of the dishes contain chili peppers and the atmosphere is energetic and noisy.
If you don’t have a reservation you sit at the bar or at a high top table behind the bar.
The dining room is very small and only is two rows of tables. I think I counted only around eight tables in the dining room.
For a small restaurant I was very surprised to find twenty two different menu items tonight. Remember that this is a mostly but not entirely small plate type of restaurant. The Vecina website suggest two – three plates a person.
We shared two small plates. Recommended by our waiter was the karaage (breaded fried chicken) with aji amarillo (Peruvian yellow chili) citrus gastrque, togarashi (spicy Japanese spice blend), lime. Our table was very small and these plates almost didn’t fit. We had to lose the candle.
It was full of flavors and was spicy…but not too spicy..and tasty.
We also shared the elote.
It was made of corn kernels with butter that is spiced like chorizo and on the right is a smooth cream made with toasted green chili, cream fraiche, lime and topped with a little cheese and fresh cilantro.
The above plates were very good and were quite a treat but the dinners wowed us even more!
I had the hiramasa collar. Incase you didn’t know the collar meat from a fish is very flavorful and extra tender. It’s the fattiest, richest, best tasting part of the fish.
WOW! They gave me two great big fish collars that look like big steaks. The meat is so tender and flavorful. I love the smoked tomatillo salsa with this fish and the hand made tortillas are delicious and very tasty. This is also a very large portion. I think they gave me extra by accident. For me this is one dinner and two lunches.
My husband enjoyed the Sonaran pasta gemelli.
It was made with chili de arbol arrabbiata, Spanish chorizo, grilled fennel, pickled tomatillo, and parmesan.
They offered two desserts tonight. We thought the one sounded extra interesting so we tried the savory and sweet banana bread with peanut butter ice cream.
You can’t tell by my picture but this dessert is very large…..I think it can serve four people. It’s very rich but unusually delicious and very unique.
I have to say Vencina in Phoenix AZ is Worth a Fork!
www.VecinaPHX.com
Everything is subject to change.
