Bonus Post--Dinner at the Oasis,

On our last night, Marisol asked us if we would like to dine at the new Sian Ka'an resort located on property across the highway, and provide her with our review following dinner. . .of course we jumped at the chance!

Gee Toto, We’re Not in Kansas Anymore!

As our driver brought us over the bridge, along the softly-lighted winding brick road, something felt different.  It was quiet and serene, compared to the “fiesta feeling” you get 24/7 on the other side of the Highway.  As we approached the Sian Ka’an Resort, we were surprised by the sharp contrast in architecture, compared to the other three older resorts at the same location.  The Coba, Akumal, and Tulum resorts all feature traditional Mayan-inspired architecture—thatched roofs, marble and travertine tile, and Spanish Villas with arches and columns.   In contrast, the Sian Ka’an resort features an ultra-modern and monochromatic style of architecture, which one would more expect to see on the cover of Architectural Digest rather than in the Rivera Maya.  The buildings are awash with bright ice-white fluorescent lighting, enhancing the ultra-modern feel of the resort.  Although very nice, we couldn’t help but wonder how our fellow American travelers might embrace this “little Santa Barbara” oasis in the middle of the Mayan Riviera. 

The Oasis is no exception.  With three exterior walls of glass and brushed aluminum, beige polished travertine floors, limestone accents, and ice-white fluorescent lighting, it’s a sharp contrast to the expected.

The Menu

The menu features 6 different starters, none of which include red meat.  All are either seafood or vegetarian.  There are two soups from which to choose (either an asparagus cream with ham chips, or a traditional seafood soup scented with Pernod.   Entrees include 3 fish and seafood selections, as well as 4 from the meat and poultry section.

Starters

For my starter, I chose the Red tuna Carpaccio “Oasis” which is accented with a tomato coulis, olive oil and a very mellow soy sauce.  Shirley ordered the Marinated salmon with fine herbs.  Both were raw seafood starters and very tasty.  The portions, however seemed far larger than necessary, especially the Tuna Carpaccio in the first photograph below.  Neither of us finished the entire course.  The presentation, especially on the salmon was very nice.

Soup

Shirley chose the Asparagus Cream with ham chips, beautifully presented in a wide-rimmed serving bowl.  She loved it.  I chose the traditional seafood soup with pernod.  The seafood soup was a very close variation on San Francisco Cioppino.  It featured 4 types of sea and/or shellfish in a tomato base that was flavored with a hint of pernod.   I found myself wishing for a piece of crusty sour dough to dunk in the flavorful broth.  The portion was far too large.

Entrées

The entrée choice was a tough one for me—I had to choose between the Magret duck and the Surf and Turf (which featured Shrimp with a filet of lamb).  Because I had already ordered lamb once during the week, I chose the duck.  Shirley chose the Seafood Platter which featured mussels, prawns, scallops, and shrimp with garlic butter.  The Magret duck entrée was black pepper-crusted and featured a coffee sauce.  The boneless duck breast was sliced on the bias and fanned over a generous portion of sweet potato puree.  Portions were plentiful, but just right.

Dessert

Our waiter gave us the option of two or three baked desserts, plus three different helados (Ice cream).  I chose the layered chocolate cake with raspberries and strawberries.  Shirley chose the strawberry ice cream. . .Beautiful presentations on both.  The chocolate cake featured a silky butter cream filling which was excellent. 

Service

We were attended to by two waiters and the service was impeccable.  Both gentlemen had an excellent command of both English and Spanish (and likely other languages as well), and offered us very prompt and refined service.  Never once did we want for anything.  This is indicative not only of this restaurant, but every Al a Carte restaurant at which we dined during the week.