Tu Y Yo offers authentic Mexican food
Tu Y Yo
858 Broadway, Somerville
617-623-5411
www.tuyyo2.com
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 5-10 p.m.; Friday 4-10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Credit cards: MasterCard and Visa
Not handicapped accessible
Tu Y Yo’s authentic Mexican cuisine is piquant enough to warm even the coldest winter night. And unlike most Tex-Mex, it won’t compel you to loosen your belt at the end of your meal.
This is food as prepared and eaten in actual Mexican homes, drawing upon family recipes dating back a century or more. Rather than a restaurant, Tu Y Yo bills itself as a fonda, a term first used to describe places where 18th-century Mexican settlers could find homestyle meals in a welcoming environment.
The dishes bear little resemblance to what usually passes for Mexican fare north of the border. For instance, there’s nary a tortilla chip to be found. Be prepared, when confronted with the likes of cactus and fried grasshoppers, to discover taste buds you didn’t know you had.
In many cases, Tu Y Yo’s fare is recognizable as a long-lost cousin of what’s seen in mainstream Mexican restaurants. For example, the Jalapeños Maria Luisa ($7.50) are somewhat similar to cheese-stuffed jalapeño poppers, except the filling is shredded chicken and these peppers are served atop a smoky tomato sauce. These were so delicious that I didn’t miss the gooey cheese one bit.
The Chile Relleno de Camarón ($17.95) bears a faint resemblance to Tex-Mex chiles relleno, except the filling is much more interesting: shrimp, goat cheese, and black olives. Even better, these chiles were awash in a wonderful roasted red pepper sauce. My one quibble was that I found the flavor of the olives dissonant, detracting from what was otherwise a very harmonious dish.
Many other Tu Y Yo dishes are further removed from what’s commonly seen in these parts. The Bisteces en Salsa ‘‘Borracha’’ ($15.95), chopped sirloin simmered in a beer-based sauce, boasted comforting stew-like flavors. But with an ingredient list that includes pasilla peppers and cactus strips, this dish takes the road less traveled to get there.
The Mole Colorado Tlaxcalteca ($17.95) arrives swimming in a complex sauce that puts most moles to shame. Featuring not only traditional chocolate but also almonds, peanuts, sesame and pumpkin seeds, and three kinds of peppers, this dish offers tremendous depth of flavor.
Be sure to save room for dessert. The Flan a la Doris ($5.95) is not to be missed, memorable for its intensely flavorful cinnamon cream sauce. Another dessert known as the Imposible ($5.95) — a layer of custard atop a moist and spongy chocolate cake — tasted like it had been soaked in caramel, yet was not overly heavy.
It’s a good thing Tu Y Yo’s dishes pack such warmth, since both nights I visited the dining room was downright frosty, with the warm décor and service only going so far to compensate for the pronounced draftiness. Diners prone to chills would do well to dress in layers or risk shivering the night away.
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