Casa Domenech

Address: Zaragoza 109,  Ajijic

Phone: 333 150 6940

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Hours: Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9am -2pm and 5pm - 9pm; Closed Sunday and Monday

Cash Only; Accepts US $$

Directions: From Walmart, drive through Ajijic and turn left at Rio Bravo. Make first left onto Zaragosa and drive 1 block past Danza del Sol. The restaurant is half block further on the left.

Café Domenech

First Impression 

Inviting. Cool. Funky. I love this place. The owner claims an Argentinian/Mexican background and after talking to him for a while he also admitted that he is the son of San Antonio, Texas restaurateurs. So, the restaurant business is in his blood. I could sense it when I walked in the door. Central Texans have cornered the market on funkiness.

I have to admit that we knew almost everyone in the small café on Sunday afternoon. This was a good omen. People who love good food had already found this place and eat here regularly. 

Café Domenech Dining Room

The atmosphere is inviting and friendly. The chef/owner, Raymond Domenech, moves between the kitchen and the dining room, greeting guests to make sure their needs are met, then moving to the kitchen to oversee the food preparation.

The décor is colorful and eclectic. Local artist Cesar Guzman created the mural on the front of the building and painted the chairs in a variety of pastels, giving Casa Domenech its unique character. Who doesn't love a restaurateur who says, "I am opening a restaurant, I must call an artist"

A mix of modern Mexican and classic rock music plays in the background at a low enough volume not to intrude on the conversation - something I appreciate.



Salmon Raymundo, with pineapple marmalade

Chef Domenech explained to us that he has started small, but that he has enough room in his current location to expand as his business grows. I think he's going to need that extra space in the high season.

Menu

Casa Domenech offers a menu inspired by the many influences on the chef's own life. It is an Argentinian/Mexican/European fusion with diverse offerings that reflect the theme of the café.

Starters include gazpacho, provoleta, onion soup, vegetable soup and a selection of salads - Caprese, spinach and avocado, and mixed salad.

Camarones la Bruna

We began our meal with a side dish of guacamole
and an order of provoleta. Provoleta is a new dish to us, a thin slice of firm white cheese, baked in olive oil and herbs. The guacamole is freshly made with large chunks of avocado, tomato and onion.

Perhaps the chef can include bread with these starters to give diners something to hold the guacamole and to sop up every last bit of the very flavorful oil that covers the provoleta. We ordered a basket of bread and it fulfilled this function.

For the main dish, we chose from Crepes Domenech, Shrimp Bruschetta, Salmon Raymundo, Shrimp la Bruna (served in a mole sauce), Shrimp in Cilantro Sauce as well as steak and pasta dishes.



Crepes Dulce

We finally decided on Shrimp La Bruna and Salmon Raymundo, a filet of salmon on a bed of guacamole and topped with a house made pineapple and chili marmalade.

The salmon was cooked just to point of flakiness, and the marmalade - an original recipe created by Chef Domenech - was superb, the sweetness of the pineapple mitigated by the heat of the chilies.

The Shrimp la Bruna features small shrimp cooked until tender, served in a thick, spicy-and-sweet mole sauce and accompanied by rice and fried bananas. If there was a complaint to be made, it would be that there could be more shrimp in the serving, even if this meant raising the price of the dish.



Tim and Cathy helped create the Café Domenech mural

We ordered wine with our meals, an excellent Sauvignon Blanc from Baja California. I love Mexican wines and this was a good one.

For dessert, we could not resist the Crepes Dulce. I have to admit we didn't even ask if anything else was available. Guests at a table next to ours ordered this scrumptious looking concoction and dared us to try it for ourselves. This dessert is made with a thin, folded crepe topped with caramel sauce and ice cream. Muy rico! 

Service and Price

Service is friendly, accommodating and evenly paced. This is a small café and the atmosphere is cozy and casual. No one is in a hurry, but the service proceeds at a comfortable pace. We never waited long for any request to be fulfilled. The chef visits every table to welcome his guests.

Prices at Casa Domenech are reasonable, between 85pesos for the most inexpensive main dish to 160pesos for a steak dinner. The total for our meal came to 535pesos, which is less than $30US. We had 4 glasses of wine, 2 appetizers, 2 main dishes and split a dessert.

Recommendation ****

Casa Domenech is a great find. The chef is an engaging and enthusiastic fellow with an artistic flair that is evident in his cooking and in the décor of his restaurant. He already has a loyal following of satisfied customers.

Friday night Casa Domenech hosts lotteria - a game similar to bingo - with free drinks awarded to the winners. If you plan to go on Friday night, call for a reservation. And, tell them you read about Café Domenech on Lake Chapala Restaurant Guide. Buen Provecho!