Don’t expect typical Mexican fare; this is something special

Special to 318 Forum

The 318 Forum’s always-hungry reporter periodically visits a local restaurant and tells you about the experience.

Anon E. Muss is taking some vacation time, so he asked his always-hungry friend, Chuck Wagon, to fill in for this review.

A running joke around town says any building in Shreveport-Bossier that stays vacant long enough will eventually become a car wash or a Mexican restaurant.

Against that backdrop, it’s a challenge for any establishment with “Mexico” in its name to stand out. However, Ki’ Mexico has done so in spectacular fashion. In 2010, Rodrigo Mondragon and his family set up a couple of griddles under a tent at the downtown farmers’ market and started cooking breakfast tacos. They were an instant sensation. Once quickly expanding the little business from selling jars of freshly made salsa, lines were long, and demand for their food steadily increased. The family expanded their offerings beyond breakfast, and their popularity soared.

Fast forward 14 years, and the Mondragon family has a wildly successful restaurant. Do not go to Ki’ Mexico (3839 Gilbert Drive, Shreveport) expecting Tex-Mex. You don’t go there for cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise-based pink dressing and sweet tea — that’s not who they are. What are they, then? Authentic, inventive, fresh, delicious and consistent. On its beautifully deployed social media accounts, the restaurant is branded as Ki’ Mexico soul food, an apt description since once you embrace their brand of food preparation, your soul will be fed.

My lovely dining companion and I arrived on a scorching summer Tuesday evening to find the parking lot jammed with a steady stream of people making their way inside. The interior space filled quickly, and the adjacent covered patio was also packed by 7:30 p.m. The crowd was remarkable, from babes in arms to grandparents in their 70s and everybody in between. The atmosphere was as laid back and casual as you can imagine, yet still lively and colorful, bordering on celebratory. Live music outside enhanced the festive air. Tank tops, shorts and flip-flops were welcome, possibly even expected.

While the restaurant largely eschews the cheese-heavy offerings of many Mexican menus, there is at least one concession to this expectation: the Quesabrosa ($11.75), billed as an appetizer. This is melted cheese served in a hot skillet. You can have it made with chorizo or mushrooms (we went with chorizo, of course). It’s served with a roasted jalapeño on top and flour tortillas on the side. We devoured it and wanted more, but we needed to save space for the rest of our dinner.

Spicy Chicken Pho

The Poblano Taco is the best seller.

Ki’ Mexico, located at 3839 Gilbert Drive in Shreveport

Helado

The bestselling taco on the menu is the Poblano ($5.73), made with a delightfully grilled corn tortilla, poblano peppers, mushrooms and corn. It’s cooked with a creamy sauce, cheese, cilantro and housemade “Diablo” salsa. Hint: The Diablo is one of four salsas exclusive to Ki’ Mexico, and it’s the one with the most kick. The spice is not overwhelming, offering just enough heat to let you know it’s there. My companion ordered one of those and another staple, the Bisté ($5.73). For this taco, you can choose a corn or flour tortilla. It is served with thinly sliced sirloin, chorizo, green onions, a touch of Diablo salsa and cheese and is finished with cilantro and onions. There were no surprises here. My companion has enjoyed countless numbers of these over the years, proclaiming, “These never get old. We don’t come here often enough.” Those were just two of the myriad streetstyle tacos on the menu, such as fish and shrimp.

The extensive menu includes salads, Tortugas, tostadas, appetizers and weekly specials. This brings us to Tuesday, when they “sometimes” have a noodle-based special. Our server explained that this used to be called “Ramen Tuesday,” but it’s been changed to “Noodle Tuesday” since it’s sometimes pho, a Vietnamese soup made with rice noodles. You can count on their other weekly specials to be available on the appropriate days, but you must check to see if noodles are available on any given Tuesday. (I realize this is cross-culturally confusing, but it’s a phenomenon, so roll with it.)

Ki’ Mexico’s noodle reputation is so stellar that there are three seatings for this special when it occurs: hourly, beginning at 5:30. When you arrive, you must state your intention to have noodles and claim a ticket. If they’re out of tickets, they’re out of noodles, and you’re out of luck! Fortunately, I got a ticket and eagerly awaited my spicy chicken pho, made with locally sourced (Mahaffey Farms) meat, Thai basil, cilantro, fresh onions, lime and a spicy Satay-style paste that gave it a little extra kick. So, we had a little Mexican/Vietnamese/Indonesian/Thai fusion that really worked. The pho ($17.50) was fabulous! I felt the kick, though, and my mouth was alive with flavor.

I used the sweat on my brow induced by Indonesian spice to justify ordering Helado ($6.00), or housemade ice cream. (Helado rhymes with Gelato, and I think they’re basically the same.) Ki’ Mexico offers four flavors. My lovely companion went with Helado Las Hadas — buttermilk and queso fresco ice cream mixed with homemade raspberry jam. I’m an easy mark for anything made with mango, so I ordered Helado Tropical, a creamy pineapple ice cream scented with Thai basil and lemongrass. It’s mixed with passion fruit and, of course, mango.

The Las Hadas was creamy, delicious and sweet, as you would expect ice cream to be. The Tropical presented more like a sherbert, tangy and almost sour. We were both scraping the bottoms of our bowls with our spoons, wishing for more.

Our server was attentive and engaging, answering questions patiently with a smile. He was there when we needed something but never intrusive.

The total for our dinner, minus tax and tip, was $52.71. Given the quality and quantity of our meal, this was outstanding value.

Ki’ Mexico is owned and operated by a local family. Rodrigo was making his way through the crowd while we were there, personally checking on all aspects of the operation. This all started in 2010 when he and his mother prepared food overnight on Fridays and got ready for Saturday mornings at the farmers’ market. Look at them now. Other family members work side by side with Rodrigo, producing memorable meals and cultivating loyal customers. It’s an inspiring success story.

This is the easiest rating to give: Four Forks: a fabulous Four Forks.