Welcome to Atta’s kitchen, a celebration of flavors curated from around the globe; creative gastronomy inspired by our ingredients, Mother Earth’s seasons, and our memories.
Imagine the aroma of Middle Eastern spices wafting through the air, paired with tangy East Asian marinades, and all the vibrant colors of a Mexican market, melding into a harmonious fusion of tastes that awaken all five senses.
“Atta is international cuisine, with a Mexican soul,” says executive chef Diego Isunza – like a well-traveled friend who grows and evolves abroad, yet always returns home to be nourished by their roots.
We start with the finest quality Mexican ingredients and culinary techniques, from Oaxacan heirloom criollo corn, to tart green milpero tomatoes, and then we travel, bringing in the tantalizing pop of Lebanese spices like cumin and coriander, the simple genius of French haute cuisine, and the bright taste of Vietnamese rice vinegar, basil, and ginger, among others.
Take our version of tetelas, where we transform the classic Oaxacan corn dough triangles by nestling a savory falafel stuffing inside, and topping it with fresh French steak tartare: a journey through three countries in just one bite.
Or our tabouli, Mexican style: a blend of tart green milpero tomatoes (tiny and bursting with lemony flavor, they grow in people’s backyards), and the nutty ancestral grain puffed amaranth, for a zingy, summery dish that’s at once both earthy and sublime.
At dinner, taste the fireworks when sweet and sour Vietnam meets homestyle Mexican in our meatballs seasoned with rice vinegar, ginger, basil, and cane sugar, and covered in a bright, traditional Mexican green sauce, accompanied by delicate, crispy pork cracklings and creamy jocoque (creme fraiche meets labneh).
Sometimes the fusion is in the techniques we use: our orange juice and green chile “aguachile,” a refreshing Mexican ceviche-type seafood dish, borrows a trick from Peruvian cuisine, using part of the technique for “leche de tigre”. That’s tiger’s milk in English, a truly delectable Peruvian ceviche marinade made with zesty citrus juice, onions, and tingly, fruity ají hot peppers.
Even our breakfasts draw from diverse regions: We serve Yucatecan motuleño eggs with Spanish country-style Serrano ham cured in Mediterranean sea salt.
Or, from nearby Temozón, we blend the town’s famous juicy, aromatic Longaniza sausage with eggs made in a North African Shakshuka style, bathed in garlicky tomato sauce. The word “shakshuka” means mixed, and we take it to heart: when the Maghreb meets the Yucatan, the results are mouthwatering!
While Mexican fusion cuisine is still an art in progress, it’s no surprise that Mexican ingredients pair so beautifully with so many world cuisines–after all, our country’s culinary roots weave together influences from all sides of the planet.
From our indigenous ancestors, we have fiery chiles, a rainbow of tomatoes and corn in all colors and sizes, hearty pumpkins and pumpkin seeds, and fragrant chocolate.
Later, Spanish colonists brought butter and milk, the rich staples that gave rise to uniquely Mexican cheeses like Oaxaca, Cotija, and Manchego. Enslaved Africans contributed recipes for plantains and yuca, and complex nut stews that some say inspired mole.
And some delicious early fusion dishes came from the Lebanese who arrived on Mexican shores in the 1800’s. They soon adapted their lamb rotisserie dish, shawarma, to use Mexican pork and bright orange achiote seeds (annato), creating our famous tacos al pastor. The tasty kibis made of oniony ground meat and cracked bulgur you’ll see people selling on the beach? Also a Lebanese-Mexican fusion snack.
So it’s only natural for us to keep experimenting, blending new and familiar ingredients and techniques to delight your senses–it’s what our ancestors have been doing for centuries!
We love that our cuisine is a joyful celebration of diversity, a flavorful testament to the world’s interconnectedness, and a reminder that when it comes to gastronomy, there are no borders—only endless possibilities.
Come try Atta’s creations at our restaurant, on the banks of one of Tulum’s most beautiful cenotes, within the Shibari Hotel. Reserve your table, call +52 9849800177
