| | |  Entertainment | Restaurants & Dining | July 2009 
Caio Tres: Global Food with a Very Original Touch
 Gina Naya - PVNN
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| | Gina Naya and friends join Puerto Vallarta restaurant owner Oliver Martínez (L) and Executive Chef Oscar Galván (R) for a wine pairing dinner at Caio Tres. | |
Caio Tres Restaurant is located in the heart of Puerto Vallarta's downtown. It's a place where you feel very comfortable; with the decoration, the ambience, the young staff, the owners, the chef, the food and the drinks!
Oliver Martínez, Luis Alvarez and Pablo Martínez are the young team behind this very interesting place, that started only a year ago and it's already established in the taste of locals and tourists, so don’t forget next time you visit Puerto Vallarta - Caio Tres is the place of the Global food with a very original touch!
The night was meant to try the dishes of the Chef Oscar Galván, some wines from Slovenia and have a nice, fun time with friends.
I had the chance to share the table with Patricia Verástegui, my partner in another business, Brandon Stauber from Wine Spies, the Sommelier and Wine distributor, Tony Mora from Vinos & Wine, Fabián Lasala, a professional photographer from Argentina who has a great experience in publicity and movie photography, Chef Oscar Galvan, the executive chef from Caio Tres and Oliver Martínez, one of the owners.
I had a nice chat with Oliver, and believe me it's a pleasure to have young entrepreneurs that respect the quality of the food and offer affordable prices to the customers!
Oliver is an accountant but he had the dream to open his own restaurant, so he worked on the project for one year and he decided to invite his friend Luis, with a family that has long experience in the restaurant business, to join him.
I had to know where the name Caio Tres came from and he told me the story; they were getting a place in downtown and they were all together, partners and architects, when a friend passed them walking around the corner.
This man is a Vallartense that had a famous grocery store and has been friends with Oliver's family for over 30 years. He said hello and asked what they were doing there, so they told him about their idea to open a restaurant and said their good byes. Two steps later, the gentleman turned back and said, "I offer you my house for rent."
They were all very surprised - I have to tell you that this house is part of the cultural inheritance of Vallarta, a very old and very beautiful house - Oliver would have never dare to ask for this place, as he knew that many people tried to get it, offering huge amounts of money, but he never wanted to rent it out.
He invited them to see the house right at that moment, they were soooo excited! They entered the house and he told his wife, "I am renting the house to Oliver for a restaurant." It's meaningless to say that the poor lady almost fainted!! Then he asked them: "Do you want to think about it?" and all in chorus answered "Nooooo!" So there you go... the project was taking form! The owner gave them a handshake 4 months of trust contract, and since then they have been working hard to not disappoint this trust.
The name of this man? Leocadio, better known as Caio, so the name was set, CAIO! They just added the word TRES (three) as in the number of partners involved.
Their concept is very original, the place has the feeling of the old Mexican house, with a beautiful tree in the middle of the patio and the corridors surrounding it is where the bar and the tables are set. The decoration is casual, so it makes us feel very comfortable to have a fun get together with friends. They use some wood or “peltre” dishes, the seats are covered with the traditional cover of the Mexican cabs, los taxis, so we could say it has a bit of a Kistch Style.
Their signature drinks were named after their girl friends and they are very famous! Rosa Salvaje is a Raspberry Mojito, Mango Mayito is a Mango Mojito and Sangría Silene is a very original Sangria that is fermented for a week to give this very interesting flavor. You can even ask for some Frijoles con Totopos (beans and chips) to go with your drinks, that's the concept in Caio Tres... Vive México! Relax and have fun with us while you sip an original fresh drink and eat an amazing dish!
Now that we got around to the kitchen, I want to talk about the Chef, Oscar Galvan, a very young and very talented Mexican that started at the age of 12 while he was working in a restaurant in México City as a waiter. As young as he was, he didn't like how the clients used to treat him, so he asked to be moved to the kitchen as a steward, helping there in all that was needed.
That's where he discovered the kitchen working with the "Mayora" (usually a female that cooks for the employees at restaurants.) He liked to ask her what was the menu for the employees for the next day and then ask his mother for the recipes. The first time he asked la Mayora for permission to cook he made Mexican Rice. The compliments poured in, and he really loved it!
He always worked to support his studies at the Ambrosia Institute where he won a prize that took him to Barcelona Spain for a Creative Chef course. After that the prizes didn’t stop coming for Oscar: Joven Chef Mexicano, Copa Vallarta, Concurso Nacional Azteca (from Vatel Club) etc.
Galvan worked at the Sheraton Hotel in México City, with Thierry Blouet at Café des Artistes, with William Carvallo as the Executive Chef at Agave Grill, and with Philippe Defayes in León City as the Executive Chef for Grupo Frascati before joining the young Caio Tres team, first as a consultant and then as the Executive Chef.
At Caio Tres, Oscar Galván has the freedom to be creative and the whole team has the philosophy of respecting the product with the best preparation forms, forgetting the name Gourmet, just focusing on deliciousness, quality and FAIR prices, while having fun with their business. These are the reasons why, once they visit the restaurant for the first time, locals and tourist alike keep coming back again and again!
The cuisine can be described as "Contemporary Cuisine with a different touch" ...the original Galvan touch!
The night started with a very nice Vinakoper Malvazija 2007, 100% Malvasia, 12% alcohol, from the wine region of Primorska, Koper in Slovenia. A wine with a very light golden color, in nose it has tropical fruits (specially pineapple) and lots of honey. We got it a bit of a “lactic” wine, with a delicate mineral touch. A discrete, not alcoholic, very light and fresh wine that's great for the hot summer weather.
It paired perfectly with the Tempura Shrimps, Chop Suey sauced vegetables and Tamarindo Sauce. A delicious combination, with the original touch of Chef Galvan.
The next dish was a Bruschetta with Prosciutto and home smoked Mozzarella paired with Vinakoper Capris Refosk 2007.
This wine is 100% Refosk, a traditional varietal from the wine region of Primorska, Koper in Slovenia. This wine has a ruby color and it was kind of a strange taste for me, maybe because it's an unknown varietal for me, that has aromas and tastes which I am not used to. I liked the freshness of this wine, but personally, I found it to have the taste of the very young wines that we try directly from the barrels when we visit a winery. So one of these two options for me: either I give it a chance in 2 more years because if it was too young, it will get much better in time, or I accept my ignorance about this varietal! Anyway, it paired nice with the Bruschetta, that had a very very interesting ingredient on it, a home smoked Mozzarella.
Next dish was Duck Confite Enchiladas on a Spring Roll with a wonderful sauce of Blackberries and Habanero Chile. On the side... Bugambilia Flower Mousse... Amazing dish!
We paired it with a Vinakoper Capris 100% Merlot, a wine with a very intense ruby color that starts with a strong raspberry taste that opens later to a floral fan of aromas and ends with a Vanilla and Smoke touch. It combines a nice acidity with soft tannins and it paired very nice with the duck and the sauce in our dish. We liked this wine, maybe because it's a common varietal for us and we are used to this aromas and tastes.
We then enjoyed a Beef Carpaccio, home smoked at the moment (the smell was great! and invaded the place) with Arugula and Parmesan salad. We paired it with a Vinakope Capris Plemenito Rdece, 35% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 5% Refosk. A Dry red wine macerated for 20 days and aged in small Slovenian Oak barrels.
This wine is great in nose! it has a complex bouquet with intense red fruits, spices and a hint of mint. It feels a bit strong on alcohol, but very good! The pairing was great, specially for the smoked flavor of the Carpaccio.
We had a great time, got some amazing pictures of my friend Fabian Lasala, a very talented photographer from Argentina settled in México for a while and now starting to work on some projects with us. Thank you Fabian!
Vinakoper wines are available in México City, if you are interested in them or want to know more about Slovenian wines, contact me and I'll be happy to assist you.
And if you are planning to come to Vallarta, don't forget to enjoy the Global Flavors with an original touch at Caio Tres!
Open from 12 noon to 12 midnight, Caio Tres is located at Morelos 726, between Leona Vicario and Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez in downtown Puerto Vallarta. For more information or to make your reservations, call (322) 222-6789.
 Gina Naya is a respected name in Puerto Vallarta's sophisticated hospitality field, a networking diva and event professional. She has exclusive contacts within the global restaurant, wine, and hotel industry to bring your event that special touch you want and ensure your success. For more information call (322) 297-0827 or visit g-naya.com. |
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