This week, I found there was no better way to celebrate than to check out Fénix, a convivial Mexican venture brought to life by the AQ restaurant team.
For those keeping track, the space used to be TBD, which after suffering a fire last year, has been reborn (phoenix-style) into an entirely new concept. The interior is an easy allure to anyone walking along Mission Street—vivacious wallpaper coupled with brightly colored tables and high ceilings; I foresee many an Instagram happening here, with me being the guiltiest.
The menu is as playful as the décor. It takes dishes from various regions of Mexico and adds the Bay Area sensibility we all hold dear to our stomaches. In the starting plates, queso fundido gets an addition of chorizo that takes the dish to another level, something I didn’t think was even possible with melted cheese given how satisfying it already is. The pork shank is nearly falling off the bone and doused in ancho chiles for a smoky kick that I wish I saw more of at other Mexican restaurants, and so was extremely happy to find it here.
To articulate the sharing mentality of Fénix even more, there is an entire section for “little tastes,” which are like Mexican tapas. The pumpkin seed hummus, rice and beans, and pineapple adobo were easy favorites.
As for dessert, there are the Mexican staples—churros and flan—taken one step further. The churro dough is made with queso fresco for a moist final product that is great on its own or chopped up into soft serve, which is quickly becoming my new favorite ice cream topping.
With a $5 happy hour also in effect, Fénix is resurrected and ready to go as the lively new Mexican go-to in SOMA. I can’t wait to come back, if only for the queso fundido and churro soft serve. Check out the slideshow below of the opening menu!
Fénix
1077 Mission Street (at 7th)
Officially open for dinner Friday
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