Eclectic Kim Review: Codex at Conrad Punta de Mita

In planning my birthday dinner, I knew that I wanted a low key, easy as possible experience. So, I made a reservation at Codex at Conrad Punta de Mita.

Walking from Tuki to Codex was lovely.

Browsing the menu, I began to select choices.

First out was a selection of BREADS (rosemary, mole and huijillo chili).

My NIXTAMAL (Sotol Sotomayor, corn purée, corn syrup, lime juice & salt) cocktail was light and refreshing. I appreciated the corn accent, as it offered a nod of cultural significance.

The amuse bouche of the evening, a GORDITA (mushroom and zucchini blossom), was a lovely starting bite.

Next up was the TUNA TARTARE MOLOTE (Yellowfin tuna tartare, fried chili salsa, chorizo). It was – well designed and looked pretty.

My main course – the CATCH OF THE DAY (Filet of Mackrel, white mole, “tacoyo” fish chorizo) and FRIES – was filling.

What I really appreciated was that our server brought out two sauces – a fried chili sauce and a mole sauce – for me to dip my fries in.

My overall thoughts about this meal is that the interior design of Codex is beautiful. However, the meal felt like something I could get during a casual dinner in Los Angeles. This isn’t to say that it wasn’t good. But, I also have to acknowledge that I still felt slightly full from tacos from the previous evening’s Evening Taco and Mezcal Walking Tour in Mexico City with Airbnb Experiences. Plus, for the price, I really didn’t get the stunningly wow factor that I later received from dinner at Casa Milpa at Susurros del Corazón, Auberge Resorts Collection.

So, if I could do it again, I would have reserved beach dinner at Mezquite instead of Codex. This isn’t because the food was bad. In fact, I could taste the quality and fully understood the fine dining aesthetic. But for me, as someone who’d dined at Vespertine a few days prior, I should have chosen the more casual dining option for my birthday dinner.

But – I will say that I greatly enjoyed learning about how the crabs come up from the Pacific Ocean and come into the garden and hotel. In fact, we saw one wayward crab on the way back to our room.