Chef Victor Albisu estimates he’s spent at least 15 years perfecting his Mexican mole recipe, and even longer exploring and cooking what he sees as a refined and flavorful cuisine.
Now, the local chef and restaurateur is set to open Poca Madre (slang for “badass” or “cool), an upscale Mexican restaurant featuring playful interpretations of familiar dishes.
Set to debut Tuesday, the restaurant replaces part of the space previously occupied by Del Campo, the Argentine grill Albisu closed in March. Poca Madre is far from the chef’s first foray into Mexican cooking, though. He opened his first fast-casual Taco Bamba in Northern Virginia in 2013 and has since added a handful of locations, including one in D.C. adjacent to Poca Madre.
“I’m just in love with the indigenous food of Latin America in general, and the inherent refinement that I find in these ingredients and sauces and flavors and service,” he says.
The Swatchroom-designed Poca Madre is a 180-degree turn from its taqueria neighbor. Albisu has embraced the challenge to share a more nuanced side of Mexican cooking.
“I feel very humbled by the opportunity to cook this food in this way,” says Albisu, who along with his staff took multiple trips to Mexico to research and develop the menu and concept. “We’re really honoring what I think are a lot of the traditional ingredients.”
The menu doesn’t read like one you’d find at a typical D.C. Mexican restaurant. It begins with small plates like hamachi ceviche ($14) with a colorful beet-red hibiscus “agua Jamaica,” roasted corn, crisped garlic and serrano chiles. Then there’s an inventive bowl of shrimp and cuttlefish ceviche ($14), where ribbons of seafood mimic noodles on top of a coconut citrus broth. Larger entrees include fried chicken with mole ($24) or a burrito “el rey” ($32) with wagyu beef, lobster, and caviar. Shareable cuts of meat like slow-roasted duck ($58) and a grilled tomahawk ribeye ($99) round out the choices.
“There’s going to be some stuff that you’re not going to recognize but it’s still in my mind very much Mexican,” Albisu says.
Sharing is encouraged, but it’s not designed as small plates in the traditional sense. Guests can certainly make a meal from individual dishes.
Poca Madre’s bar is stocked with a selection of tequilas and mezcals. Cocktails are priced at $13 to $16 and arranged by category: highballs and tropical, daisies (sour, citrusy cocktails) and sours, stirred, and modern. One of the more adventurous options is the Charlie and the Chapuline Factory, which mixes Oaxacan chapulines (grasshoppers) with mezcal, pineapple, lemongrass, Japanese peanuts, and sambal, shaken with egg.
For all the refinement, Albisu hopes Poca Madre fits in what he sees as a movement in D.C. dining of restaurants that “feel artful and at the same time have this kind of shareable-type relaxation.”
And he expects Tuesday’s opening is just the beginning of his journey further into the world of Mexican cooking.
“We’re always going to be evolving,” he says. “That’s one thing about this place—we’re never going to be stagnant.”
Poca Madre is located at 777 I St. NW. Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations may be made online.
