Malva Cocina de Baja California
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Chef Roberto Alcocer was born in Mexico City and raised in Ensenada. He studied in France and Spain, then returned to the port city in 2013 to open Malva Cocina de Baja California. In a palapa-shaded kitchen, chef Alcocer and his staff prepare Baja California cuisine using local ingredients — largely produce from the restaurant's garden, and sheep, goats and poultry raised on its ranch. Nestled on the Mina Penélope vineyard in the shade of an oasis of trees, Malva's casual environment belies a menu featuring refined and artistically plated dishes. Octopus rubbed with chili de arbol is grilled and poised atop grits surrounded by swirls of chili sauces and a white crema of buttered popcorn. A salad of roasted, pickled and puréed carrots with greens, beets and onion ash is beautifully arranged along a plate’s edge. The restaurant’s location atop a hill provides great views of Baja’s wine country.