On the heels of Motel Mexicola’s 10th birthday, it’s set to open its first-ever outpost, Motel Mexicola Canggu, this August. The 180-seating second venue on the main drag, Batu Balong, will feature the same bright colours and immersive experience the original bar-restaurant-club in Seminyak is known for.
“The idea came from the need for expansion due to the popularity and high demand for Motel Mexicola Seminyak over the past 10 years,” says Motel Mexicola founder and co-owner Nicolaza Que Pasa. “We’re looking forward to digging deeper into Mexico’s eating and drinking culture and bringing the Mexicola spirit to a different part of the island.”
The main differences between the two are a fire pit for cooking and the Fruteria, both of which are new concepts featured in the Canggu venue. Que Pasa describes them as earthy and natural. What’s more, they are yet to reside anywhere other than Mexico.
“Frutería uses natural, seasonal fruits mixed with our agave spirits, ‘the gods’ juices’,” says Que Pasa. “And the pibil, our earth underground oven, will be used to slow cook dishes.”
The eight-metre pibil will roast and add flavour to proteins, vegetables, and house-made salsas. Expect an expansive menu that celebrates the regional cuisines of Mexico’s southwest and the Yucatan Peninsula. Alongside classics like guacamole, tostadas, and churros, tacos using house-pressed corn tortillas will take centre stage.
Que Pasa says his favourite dish on the menu is the cochinita pibil, a traditional Yucatan Mayan slow-roasted pork dish from the Yucatan Peninsula. “Preparation of traditional cochinita involves marinating the meat in strongly acidic citrus juice, adding axiote seed, which imparts a vivid burnt orange colour, and roasting the meat in a pibil, while it is wrapped in banana leaf,” he says.
Like at the original, Motel Mexicola Canggu will have a big focus on its drinks, priding itself on staple cocktails that it’s putting its own spin on. Think a Margarita with dragon fruit, lychees, and rum, a Paloma amped up with tequila, mezcal, and lemongrass, and a Horcheta spiked with spiced rum and capped with rice milk foam.
As for the décor, Que Pasa says it’s based on three eras: Ancient Mayan, Colonial Mexico, and the Golden Era of the ‘60s. Mexican designer Carlos Cole, director of Mexico City firm Sensibilidad Aplicada, is behind the mythological fit-out that includes candlelit shrines, terracotta floors, and ruin-style stonework.
“Like if Indiana Jones took a trip to Chichén Itzá, had a few too many reposados, and washed up on the sands of Southeast Asia,” reads the opening’s press release. Australian ceramicist Gerry Wedd, responsible for the crockery at the Seminyak venue, is back again, creating it for the Canggu spot.
“The team has become a real family over the last ten years,” says Que Pasa. “We’re a bit older and not that much wiser now, but we still turn on the party and can’t wait to do it again.”
He says he wants guests to walk away feeling like they have had the time of their lives, that the next day’s hangover was well worth having, and that they’re craving the venue’s food and fiesta. “We know they’ll return after such a great experience,” says Que Pasa.
Motel Mexicola Canggu will be located at No 117x Batu Bolong, Canggu, Bali, and will open on Tuesday, August 8.
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