Tu Y To, like the legendary Lady Gaga and her notorious song “You and I”, isn’t afraid to march to the beat of her own drum. Gaga’s meat dress, however vile, catapulted from heinous to iconic, and Tu Y Yo’s sauces, however questionable, toyed with my tastebuds. You see, Tu Y Yo and I are caught in a bad romance. I’m caught between appreciating the authenticity and not totally loving the scratchy and sometimes crude flavors.
The Empanadas de Platano Macho con Queso were a sweet and crispy start for the soft and slightly bitter entrees. These deep-fried delights could double as a dessert, and how can anyone object to a fried fritter full of cheese?
I love it when the name matches the description of a food, and the TENDERloin was clear in the Puerco en Salsa de Cacahuates. This dish had a deep, almost bitter ground-peanut flavor exacerbated by cinnamon. The sauce didn’t totally sink into the meat, though, which leaves a little room for improvement in the form of marinating.
The Pipian Paskal was yet another confusing dish for me. The chayote squash was a sweet mish-mash hybrid love-child of an eggplant and a zucchini. I’ve never had anything like it, and believe me, that’s a rare occurrence unless I’m in China. Loved the texture and the weirdly sweet flavor, but I could have done without the sauce. The thing that bothers me is that the sauces on both the puerco and the pipian were a bit similar since the peanut flavor was a bit overpowering.
Being a loyal resident of Beantown, I never thought that my fave beans to date would be the rice and BLACK beans at Tu Y Yo. Next time, I’ll get just the rice and beans. The beans are flavorful and may be the only marinated ingredient in the entire restaurant. This surprisingly well-seasoned staple really hit the spot. The rice is firmly soft and chewy, and together, the rice and beans form a combination deadly to any Atkins diet.
Tu Y Yo, you and I need to talk. Like most “you and I” relationships, ours is not without conflict. We need to find a balance between the shockingly authentic and pleasantly palatable. You have authenticity, but you need a little more polish. I admire your bravery, and I idolize your willingness to march to the beat of your own drum, but unlike Lady Gaga, I’m not sure that beat is making me just dance.
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