Dining at Rosewood Mayakoba tonight is one of the Ceiba set-meal dinners offered twice a week. Ceiba means tree, and there are trees around the enormous tennis court-sized clear plastic tent where it's held. Half the tent is taken up with wood planters, 50 centimeters high, holding herbs used in the resort’s kitchens. The other half of ‘the tent’ holds two cross-tent tables, each seating a total of 30 diners. The tables are narrow enough to be able to talk across the table. The space this end also holds, permanently a working bar and a working open kitchen, where 60 starter plates of salad are being prepared as Girlahead arrives. The all-inclusive price covers shared platters of Mexican food, liberal pourings of red or white wine, or the ‘orange wine’ made from white wine grapes which ends up tasting remarkably like rosé. At the same time, you can have whatever you want from the bar. Tonight's menu starts with Zarandeado-style striped bass, and with Ha’, blue shrimp brushed with butter on roasted corn purée. Then we go on to K’áak, Fuego Fire, lamb and cochinita pibilMaya ash-rubbed lamb chops, glazed with molasses. Finally, Ka’an, fruit cobbler with lime crumble.
Both tables have three full bottles of tequila on them, and three of the place settings on each table have a special card designating the person sitting there as a table captain, whose job it is to take control of the ship – and banish the tequila. It’s riotously funny, and successful – networking. Girlahead gets home to find night turndown has left a 5cm-long Alebrijes, a brightly painted-wood animal blending myth and reality. She feels a bit of a monkey tonight anyway.
