Koko Coconut Grove: Inside Grupo Bakan's Stunning 6,000-Square-Foot Mexican Oasis
By Elena Rostova
Traditional Mexican cuisine relies on processes that cannot be rushed, and KoKo builds its menu around two non-negotiable stations: the comal and the wood-fired grill. Every tortilla served begins as raw Mexican heirloom corn. The kitchen performs daily nixtamalization, steeping dried kernels in an alkaline calcium hydroxide bath before milling them into fresh masa. Cooks press and blister blue and yellow tortillas to order on high-heat comales, filling the dining room with the rich, nutty fragrance of toasted grain.
Across the kitchen line, an open hearth burns oak and charcoal. The grill imparts deep char to proteins that anchor the family-style menu, from whole roasted snapper marinated in citrus and achiote to bone-in short ribs braised until tender and finished over live flame. Carnitas arrive crisped in traditional copper vessels, while complex moles balance dried chiles, dark chocolate, and roasted seeds over several hours of reduction.
Elena Rostova holds a Master's degree in Public Health Journalism. She covers groundbreaking medical research, holistic wellness trends, mental health awareness, and nutritional science.
