As a Chinese chef strives to produce authentic Mexican food in Beijing, he savors a new mentor in Rick Bayless, Valerie Osipov reports.

Sizzling fajitas, enchiladas, hearty burritos and tacos: These dishes can be found across Mexico, areas of the American southwest, and yes, tucked away in a cozy hutong in Beijing.

Located at the center of Wudao-ying Hutong, Pebbles Courtyard has expanded into a wider dining room, a renovation that inspired the name change from Sand Pebbles Lounge.

Chinese owner and chef Ray Heng learned the ins-and-outs of Mexican cuisine on YouTube, his first teacher, followed by a solo trip to the country, which inspired his career. Most recently, he got a chance to work with celebrity chef Rick Bayless in his Chicago flagship restaurant.

The opportunity came last winter, thanks to a small bag of Chinese dried chilies and a whole lot of luck. Heng had left the chilies as a thank-you for Bayless at his establishment in Chicago during a visit to the United States. Intrigued to hear about a Chinese chef passionate about Mexican cuisine, Bayless visited Heng's restaurant last year while on a visit to Beijing, and later he invited Heng to return to the Windy City, as Chicago is known, and learn the tricks of the trade.

A friend and I made our way to a row of empty tables under the sky-view window, which partially covers the new courtyard, filling the room with natural light.

Images of Mexican landscapes and culture line the walls, and collectibles fill the crevices and corners. "The concept we're trying to have is comfort dining. Street-food. Nothing fancy," Heng says modestly.

As a starter, we chose the sampler of chips and dips, festively served on a bright pink sombrero. Delightfully cheesy.

The corn chips were subtle, perhaps not to mask the savory dipping options - frijoles charros (smoked beans), juicy pico-de-gallo, homemade beef chili, grilled corn and pepper guacamole, and chile arbol, a common choice among Chinese customers.

The chili was meaty with a spicy bite. Heng incorporates red wine for added flavor. "We also use broken, soft corn tortillas to blend with a little water to make a puree consistency, then add it to the chili in the last 30 minutes to thicken it."

My friend took to the smoky beans, letting out satisfied noises of approval, and remarking how similar they are to her Hispanic grandmother's recipe.

The only setback was the guacamole, which has an authentic smooth texture but desperately needed a punch of seasoning.

Next up were Heng's most prized menu items, the "street-style" tacos. I believe I have a sixth sense when it comes to knowing a good taco when I taste one. And boy, were these muy bueno.

Each week, Heng gets fresh corn tortillas from a factory in Beijing that supplies to most Mexican restaurants in the city.

"We do our own marinades, our own slicing and dicing, everything. It's a lot of pressure for our kitchen staff to make them every day," Heng says. "That's really what I learned from chef Bayless. Everything is made from scratch."

The mouthwatering taco array featured four pairs of the chef's personal favorites, each topped off with fresh cilantro and onions, and artfully delivered to us on a long wooden serving tray.

The winning al pastor (pork) tacos had sweet bursts of pineapple, and the lengua (beef tongue) was melt-in-your-mouth tender. The carne asada, though a classic, was a bit tough and less flavorful.

We washed everything down with a frosty horchata, a Mexican drink made with rice, full of sweet, creamy notes of cinnamon, as the chef brought out crispy churros served with chocolate ice cream for dessert.

"Next time you should try the margaritas. The lime mix we make ourselves," the chef beamed.

The restaurant's margaritas, in fact, have often won better reviews than the food, as Heng works to achieve a truly authentic menu. The chef admits he's still eager to continue improving.

That said, he's not too worried about reviews.

"It's really not about the money for me," says Heng, who prices entrees from 45 to 168 yuan ($7 to $27). "It's my passion."

Contact the writer at features@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/03/2015 page20)