First impression of El Molino del Sureste – it’s all golden yellows, peacock blues and vibrant Maya patterns covering repurposed church pews, setting a warm, lived-in tone. Once you’re tucked in at a table, you can nibble on complimentary corn chips and sikil pak (a traditional Yucatecan dip made with toasted pepitas, roasted tomatoes and chile de árbol oil) as you peruse the menu.
Located less than eight miles from Gateway Arch National Park, this bold-but-humble Mexican restaurant is the vision of brothers Alex and Jeff Henry. With bright citrus, subtle smoke and aromatic spices, the dynamic duo brings the flavors of their childhood to life, allowing tradition to speak louder than trends.
“Over the years – and many beers – Alex and I talked about opening a restaurant focused on lesser-known regional Mexican cuisine,” Jeff says, “but for me, it was always pie in the sky.”
Alex, on the other hand, knew he wanted to be a chef from an early age. “Our abuelita knew how to cook, and she helped our mom perfect all her recipes, so we’ve always eaten well,” he says. “We’ve been eating a lot of the dishes that we serve at El Molino del Sureste since we were young.
“In my career, I mostly cooked other cuisines,” Alex continues, “but my mentor, Rob Uyemura [former executive chef of YaYa’s Euro Bistro in Chesterfield, Missouri] convinced me to focus on Mexican food. A few years later, I opened a food stand at City Foundry STL.”
Today, Taqueria del Sureste offers a streamlined menu of delectable tacos alongside two or three rotating monthly specials in the food hall of the entertainment district in Midtown.
“While our cuisine is Yucatán-forward, the menus at both restaurants include dishes that originated in other regions of Mexico as well as dishes that are rooted in traditional ingredients and techniques but are wholly original.”
– Jeff Henry
El Molino del Sureste, which translates to “The Mill of the Southeast,” emphasizes freshly ground corn masa in myriad dishes ranging from banana-leaf tamales with cochinita pibil (Yucatán-style barbecued pork) to masa dumplings stuffed with tomato-braised fish, frijoles colados, onion and herbs.
“Growing up in Yucatán, flour tortillas were rarely used in typical regional dishes,” Jeff explains. “We source a lot of corn from Ernst Family Farms [in Illinois], which we grind to make fresh tortillas every day. It’s the only way that we can ensure the quality of our tortillas.”
Warm, earthly and perfectly pliable, the tortillas hold punchy flavor combinations such as achiote-citrus pork with marinated onion and habanero; coconut-masa-battered shrimp with peach-tamarind salsa; and smoke-cured coulotte steak with xni-pec (a fiery Yucatecan salsa) and queso fresco.
“While our cuisine is Yucatán-forward, the menus at both restaurants include dishes that originated in other regions of Mexico as well as dishes that are rooted in traditional ingredients and techniques but are wholly original,” Jeff says. “The diver scallops in white chocolate mole – one of the few recipes that hasn’t been rotated off the menu at El Molino del Sureste – is a great example. Mole blanco is typically made with nuts and seeds, and chefs don’t often pair it with shellfish; however, Alex found that white chocolate mole accentuates the delicate sweetness of the scallops.”
Every two weeks, the crowd-pleasing chuleta de castacán makes its way onto the menu, too. House-butchered, dry-cured and steamed, the crispy skin-on pork belly chop features impossibly tender meat, which Alex complements with accoutrements such as marinated cabbage, xni-pec and housemade mayonnaise.
Exquisite meat and seafood might headline the menu, but El Molino del Sureste won’t let you skip your greens. “Mexican cuisine has always included quelites (edible wild greens), and a lot of the same ‘weeds’ grow here,” Alex explains. “We ask farmers to bring them into the restaurant, and we use them to add an extra touch of authenticity to different dishes.”
More than a toasty garnish, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) also star in dishes such as the sikil pak and the pepita dumplings served in an achiote-garlic broth with, you guessed it, quelites. “When ground and pressed, pepitas pack so much flavor, and they have a texture that could be mistaken for meat,” Alex says. “While most Mexican restaurants in St. Louis treat guests to chips and salsa, we offer sikil pak – which we ate as much as guacamole when we were growing up.”
Whether enjoying date night or gathering with friends, diners can count on a one-of-a-kind culinary experience at El Molino del Sureste. “We champion local farm-to-table dining while showcasing the diversity and depth of Mexican cuisine,” Alex says. “Hopefully, people visit, enjoy and leave with a more open mind.”
“At the heart of Mexican culture, there’s a tension between progress and tradition,” Jeff adds. “Culture isn’t stagnant, and Mexico is learning to blend the ancient and the modern, embracing new directions, from which we draw inspiration.”
At their restaurants, the brothers bridge the gap between generations, cultures and flavors. Both curious newcomers and longtime fans of Mexican cuisine are invited to pull up a seat and savor the heritage, innovation and memories layered into each plate.
