Jack and Karen Huang, who already own Bar Celona and Villa SORRISO, debut a third Old Pasadena restaurant: ix Tapa Cantina. A November 18 soiree provided a sneak peek and benefited Hillsides, a non-profit foster care and treatment center focusing on “special education, family crisis intervention and children’s rights advocacy.” The restaurant opens to the public on December 1 at 9 PM.

The couple named their restaurant for the Mexican resort city of Ixtapa. ix tapa Cantina occupies the former home of Moose McGillycuddy’s Pub. Chef Raul Mercado is a Mexico native and is relying on many of his family’s recipes at ix Tapa Cantina. Options include a Daily Ceviche ($8.50) with fish marinated in fresh lemon and lime juices, cilantro, sweet peppers, onions and tomatoes; Tequila Lime Chicken ($12) marinated in tequila, orange and lime juices and garlic, pan sautéed; Veracruz style Huachinango ($14) – red snapper with jalapeños, tomatoes, onions and bell peppers; and Mexican Bread Pudding ($8) with sweet bread, raisins, cranberries, sautéed bananas and rum-flavored cream sauce.