On a recent trip to
Oaxaca, there was no time for Mexican Folk Art which is a passion or even for
Monte Alban, the beautiful archaeological site located just 10 km outside
Oaxaca. Those treasures would have to wait. My sole purpose for going to Oaxaca
was to eat.
For years I've been
told that Oaxaca food was the best in Mexico but like every other foodie, I had
to see for myself.
It
took just one plate of dark, rich, and wonderfully sweet and spicy mole negro
to convince me.
I didn't count
calories - a rather senseless exercise when it comes to vacation eating don't
you think?
I tried and loved just
about everything.
One of the many things
I do before I go on a trip is to thoroughly research the restaurants.
In this case, I was
armed with a file overflowing with information that local foodie Carol Jackson
had collected over the years. It set me on the right path.
Frequently I email
chefs and cooking schools to inquire about special offerings. Most all of them
answer and to my delight, I've experienced things that many other travelers
have not.
Make friends with the
locals when you get there because they always give you the best options.
Eat everything. Food
is an intrinsic part of the cultural profile that binds people together.
Of all of the cities
I've traveled to, I have seldom found food perfection. Oaxaca was pretty darn
close. In fact, I only had one meal that wasn't outstanding. The others were
beautifully classic and uniquely Oaxaca.
The restaurants used
local ingredients. This meant that the food was at its peak ripeness or
freshness. The menus changed with the seasons, sometimes daily depending on
what was at the local market, and all had elegant presentations.
Oaxaca food is always
a surprise when you taste it. It's not immediately obvious, often rich, complex
and layered with flavors.
One of the things that
I found especially flavorful was unrefined pork lard called asiento which was
applied as a thin layer on many of the things that I tasted. If you’re a bacon
lover, this is the food for you.
Many people define
mole by the number of ingredients. If you're actually counting them, black mole
is the clear winner with many versions topping 30 ingredients and some
containing up to 10 different varieties of chilies.
No matter how many
ingredients there are in a mole, I quit counting once I took my first bite. As
a staunch culinary purist, black mole is the perfect food. It's like nothing
I've ever tasted before. It's definitely in a class by itself and goes on the list
of my 10 best-loved foods.
Not just any black
mole however...specifically the black mole at the Catedral Restaurante and Bar
in Oaxaca.
So is Oaxaca the food
capital of Mexico?
I've finally been
seduced and no one can convince me otherwise.
Buen Apetito!
Catedral Restaurante and Bar
105 Garcia Virgil
I ate here twice and both meals hit the gold
standard. You can also see from the prices that it was not too expensive.
Garnachas Sandunqueras Con Cruda y Carne de
Res.
Small fried tortillas Tehhuantepec
style with shredded beef and marinated pickled cabbage, onion, jalapeños and
carrots.
75 pesos
Chilean Chardonnay
Santa Digna
60 pesos
You can find this wine at Cava Sautto for 131
pesos a bottle. Don't forget to leave some for me.
Espema de Tejate Con Nieve De Mamey y Crocante
de Maiz.
Tejate foam with mamey
sherbet and crispy corn.
70 pesos
Mole Negro con Guajolote Critto Acompanado de
Pasta de Frijoles, Arroz Blanca y Cortez de Platano Macho.
Black mole with
organic turkey confit accompanied by refried beans, rice and plantain sliced.
205 pesos
This was a family recipe and not only was the
dish impeccable but the refried beans were smooth and purred with hint of
chili.
Fantasia de Chocolate de Motate con Alma de
Chihuacle Servido con Helado de Chocolate.
Handmade chocolate
pastry with chilhuacle chili served with chocolate ice cream.
85 pesos
Carne Asadas
The grilled meat
section in Oaxaca’s 20 de Noviembre market is dark and smoky but the food is
delicious. It's a meat lover’s paradise.
First pick your meat:
tasajo, which is thinly pounded, air-dried beef or Cecina which is similar and
is thinly sliced pork. You can also select a cecina enchilada that is dusted
with chili powder or opt for chorizo, your favorite Mexican breakfast sausage.
Pick a pepper and a
bunch of onion that go under the grill when you cook it.
The stand from which
you choose your meat will grill everything for you.
You then have a choice
of spicy sauces and sides. Wrap it all in a large Oaxaca tortilla and you have
breakfast.
30 pesos + 32 for vegetables.
La Casa de La Abuela
Hidalgo 616
Memelitas
Small rigid tortillas
covered with pork relish ( more like a bacon jam) and cheese.
35 pesos
A memelita is a
antojito (“little craving”) that is thicker than a tortilla and is toasted on a
comal.
It's often topped with
beans, quesillo - a brined cheese - and pork ground and mixed with spices or
even eggs.
The serving sauces are
made to different levels of heat depending on your palate.
Again, as I often do,
this appetizer was my main meal and was both filling and delicious.
Biznaga
512 Garcia Virgil
Filete de res en salsa de papilla, circuela
pasa y Mezcal a companado de pure de papa.
Beef filet with smoked
chili, plums and Mezcal sauce and mashed potatoes.
205 pesos
Tlayudas
This Oaxaca pizza is
made on a semi-dried tortilla brushed with asiento and topped with refried
beans, tomatoes, avocados, radishes, goat cheese and came with a little dish of
chorizo on the side.
It's folded in half
after being cooked on a charcoal grill. It can also be served with tasajo, cencilla
or shredded chicken tinga.
The cabbage was plain
not pickled which I like better but no complaints here.
90 pesos
Margaritas
60 pesos
Biznaga's Margaritas are the best in Oaxaca.
Casa Oaxaca
Constitucion 104-A
Mole Negro Con Guajolote Crillo, Arroz y
Platano Frito.
Organic Turkey with
Rice and fried bananas served with black mole
169 pesos
Chilean Chardonnay
Santa Digna
70 pesos
Casa Oaxaca is one of the top 50 Latin
restaurants in the world. The food was delicious but the mole did not come
close to the distinction of either the Catedral Restaurante and Bar or Biznaga.
Restaurante Origen
Hidalgo 820
I ran into Michael
Coon, San Miguel's traveling chef and his group of 12. They just finished a
cooking class and Chefs Rudolfo Castellanos' and Pastry chef Gabriele got rave
reviews from the group.
Chef Castellanos is a
native of Oaxaca, attended the “Instituto Culinario México”, and worked in both
Monaco and San Francisco as well as throughout México.
It was happy hour and
we stopped for a quick Queso de Puerco appetizer- 20 pesos- and several glasses
of Tanillto Michaeliel Velerie at 60 pesos a glass.
Part of the
"Origen experience" is the the architectural beauty of the
restaurant. We felt very comfortable and at home in this restaurant. It was the
perfect experience for happy hour and next time we'll go for comida.
Note:
The only restaurants we wanted to go to but
had scheduling conflicts were La Teca Restaurant on Violetas Street, 200-A in
Colonia Reforma and Los Danzantes at Calle Macedonio Alcala No. 403-4.
We also missed Susana Trilling's Seasons of My
Heart Cooking School as Susan was out of town.
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