To the table! In Mexico City
Mexico City is living a real gastronomic golden age . To the spectacular of Mexican cuisine (of which we are confessed fans), there is an unprecedented creativity, a public more than receptive and all the attention of the culinary world.
The Mexican capital is also the nerve center of the gastronomic innovations of the country , as recognized by the Mexico Gastronomic Guide 2018 . This gastro map, which rewards the 120 best restaurants in the country, includes in each edition the best openings of each year : without going further, all of 2017 are in Mexico City . Let's meet them.
Don't stop cooking!
Three years ago, the chefs Daniel Ovadia and Salvador Orozco, of the group Bull&Tank , traveled to Israel with the intention of finding inspiration and opening the first restaurant based on traditional Jerusalem cuisine in Mexico City. The result: Merkava , the first hummusiya (as the traditional hummus trade is known) of the capital.
This restaurant in amsterdam street , in the Hipodromo neighborhood, is a majestic mix of Jewish, Christian, Islamic and Armenian influences.
The first hummusiya in the Mexican capital
The fusion is palpable throughout the experience, from the space, intimate and sober, to the hospitality, cheerful and welcoming, in the purest Middle Eastern style , and especially, to the menu.
On the menu stand out the salatim , the side dishes to the center that will transport you to the Mediterranean , of _l abneh _ to matbucha , and of course the hummus – from the five permanent varieties to the daily special, prepared with seasonal ingredients and accompanied by homemade pita bread. Unforgettable.
The place, a mixture of oriental styles
Padella It is presented as one of the best kept secrets of the Colonia San Miguel Chapultepec . This restaurant bases its concept on two fundamental pillars: homemade food, and Art Deco.
The stews and braised are the star of the menu, food, as its creators indicate, that “it goes from the mouth to the heart”. With an emphasis on natural ingredients, French influences and slow cooking, Padella's menu includes jewels such as Boeuf Bourguignon, seared short rib and the mussel soup.
LUR , the second gastronomic son of the chefs Mikel Alonso and Gerard Beliver , shows off his name (“earth” in Basque) and reflects his philosophy in a menu and an environment closely connected with nature. In the heart of the Polanco neighborhood , Lur is an oasis of calm, which integrates a tree in its wooden structure and Oaxacan craft details.
The menu is a mix of culinary influences with a casual touch, drawing from various origins without stopping at any particular geographical point. The secret? the seasoning , which draws on ancient and modern techniques alike to recreate traditional and homemade dishes with a contemporary twist.
Among the recommendations, Duck cannelloni with mushrooms, chick peas with chard and pork belly, and the wagyu burger with foie gras . Essential are the flavored waters, one of the hallmarks of LUR, which mixed fruits and spices in surprising combinations, such as eucalyptus and ginger, or strawberry, tomato and cardamom.
A serious interior design, dark without losing its tropicality
Ignoring the traffic on Revolution Avenue, Loretta Chic Bistro brings a breath of fresh air to Mexico City.
From the hands of the chefs Abel Hernandez and Eduardo Morali, who with their proposal Eloise rose as one of the hottest names on the Southside gastro scene, Loretta is inspired by the Mediterranean to introduce a piece of the sea in the heart of the Mexican capital , palpable from its modern white interior design and its outdoor terrace to the taste journey that is her menu.
Loretta restaurant terrace
The flavors of Loretta's kitchen jump from Turkey to France to Greece , but using local seasonal ingredients. On the menu, the raw tuna with cucumber broth, lemon and burnt orange tapenade stands out, the falafel with jocoque and beef tartare, and the Petite lamb moussaka . For dessert, the layers of filo pastry with ricotta cheese and orange blossom ice cream will put the finishing touch to the feast.
One of Loretta's organic dishes
Chiles, mole, holy leaf, chepiche, pithiona and Creole cilantro: that, and more, Oaxaca knows . Now, these traditional Oaxacan flavors are available at La Condesa from the Chef Celia Florian , who together with his son Alam Mendez , has recreated the success of his restaurant The Fifteen Letters in the capital with **Pasillo de Humo.**
Florián and Méndez arrived at CDMX with the aim of sharing their status in the most authentic way: through the stomach.
In Hall of Smoke everything is Oaxacan , from the ingredients to the cutlery. The customer witnesses how everything is prepared in the open kitchen, from pumpkin flower quesadillas to mole.
Essential of the menu? The almond mole with beef tongue, a classic Oaxacan dish that cannot be missed.
"Without corn there is no country"