Mexico City (Two): Tasting Tacos at Pujol

Kevin and I are both foodies, and we both love tacos.  There is no better place to explore a taco obsession than Pujol in Mexico City.

KARLA AND KEVIN ARRIVE AT PUJOL

Last year, Pujol was ranked as the #13 restaurant in the world.  NYC, London, Rome, Hong Kong, Tokyo, all amazing places … but  surprise: Mexico City has both the #11 and #13 restaurants in the world.  Pujol had a reservation available during our stay, and we couldn't resist!

STREET FOODS: COURSE ONE
(corn tortilla puff with beluga caviar, left; creamy white corn tofu, right)

Our reservation was at 4 p.m. … too late for lunch and too early for dinner, but we made it work.  We spent the afternoon at nearby Chapultepec Park before walking through the Polanco neighborhood to our dining destination.  We arrived at this unassuming place and might not have known we were there, but for the attendants at the entrance, one of whom was nice enough to take our picture (above).

PUJOL'S BAR
(we sat at the bar with our fellow taco tasting friends)

The menu consisted of ten courses, allegedly all of tacos, but definitely not the kinds of tacos we're used to at home.  (The menu even included one bowl of soup: definitely not a taco!)

 

THE COURSES
(pardon the crookedness: photographer error)

There were no specific alcohol pairings, but drinks were included, and the bartenders made recommendations to complement each course.  We mostly opted for mezcal (as opposed to beer, wine, or cocktails) since that is a decidedly local beverage.  Mezcal is similar to tequila, but tequila is made solely from one specific agave, while mezcal is made from a variety of agave plants and ends up with a different flavor. 

 

THE FIRST MEZCAL WE TRIED

Our first course consisted of street foods, but these were certainly not like any street food I've everhad: Creamy white corn tofu, Corn tortilla puff topped with beluga caviar, and Roasted baby corn

slathered with coffee mayonnaise and sprinkled with chicitanas.  It was all delicious!  

(left to right)
ROASET CORN, CORN TORTILLA PUFF, TOFU

I do not eat corn - ever - but I'd committed to trying all the things that were served to me.  We had no idea what chicitanas were, but we ate them anyway and LOVED them.  Later, at home, we watched the show "Chef's Table" featuring Pujol, where we learned that chicitanas are flying ants that are available only a few days per year: a true delicacy!



KARLA EATING ROASTED CORN WITH COFFEE MAYO AND CHICITANAS



The following courses  included  many types of tacos, including the most delicious and most beautiful tacos ever to pass my lips: 



SCALLOP TOSTADA

KARLA SAMPLING THE SCALLOP TOSTADA






MUSHROOM TACO
(most people had lobster, but Pujol accommodated Karla's preference for this course)

OCTOPUS TETELA FILLED WITH CRICKET PASTE
(served with a peanut sauce)

 



YES, CLOVER!

One of the highlights was the ninth course of Emmolada, a tortilla with two types of mole.  We didn't recognize the significance of Course Nine while there (too much mezcal perhaps?).  Although we were told about them, we learned how special these mole sauces were by watching "Chef's Table" at home the following week.  The darker mole had been aged for several years by the time we'd tried it.  The complex flavors of the mole aged over 1,000 days both contrasted and blended with a lighter, fresher mole, served with a freshly made tortilla.  What a treat!

TORTILLA WITH TWO TYPES MOLE

So mezcal: how many types, how much, and how delicious?  Several of the mezcals we tried were made in small batches solely for Pujol. At least one mescal was perfect in a tamarind margarita rimmed with worm salt. (Yes, worm salt is made with worms, and it's divine!) 

TAMARIND MARGARITA WITH MEZCAL

And finally, the desserts, all of which were magnificently mango: fresh mango, mango sorbet, and a mango tamale.

(left to right)
FRESH MANGO, MANGO TAMALE, MANGO ICE CREAM

  

THE MANGO TAMALE WAS AMAZING!

We also had a side of the most delectable churros: chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside, and completely covered in cinnamon sugar!  

CHURROS

And because this was an amazingly wonderful restaurant with some of the most fantastic bartenders  in the world, we were offered one more special cocktail (made by the bartender Padraig) especially to complement the sweetness of the desserts.

A MYSTERY MEZCAL COCKTAIL

And, because we were on our honeymoon, Kevin and I were treated to an extra special dessert of soufflé!

HONEYMOON SPECIAL

We couldn't have asked for a better way to end our honeymoon than with this experience at Pujol.  I would recommend a tasting menu at Pujol to anyone who is celebrating a special event, like a birthday, an anniversary, or a random wonderful Tuesday. 

What other adventures did we have while in Mexico City?  Tune in to Mexico City (Three) to find out!