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  • Day 1

    Pujol

    October 29, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    After reading through a number of foodie travel blogs, one restaurant was recommended throughout: Pujol. There is also an episode on the Netflix series "Chef's Table" that highlights Pujol and chef Enrique Olvera that we watched before our trip.

    We arrived at the restaurant a few minutes prior to 9:30pm and just before a few other parties that must have had the same timeslot. Although the cozy restaurant was packed, we were pleased with the spacing between the tables which allowed for ample privacy.

    As noted in blogs and on Chef's Table, the menu comes delivered in an envelope with a wax stamp of an E. One of the waiters walked us through the menu and asked if we had any food allergies or dietary restrictions, and assured us that our pescetarian diet was of no concern. We allowed for a few compromises: insects and lard. We couldn't pass up the chance to try baby corn that is served with an ant sauce and Enrique's most prized dish, mole madre, which is prepared with lard.

    We started with tequila cocktails and several street food appetizers. While good and showcasing some unique flavors and ingredients, the starters weren't exceptional in our opinion.

    The second course was a vegetable mole dish with mushrooms, greens and crispy banana chunks. The flavors were excellent and we looked forward to trying the mole madre.

    For the third course, Brittany got the Amarillito tamal served with fava beans and Swiss chard; Nico opted for the lobster tostada. The tamale was exceptional and Brittany savored every bite. The lobster tostada was also quite good. The tostada shell was served on top of the serving bowl and the server recommended it be broken up into the crudo-style lobster.

    Course number four featured a buckwheat zucchini blossom and mushroom risotto for Brittany, and fresh seabass with beurre-noisette for Nico. Brittany's dish had a smoky flavor (due to the cheese) and the mushroom were cooked to perfection. The zucchini blossoms added a complementing touch try the cheese. The fish was one of Nico's favorite dishes ever. The preparation of the fish was on par with that of the best Italian restaurants, but what really stood out were the accompanying fresh corn tortillas meant to scoop the food. The combination created a delicious array of flavors.

    Course 5: the Oaxacan specialty mole madre. Two types of mole, one new and the other aged 1111 days, accompanied by fresh tortillas. The presentation of the course itself was a bold statement, relying on a sauce to serve as an entree. However, it did not disappoint. The flavors were really exquisite - one could discover new tastes with every bite. We had to ask for more tortillas (since this course wasn't served with silverware) to scoop up the rest of the delectable dish.

    After the first 5 courses, we were already pretty full but couldn't miss out on the dessert. There were 6 small items served. The first was a pulque sorbet served with chile powder which was very refreshing and cleared the pallet. The remaining 5 desserts were brought out together, and we were instructed to try them in a certain order. The highlight was definitely the churros. They were perfectly crispy and a little bit doughy with just the right amount of cinnamon and sugar.

    Two and a half hours later, we were finished, full and quite pleased. Overall this was definitely one of the best meals we've ever had. The price, when compared with Michelin star restaurants elsewhere, was quite reasonable. Also, as a result of the primary cuisine inspiration, we've added Oaxaca to our list of future destinations.
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