For “In Search of the Perfect Taco” in T’s Fall Men’s Style issue, Jeff Gordinier traveled to Mexico with the renowned Danish chef René Redzepi to explore the nation’s complex, misunderstood cuisine. Here, in his own words, are Redzepi’s greatest moments of gastronomic delight south of the border, which awakened him to the wonders of Mexican food.
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MEXICO CITY
Pujol
“The city’s crown jewel. The mole is a masterpiece, full stop. The tiny baby corn — the kind I’ve always had in cheap Chinese restaurants — was lightly smoked and
served whole with a coffee mayonnaise with ground Chicatana ants. So good. Then came the dish that blew us Northern European, kale-loving Protestants away: a chicharrón of the hearty cabbage with some lime on the side.
Ethereal.”
pujol.com.mx
La Merced
“Everything is on offer at this market. The small shacks scattered around these halls of pleasure are astounding. The quesadillas put anything and everything in Europe to shame.”
mexicocity.gob.mx
OAXACA
Casa Oaxaca Café
“Breakfast here is worth the trip to Mexico alone. We had some light chilaquiles, the tortillas perfectly balanced between crunchy and chewy, the spice hitting you right when
you need it. Then there was a velvety black bean sauce, as elegant as a beurre blanc from one of the French masters. The inclusion of an avocado leaf was a touch that made everything extra special. You sit under the sun,
sipping an unsugared cacao drink spiced with cinnamon, and realize that there is probably no one on earth having a better breakfast.”
casaoaxacacafe.com
Central de Abastos
“This market, west of the old town, is the best I’ve seen in my life. It feels the size of several dozen football fields, every corner packed with delicious things. Mexican
mothers carry around big baskets of hibiscus. There are fruits I had never seen before, drinks of all sizes and colors, stalls with chiles stacked as high as a Mayan pyramid.”
TULUM
Hartwood
“At this exceedingly pleasant open-air restaurant, everything is cooked over a wood fire. The simple way they cook allows the stellar ingredients to shine. None of the cooking attempts
to mask or muddle the essential flavors of the products. It’s especially interesting to see how this chef, who is an American, doesn’t cook Mexican but uses all the same ingredients. The next day, the chef
took us to the farm where he sources many of his ingredients, which is a good two-hour trip into the jungle. The way they grow food here now is the way they grew food here 500 years ago. These kinds of farms supply all
of the markets every day, so it’s astounding to realize that this kind of quality is available to everyone. That makes me extremely jealous.”
hartwoodtulum.com
MÉRIDA
Los Taquitos de PM
“This is where everything started for me. I’ll never forget the first time I set out for Mexico. I was worn out from work, and I needed a beach. Yet I couldn’t help
sitting on the plane, dreading the fact that I was going to have to eat the food. We landed fairly late in Mérida, starving. I asked our host for pizza. He looked at me funny. I could almost hear him thinking, ‘Stupid
gringo.’
“We drove a good 30 minutes from the airport before stopping at a nondescript, way-too-lit restaurant. There was outdoor seating, all covered in plastic and soft-drink logos. ‘This is it,’ he said as we pulled over. ‘We’ll grab a bite here.’ We sat down. Ice-cold beers arrived almost instantly. Our host held his hand up and signaled for a round of tacos al pastor for each person at the table.
“The tacos were in front of us within five minutes. I stared down at the plate, noticing that the tortillas had a yellow hue that was so different from the dense, white variety I was used to. I focused on the pork, flaky and moist. There were fresh leaves of emerald-green cilantro sprinkled on top, as well as some thin slices of pineapple. On the side, a little condiment of sour orange juice with habanero. ‘Put seven drops of that on your pineapple,’ our host told me.
“I did and folded the taco together. It was already levels above what I had experienced in Europe — its aroma, its very look. But then I sank my teeth in. Immediately, I felt the tenderness, the rich umami character of the meat. And the tortilla! It was sweet and smoky, with a gentle bite. Suddenly, the spice from the habaneros hit me, kept in check by the sweet, succulent pineapple.
“With a first impression like that, most people would be hooked.”
lostaquitosdepm.com
