One of the things that first attracted me to Rob when I was first dating him was his interest and appreciation of good food, good wine and quality spirits. At the time, I was selling wine for a very nice importer/distributor so we always had plenty of great wine on hand to pair with delicious food with my favorite restaurant accounts! Throughout our almost 15 years together, and especially during our travels, we have always enjoyed seeking out not just the best restaurants but also the best representations of regional food and drink. We are both adventurous eaters and up for trying anything and everything.
About three years ago, Rob decided to get serious about losing the weight we had packed onto him over a decade of unbridled dining. A year and a half ago, we both made the choice to go pescaterian, cutting out all beef, chicken and pork. Throughout the process, he has lost over 150 pounds and his cardiologist refers to him as his dream patient....almost....we still have those cigarettes to conquer.
So, we look good and feel good. But what about our beloved dining adventures? What about all those fabulous tasting menus with perfectly seared fois gras and unctuous pork belly. What about the translucent strips of carpaccio and sizzling bones oozing with marrow? Would we need to eschew our culinary capers in order to stay on the healthy straight and narrow? Not really. While we have chosen a meat-free path it doesn't mean our palates need to suffer for it! What we have found is that the better restaurants and the more innovative chefs seem to be leaning in the same direction we are. It seems that more and more often, menu options feature wild fish and shellfish or are meat-free altogether so we don't feel like we are missing out at all! Such was the case when we visited Pujol in Mexico City.
Rated the top restaurant in the city, #1 in the country and recently rising to the rank of #17 on the San Perregrino list of the best restaurants in the world, Pujol came up time and time again in my research and again when I took my search to the court of public opinion on Facebook. More than a few of my trusted foodie friends told me that a trip to Pujol was a must if we were planning to fine in Mexico City. The only problem? We would be dining with the kids. Did I want to spend 100 usd a head on a meal that they may not appreciate or even enjoy?
Yes. Yes I do!
Our taxi river had never heard of Pujol and even with the complete street address he had trouble finding the small modern building that houses the restaurant. The sleek facade is unassuming, save the smartly dressed valets out front who came running to greet us. Inside, we were ushered past a small bar into a dimly lit, low ceilinged dining room. It was much smaller than I had expected, about the size of a gentlemen-only lounge at a country club. The walls are painted a charcoal gray. Stretched along one wall is a row of banquet seating. The rest of the room is dotted with stand alone white table-clothed tables, each lit from above a singular spot light creating dining "islands" for each party. It was sleek and elegant and comfortably cosmopolitan!
At the time of our visit, there were two dining options: Chef Enrique Olvera's ten course tasting menu and a prix fixe four course menu with several options for each course. Not wanting the kids to sit through a 2 1/2 hour meal, we chose the prix fixe option (890 mn p/p) which also allowed me to help Cole (our less adventurous eater) to find things he might like. Cat was, of course, thrilled to be there and quickly had all the servers fawning all over her suggesting elegant "mocktails" and menu selections that she might enjoy.
Rob and I stuck to the vegetarian and seafood options while the kids had some meat sprinkled into their meals. In this atmosphere, I did feel a little self-conscious even though I was only using the camera on my iphone. I don't think I got pictures of everything but this should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect at Pujol.
The first amuse bouche - paper-thin discs of avocado sandwiching chia seeds and served with a warm savory corn "tea".
Salsa
Sal
Cat enjoying her mocktail!
The second amuse bouche - a play on a popular Mexican street food - Roasted baby corn with mayonnaise and chile served out of a smoking gourd.
Sea bass ceviche taco with black bean purée and crispy fish skin, served on a corn tortilla laminated with "hoja santa".
Watercress salad with nopales and goat cheese.
Fried frog's legs with chayote slaw, dollops of cauliflower purée, and a poblano chili paste.
Herbed butter
Fresh baked bread.
Champagne for me!
Cole really enjoyed the Yucatecan "lechon" with shaved cauliflower, green olives and three sauces; almond, raisin-cumin mole, and tamarind.
Fluffy fried tortilla encasing a soft-boiled egg, roasted salsa, and puréed beans.
Guava ice cream.
The "Piñata"! A clear sugar sphere filled with orange supreme, guava cream, meringue and peanut cookie crumble.
Fresh fruits with artisanal cheeses and raw organic honey.
Chocolate mousse flavored with Xtabentún and topped with an orange creme.
I've read a couple of reviews on TA since we returned from our trip and many of them call out the waitstaff as pretentious and impatient. Others claimed their service was overly intrusive. Some called it "odd". I found just the opposite. Despite the fact that we were the only foreigners in the restaurant, we were clearly under-dressed and two of our party were under the age of 12, I found our service to be spot on. The courses were timed properly and served at the correct temperature. We were never left with empty drinks or plates. Silverware was replaced...never simply set aside for the next course. Napkins were promptly refolded during trips to the restroom. It all worked like a well-oiled machine. Everyone was smiley and nice, especially to our children.
My only complaint is that I would like like to have had a beverage - wine, mezcal, champagne, agua fresca - something thoughtfully paired with each course. I'm not talking about a full pour, just a little something that the Chef has chosen to best accompany each offering. I would have been happy to pay an additional charge for this option rather than having to choose for myself from their extensive beverage menu. Otherwise, I very much enjoyed my food and my dining experience. The food was well conceived and perfectly executed. With two starters sent out to warm up our palates and the complimentary deserts, I feel like the price was well justified. Best of all, it tasted good! Rob and I are definitely looking forward to trying the full tasting menu the next time we have an opportunity to be in Mexico City on our own. (Shhh. Don't tell Cat.)
Next, our day trip to Coyoacan and a visit to the famous home of Frida Kahlo and Diego Riviera.