After eating our way around Mexico City for a week, my daughter (she who books months in advance for that perfect restaurant experience) and I headed to Oaxaca, Mexico, to learn what our taste buds could get excited about.
The foodie scene in Oaxaca is built on blending innovation and tradition, with culinary techniques and indigenous ingredients. From gorging on a mole in a family-run eatery to savoring the finished dish of a modern fusion restaurant, pigging out on street food in a chaotic market, to grabbing a bite from a food cart on the side of the roadway, it’s a culinary journey of the cultural soul of Oaxaca. One of Mexico’s premier gastronomic destinations, Oaxaca will leave you salivating over its food long after you leave the city.
When you think of the region's cuisine, words like vibrant, diverse, rich, unique, and complex come to mind—unique ingredients such as ‘chapulines’ (grasshoppers), famous for their mole negro (among others, such as the seven classic moles), and tasty tlayudas (giant, crispy tortillas overflowing with goodies, aka Mexican pizza). These culinary traditions reflect the region’s diverse agricultural produce and indigenous influences, creating distinctive dishes.
The region’s cuisine includes staples such as maize, chili peppers, chocolate, wild greens, herbs, and spices that have been featured in their dishes for centuries, dating back to the Zapotecs and Mixtecs. Corn is the ultimate cooking ingredient as it’s used to make tamales, tlayudas, and tortillas. Oaxacan cheese is another star in the kitchen; queso Oaxaca or quesillo, known for having a stringy texture and mild flavor.
Oaxaca is also a sweet place if you have a love of desserts, from candies made from locally grown fruits to the iconic traditional maize-and-cacao drink ‘tejate’. The food scene is constantly evolving, with young, gung-ho chefs experimenting with blending traditional food with contemporary whims, emphasizing farm-to-table principles, which has led to a surge in fine-dining venues serving avant-garde dishes of Oaxacan classics.
Below is my pick of the restaurants that lived up to my taste bud fantasies:
Casa Mook
Stunning décor that makes you feel as if you are dining in an art gallery, Casa Mook is sleek and contemporary, with an inner courtyard at the rear of the restaurant. Relaxed with a touch of laid-back elegance, excellent service, and food to send little shivers of delight up your spine. The menu here is a lesson in the local fare, especially the Grasshopper Quesadilla with Mezcal. From Pizoles to Tacos, grilled plates for the carnivore and plenty of dishes for the veggie eater, to decadent, delicious sweets like corn ice cream and banana molotes.
Tierra del Sol
Overlooking the Santo Domingo, and if you are lucky, as we were the day we had lunch on the rooftop, a wedding procession dancing down the street. This is where you can indulge yourself in the authentic recipes, fresh ingredients, and traditional cooking methods of Oaxaca in an immersive experience. Wrap your taste buds around complex moles often simmered for hours with a blend of chili peppers, spices, chocolate, and herbs, especially the Mole Negro, which boasts a dark, velvety texture flavored with ingredients like black chilies, plantains, and cacao. The flavors of the mole are perfectly paired with chicken, turkey, or pork. Seafood is a highlight of the menu, as Oaxaca has a definite coastal influence in its dishes. Fresh fish and shrimp are often prepared with simple yet flavorful seasonings, grilled or made into ceviche, highlighting the region’s abundant maritime resources. Leave room for dessert and indulge in their amazing churros.
Humar
This was the very first place we went to in Oaxaca, as I was in desperate need of a seafood fix, and it was touted as the best place to chase down cooked marine critters. The upstairs terrace, with its gentle breeze, was the perfect place to get to know the vibrant town of Oaxaca. Friendly staff wearing big smiles greet the patrons. Humar was one place we didn’t have to spend much time using the translation app on our mobiles. It has remained one of my favourite restaurants throughout four weeks of Mexico shenanigans. The menu is a smorgasbord of locally sourced ingredients and innovative takes on classic dishes such as smoky grilled meats, inventive vegetarian options, and seafood prepared with local techniques (think aquachile, shrimp ceviche, tuna tostada, fish or octopus tacos). The staff are knowledgeable about the history and significance of each dish, often sharing stories that deepen diners’ appreciation for Oaxaca’s rich culinary traditions. The wine list, expertly paired with the dishes, features local mezcal, unique cocktails, regional wines, and craft beers. Humar is a fantastic venue for a leisurely long lunch.
Gail Palethorpe, a self proclaimed Australian gypsy, is a freelance writer, photographer and eternal traveller. Check out her website Gail Palethorpe Photography and her Shutterstock profile.
