When I was in Oaxaca in April, I visited Olvera’s restaurant, Criollo. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed with it.  However, having a weakness for tacos, and wanting to see what a world class restaurant was like, I made reservations for Pujol’s 1:30 pm taco omakase.  The reservations, made about a month in advance online, required a credit card number for a “guarantee” (in case I cancel..).

Location of Pujol

Pujol is in the Polanco neighborhood of Mexico City, on a side street (Tennyson) off of Masaryk.  It was a nice walk down the shopping street, Masaryk, where LV, Gucci, Ferragamo and Starbucks are.  I walked to Pujol from a morning visit to the Museo Nacional de Antropología, which was a nice 20-30 minute walk away, if you didn’t keep walking in circles like I did that day…  But I digress.

Nestled on an unassuming street, you may not notice the entrance to the restaurant.

Arrival to Pujol Mexico City

Once inside, they seated everyone with the 1:30 pm taco omakase at the bar.  Each course comes paired with a drink.  The price is the same with or without the pairing.  I’m not a big alcoholic beverage drinker, so as the post and the courses continue, you’ll see how my drinks fared.

Also, before I begin, a big shout out and thank you to Mike, the electrician from Houston, who was my taco tasting companion and source of conversation during the meal. 

2022 update: Mike, the electrician from Houston, googled Pujol in Mexico City and found my blog! He emailed to say hello and that he found my post. Got to love the power of the internet!

Without further ado… the Pujol 8-course Taco Omakase.

1. Street Snacks

For local Mexican diners, the baby corn came with the husk intact, and the Mexicans next to me ate the husk. I didn’t realize it was edible! For us foreigners, the husk is peeled back and we only eat the corn.

Before we move on from the street snacks amuse bouche… The little blue corn puff…  For those of you unfamiliar with escamol (the white toppings on the blue puff), it is a Mexican delicacy.  Some people may be squeamish about it, but escamol is the edible larvae and pupae of ants.  Yes, that’s right.  Ant eggs.  Before you say anything… let me just say one word.  DELICIOUS!!!!  Don’t knock it til you try it!

2. Uni, Beans Tetela

Inside the tetela was black beans. Served with a uni (sea urchin) pico de gallo.  The uni pico de gallo was AMAZING, both on the tetela and on its own.  My favorite course!!

For those of you new to my blog, I was particularly pleased at the uni dish being so delicious.  To find out why, see my other post about sea urchins, here.

Drink Check:

New addition: Atolli, Mexican Pale Ale.  Made from corn.  2 courses, 2 drinks.

3. Eggplant Taco, Hoja Santa, Humus, Shisho

I spy a new drink – white wine.

4. Amberjack Taco, Avocado, Seaweed

(served with Mexican sake)

5. Scallop Tostada

(Dressed with lemon, sesame oil, and served with tequila)

Thinly sliced raw scallops lined the crispy tortilla, resulting in a delightfully fresh and crisp tostada.  I’ve never had scallops or a tostada like this!!

More than half way through – let’s keep going on this taco omakase!

6. Seabass Taco al Pastor

7. Softshell Crab Taco, Cucumber, Shiso

I love soft shell crab and shiso peppers!!  And the combination in a taco was amazing!!  So delicious.  Definitely my second favorite course!

Drink Check:

From L to R, drinks for courses 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3.  Water on the very right.  In here there is: tequila, mezcal, sake, rose wine, another beer and white wine.  You can mostly guess which is which. However, since the liquors are all kinda clear colored, I kind of forgot.  You’ll forgive me though.

8. Enmolada, Hoja Santa Tortilla

And now, for Pujol’s famous Mole Madre, aged 1681 days, or almost 5 years!!  The flavor is much richer and tangier than the normal mole.  I’m not a huge fan of mole in general, so this one wasn’t spectacular to me.  It’s definitely unique, I’ll say that!  From the NY Times’ T Magazine,

“Pujol’s mole madre is a contemporary version of [celebratory dishes]. Our own paste is reheated twice a day and is ‘fed’ with new mole whenever we are down to 10 liters. This Solera system gives us a mole that is exponentially more subtle and complex than your average mole. Additionally, since the mole is getting reheated through the months, ‘it has now been alive for more than 400 days’ the recipe adapts to seasonality and the ingredients change accordingly. It might have hazelnut or almond or macadamia or a mix of all three. The same is true for the tomatoes, the fruits, even the chiles.”

Since that review, the mole madre I tried had continued to age another 1,200 some days!

And with that nugget of information, the taco omakase finished on a high note of the legendary aged mole.

Dessert in the Garden

After, we were escorted out to the garden area for dessert.  Enormously tall trees, surrounded by lovely greenery, kept us company during dessert. Delightfully charming outdoor area to enjoy our desserts. However, it was uncovered… and I understand that Mexico City is known for their notorious but reliable 5 -7 pm heavy rain showers (according to locals).

9. Gaznate, Sake Kasu

From L to R: a plum, a cream roll, matcha green tea, and ice cream (i forgot the flavor) with ginger. In the upper right corner is the cloth napkin from our omakase, with a corn kernel pattern on it. They said we could keep it as a memento. Nice touch.

Even though the photo and description above goes L to R, we ate it R to L… They suggested it this way.  Although the plum was good, I was quite disappointed that it was the end.  Especially since I could have had the below pictured cream roll as the last delicious sweet taste in my mouth. But no.  I was good at following instructions.

But just as my disappointment couldn’t be any greater, the wait staff shuffled out one by one. With Beauty and the Beast’s “Be Our Guest” playing in my head, out came the real dessert.  You can see the beginnings of that in the background of my plum photo above.

And now, here is the real dessert.

The thinnest, lightest, most delicious fried churro I’ve ever had!!!  This was definitely the best way to end the taco tasting… if it truly ended with the plum, this review would have gone sour at the end.  But no!  PUJOL’S TACO OMAKASE.  AMAZING TIL THE END.

Parting Thoughts on Pujol’s Taco Omakase

I HIGHLY recommend trying Pujol’s Taco Omakase, if you:

1. want to eat at a world class restaurant
2. like tacos
3. want to try world class tacos
4. don’t mind dropping 2,998 Pesos | $160 USD for 8 tacos and 8 drinks
5. like having 8 different alcoholic beverages in one sitting (or if you don’t drink alcohol, if you like having 8 different non-alcoholic beverages in one sitting… btw, alcohol or not, the cost is still 2,998 Pesos)
6. are not afraid to eat ant larvae/pupae or sea urchins
7. want a souvenir (used by yourself) cloth napkin… (and finally)
8. don’t mind spending 1:30 pm to 4:30 pm eating lunch
9. WANT TO EAT AN AMAZING MEAL!

Restaurant Information

Pujol | map
Tennyson 133, Polanco
11550 Ciudad de México, CDMX, Mexico
Phone: +52 55 5545 4111
Reservations Required 
1:30 pm Taco Omakase 2,300 MXN | $115 USD
Prices, as of 20 April 2021

If using Uber, set the address to “133 Tennyson” (actual address), NOT “Pujol”, which will direct to their old location.

Need some help planning your foodie fun trip to Mexico City?

• Luxury hotel suggestions:
  • Hyatt Regency Polanco and JW Marriott Polanco are both within 10 minutes walking distance to Pujol!
  • Centrally located in the Reforma neighborhood, Hilton Mexico City Reforma and Mexico City Marriott Reforma Hotel are also fantastic options.
• More foodie adventure suggestions:
  • Check out the Must-Try Street Foods in Mexico City from Chef Denise, including all the favorites I had on this trip!
  • Instead of Pujol’s Taco Omakase, how about joining a Taco Crawl with a food critic?
  • Join Candelilla, Mexico City’s hidden supper club;
  • Experience a dinner exploring Mexico’s cuisine, from before and after Spanish colonization.

Please note that some products or referrals in this post are affiliate links (in green) and if you go through them to make a purchase or booking, I will earn a commission. I share these product and booking links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a purchase through these links.

Keep Pujol Taco Omakase on your radar for later?

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

Oaxaca is easily one of my favorite places in Mexico. But don’t get me wrong. It’s also great to get out of the city and see the surrounding areas. On my trip to Oaxaca in 2018, my friend and I decided to do a day trip to Mitla in order to see the sites and eat some more great food. And it actually turned out to be the best Oaxaca day trip we took!

We arranged to do a full day tour with our Airbnb host. Hiring private drivers to do this trip is relatively easy in Oaxaca. You can find someone in Centro to take you. Alternatively, the host at your hotel or lodging should be able to make arrangements for you.  We paid 250 Pesos per hour, exclusive of entrance fees.

Our tour included the following:

• Arbol del Tule – the oldest and widest tree in the world!
• Mitla – home of the Zapotec civilization,
• Hierve el Agua – a calcified “waterfall” in the mountains,
• and Mercado de Tlacolula – a market, known for its famous barbacoa, BBQ goat/sheep, markets on Sundays!

And let me just tell you – it was one of our best Oaxaca day trips of our time there!! But first, before we start the day trip to Mitla, we need to make sure our bellies are nice and full!

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1. Breakfast

Of course, we had to start off our day with a hearty meal. We left our Airbnb at 8:30 and arrived at Restaurant La Palapa de Raúl at 9 am, right when they opened for breakfast.

It’s on the way, so you might as well time it perfectly like our host did!

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2. Arbol del Tule (“the tree of Tule”)

And then we were off!  The first stop was the Arbol del Tule, which is arguably the oldest and widest tree in the world.  Some call it the “tree of life.” 

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Rumor has it, the tree is at least 1500 years old.  The diameter of Arbol del Tule is 14.05 meters (46.1 feet).  It sits in a closed off courtyard, along with the town’s church. Walk around the tree and you see animals spring to life. A lion and a crocodile are easily visible in the massive tree trunk.  Sadly, the tree is slowly dying. Pollution, water shortages, and the weight of the nearby road on its roots are the main detriments to the tree’s health.

Entry to the courtyard costs 10 Pesos.  Although you can see the tree without entering the courtyard, it’s worth it to pay if you really want to see the true beauty and nuances of the old tree.

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3. Hierve el Agua (“the water boils”)

From there, we headed into the mountains to Hierve el Agua. This is the view, as you ascend the mountains.

As you pass through small villages on your way, you pay two entrance fees –

• one at an earlier village for 10 Pesos per person,
• and one right outside of Hierve el Agua for 25 Pesos per person. 

There is a reason for the two entrance fees. There is only one road to Hierve el Agua, with two villages in succession before the entrance. The first village wanted to reap the benefits of increased tourism, since buses and vans pass through their village and degrading their roads, etc.  Hence, the double entrance fee was born and frankly, for a combined total of 35 Pesos | under $2 USD, it’s definitely worth it.

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Once you get in, there are two parts to this attraction.

1. A petrified, calcified formation (similar to stalactites or stalagmites) that looks like a cliffside waterfall,
2. Pools formed by mountain spring waters. 

There are two pools, one on an upper terrace, which is natural, and one on a lower terrace, which has spring water directed there. 

Bring your swimsuits, because you can swim or soak in these two pools. 

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To my confusion, these are not thermal baths. Although the water is pure and probably great for your skin, it is a gentle, cool bath.  There are changing rooms and relatively clean bathrooms avaialble for a few pesos.  At the baths, you’ll get a view of the petrified waterfall.  It’s a short hike uphill to get to the actual “waterfall”.  I didn’t go, but my friend did. She said there was another pool at the top.

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4. Roadside Mezcaleria

Leaving Hierve el Agua, we stopped by an artisan mezcaleria run by a small family.  This is the Mexico’s mezcal region, with large swaths of agave plants growing along the roads, up into the mountains. 

Mezcal is made with the core, or the “pineapple” or the agave plant.  The leaves are all cut off and the core is thrown into a fire pit to roast.  After roasting, the cores are flattened with its juices squeezed out by a patient donkey and attached to a stone wheel.  The donkey spends the whole day walking around in a circle, pausing, while the caretaker uses his pitchfork and adjusts the agave cores which are now turning into a pulp.  It’s then fermented and twice distilled, and then it’s ready for drinking! 

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After a little tasting, I bought a walnut-infused mezcal, for 70 Pesos | ~$4 USD.

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5.  Mitla – home of the Zapotecs

Then we headed to Mitla, one of the most important archaeological site for Zapotecs, operating as their main religious center and sacred burial site.  Tickets are around 70 Pesos, same as my mezcal purchase. 

There are three complex groupings that are currently open for visitation – the church group, the column group, and the arroyo group (I think). The three sites are within walking distance of each other, with a small market on the grounds as well. The buildings in Mitla are known for the intricate, interconnected stone work. 

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The name Mitla is a Hispanicized word meaning “place of rest” or “place of the dead.” While I don’t want to diminish the importance of Mitla as a religious center, the reason why Mitla is famous is because of the intricate and decorative mosiac fretwork that you see above. That type of design covers tombs, panels, and entire walls! None of the other Mesoamerican sites in Mexico have that kind of geometric designs! Not only that, but it is extremely well-preserved, considering it may have been inhabited as early as 900 BC!

Gorgeous, right? Now you know why the day trip to Mitla was a must!

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6. Tlacolula Market – Sunday barbacoa eats!

After Mitla, we had worked up an appetite. Since we hadn’t eaten anything since our breakfast hours earlier, it was time to hit the Tlacolula Market!

The Tlacolula Market is famous for it’s Sunday barbacoa.  Local families and restaurants will come out to this market on Sundays to buy barbacoa for their families or their restaurants.  Barbacoa is goat or sheep barbecue, served in a taco or in a soup.  DELICIOUS!  and worth timing out for the Sunday market.

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Parting Thoughts on the Day Trip to Mitla

All in all, this was an amazing and diverse day trip.  It is well worth taking the time to make arrangements.  The itinerary took us from 8:30 am to about 5:30 pm, and was a full day trip.  Granted, we took our time eating and walking around the markets and things.  I’d definitely consider it the best Oaxaca day trip you can take!

The cost we paid to our Airbnb host was about 2,250 Pesos (or a little over $100 USD), which was split between the two of us. Entrance fees for Arbor del Tule, Hierve el Agua, and Mitla added to 115 Pesos (approximately $6 USD), per person. Great for the budget conscious traveller!

For an added bonus, consider combining Teotitlan del Valle with this day trip. It is a small village known for its artisans and weavers. It is conveniently located along the way, and is included on the Google Map below. 

If you’re looking to join a tour instead, it will cost about $45 USD per person, on average. Either via tour or on your own, it’s definitely worth it, and like I said – the day trip to Mitla was one of the best Oaxaca day trips we took!

Please note that some products or referrals in this post are affiliate links (in green) and if you go through them to make a purchase or booking, I will earn a commission. I share these product and booking links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a purchase through these links.

 

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/

In total, I spent 5 full days here. With action packed days, it was enough to eat, see, and do almost everything. This time, I was so lucky to have a travel buddy and super planner with me, who took the reigns of planning and execution and I just toddled along for the ride. It was a welcome change for someone who has gone at it alone for, at least, the last 9 countries. So, thank you Stef for being a super researcher, patient translator, and great friend!

So without further ado, here is my list of how Oaxaca melted my heart.

1. Visit Oaxaca for the People

Without a doubt, a city is only as welcoming as their people and Oaxaca is filled with warm and kind people. Let me just give you a few examples, which I just find so heartwarming and delightful

• the guard at the stamp museum who showed us how to open each of the vintage post boxes,
• the server at TacoVilla who went through the whole menu to make sure we understood each item (and then gave us a complementary order of sopapillas at the end of our meal!),
• all of the lovely locals who always greeted us with a smile and a Buenos Dias (good day!) either on the streets or in a restaurant,
• and even making sure to ask if we were enjoying our food, even if they were customers themselves!!! They wanted to make sure we were enjoying ourselves in their great city!

2. Quality of Life, also related to the people

Some of my fondest memories of this trip involve how local Oaxacans take time to enjoy life. During the day, the Zocalo is a lively square near the center of town filled with street vendors, shoe shiners, and elotes. On a Friday night, there were musicians and people dancing to the music while others were just sitting or standing around enjoying the evening.

One night, we took an hour and a half bike ride around the city, through an organization called Mundo Ceiba. Even though it was a little confusing at check in and the start of the ride, the organizers did an amazing job corralling and leading at least a hundred people. It wasn’t a hundred tourists though. Mostly they were locals of all ages with their families, enjoying the evening and the city they call home.  

The route went outside of the city center (Centro) and made its way into the smaller neighborhoods. The organizers kept cars at bay (with people holding up traffic) and through a loudspeaker and music, kept everyone engaged and their spirits high. For 70 pesos (approximately $4 USD) per person, it was a great way to get to know the city.

Another night, we ran into a wedding in town, which included a large procession with puppets, music, and dancers.  It was wonderful to see and be a part of.  Also, a warm congratulations to Adriana and Omar, who had a beautiful wedding in town that week

3. Wonderful Places and Spaces in Town

Oaxaca is just an amazing town center, with lots of character and charm everywhere you turn.  Looking into doorways and windows were a favorite activity of mine, because you never know when you will stumble on an art gallery, modern art exhibit, or restaurant.

3.1 Ethnobotanical Garden – Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca

The Ethnobotanical Garden (Jardin Etnobotanico de Oaxaca) is a wonderful space in town, directly next to the main church. 

They offer English tours on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 11 am (2 hours) for 100 Pesos | $5.55 USD.  The tours give you an introduction to plants native to the area and a history of its domestication.  We were told that the tour usually sells out, and there are often people waiting in line before the garden opens at 11.  It’s true, there were people lined up, but the week we were there was an off week, and the town was unusually quiet.

3.2 Stamp Museum

Down the street from the garden, is the local stamp museum.  It’s very cute, and has a bigger and more interesting collection than you’d imagine.  It has a nice cafe and sitting area in the back and a cute gift shop in the front.  It’s free, so it’s worth a short stop on your way in or out of the gardens.

3.3 Amate Books

When roaming around town, you’re bound to come across Amate Books, which is a charming, local bookstore near the center.  So colorful and the decorations celebrate the indigenous local cultures.

3.4 Museum of Textiles

While walking around town, you’ll also come across the Museum of Textiles (free admission).  The museum is a charming space with rotating exhibitions of modern and traditional textiles, including textile-related art.  It closes at 8 pm, so there’s plenty of time to stop by.  There was a little. party going on when we stopped by one evening,

4. Visit Oaxaca for the Fun Day Trips!

We took two day trips out of the city, and they were both well worth it and easy to do!

4.1 Monte Alban

On the first trip, we went about half an hour outside of town to Monte Alban, which is a UNESCO heritage site known for its post-Classical archaeological ruins.  Monte Alban was built atop a mountain, with its architecture drawing inspiration from the hills and mountains.  It was the political and economic center for the Zapotecs.  Monte Alban is also featured on the back of a 20 Peso note.

We took a round trip bus from Oaxaca city to Monte Alban.  There were several providers, which could all be the same company.  The one we took was outside the Hotel Rivera del Angel, on Francisco Javier Mina (street), near the November 20 market.  The bus left Oaxaca on the half hours, in the morning, and returned from Monte Alban on the hour.  The journey takes about half and hour, winding up a mountain and through small villages.  The roundtrip ticket cost 55 Pesos |~$3 USD.  Alternatively, you could sign up and take a guided tour.

Please note that some products or referrals in this post are affiliate links (in green) and if you go through them to make a purchase or booking, I will earn a commission. I share these product and booking links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a purchase through these links.

Entrance into the site cost 70 Pesos, and tickets can be bought via credit card using a digital kiosk.  There is a small museum with some artifacts and history, in Spanish only, and a small cafe.  We spent between 2-3 hours here, which was plenty of time to walk through each station and to read the corresponding plaques, which gave information in Spanish, English, and Zapotec. 

But be aware, there is little shade and the distance between buildings and structures can be harsh under the midday sun.  There are locals selling hats and umbrellas outside the entrance, in case you forgot yours.

4.2 Mitla, and the surrounding areas

It’s possible to see a bunch of really interesting places with a day trip outside the city.  It’s not that far, distance wise, but the countryside is vastly different from town and is worth making arrangements to go.  From research, I understand that hiring a private driver is fairly normal and easy to do. Had our Airbnb host not offered to shuttle us around, we would have found our own.   

Our full day tour took us to Arbol del Tule, Mitla, Hierve el Agua, and Mercado de Tlacolula.  Visiting Teotitlan del Valle (a textile, artisan village) would have been possible as well, but we took our time with a long breakfast and an extra visit with an artisan mezcal producer. 

Read all about the day trip to Mitla and surrounding areas

5. Visit Oaxaca for the FOOD

I know I consider myself a food expert, but in reality, I just like eating it. And enjoying it! And boy did I enjoy eating food in Oaxaca!

My fellow blogging friend will do better at explaining all the Oaxaca Street Food we ate. Considering she is an expert chef, I won’t describe everything we ate in detail. But, I will say – the freshly made tortillas were amazing!  You could smell the corn as you took each bite. 

Everything was made with fresh tortillas of varying thicknesses, colors, and levels of softness or crispiness.  These tortillas were often accompanied by beans, cheese, guacamole, meat, mole, and other veggies.  The google map has each spot we ate at marked down.  The real winner was Itanoni, which is known for its corn and tortilla products.  A little bit outside of the center of town, IT WAS SO WORTH IT!

All the places we ate at are listed on the map at the bottom of the post! Try them all!

Parting Thoughts on Oaxaca

So even though this post is more pictures than words, there is just so much to love and to share about Oaxaca. There’s just too much, especially on the food front, to do a proper recap, but everything worth mentioning is included in the Google Map below. 

In short, Oaxaca is a magical place that will capture your heart and soul.  Throughout your whole stay, you’ll probably comment about 10 times a day how charming a place is, how lovely that place is, and what a wonderful quality of life they have there.  And then you’ll know – you’re hooked on Oaxaca too!

I hope I’ve given you a few reasons to visit Oaxaca or at least to put it on your radar for the future. It’s delightful, the people are warm and lovely, and it’s absolutely delicious!

Please note that some products or referrals in this post are affiliate links (in green) and if you go through them to make a purchase or booking, I will earn a commission. I share these product and booking links because they are related to the post and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours whether to click through and make a purchase through these links.

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Lannie

Lannie is a perpetual wanderer and loves to share her travel adventures and the food she eats along the way with everyone.  She works during the day while bouncing around the world and dreams about new places and faces at night!  She has a home on the magical Isle of Islay in Scotland, where the whisky flows freely and happily.

Click on the blue icons below to follow her on social media!

lanniesfoodandtravel.com/index.php/about-me/