Eating at the Michelin-starred Mexican taco bar: an incredible experience

A tiny taco bar with a Michelin star—you don’t hear that very often. And yet, it exists. In Mexico City, the tiny taco bar El Califa de León has received a Michelin star. Remarkable, because Michelin-starred restaurants are usually lavish establishments with white tablecloths and elegant tableware. This Mexican taco bar (taqueria) doesn’t bother with that kind of fuss. Here, it’s simplicity that triumphs. Esther braved the queue for a Michelin-worthy taco. ‘An incredible experience.’

For Mexicans, tacos are a gift from the gods. Tacos are also eaten all day long. The structure of a taco is simple; all you need is a tortilla, filling and toppings. And for that perfect combination, you go to the tiny taco bar El Califa de León—they’ve been around since 1968.

Michelin-starred taco bar

For a Michelin-worthy taco, you’ll need a little patience. The wait in the afternoon is around two hours—and in the blazing sun, too—so arrive on time. Tip: the taqueria opens at eleven o’clock; come before opening time and there’s a good chance you’ll have a Michelin-worthy taco in hand at ten past eleven.

Soak up the atmosphere

Although you can vary a taco’s filling endlessly, ‘the more choice, the better’ doesn’t apply here. There are only four dishes to choose from. Besides tasting a Michelin-worthy taco, soaking up the atmosphere is great fun too. Esther: ‘It’s all very simple, but that makes it even more fun! You simply eat your taco on the street, from a plastic plate. Or, if you’re lucky, at a standing table in the taqueria. It’s a really lovely experience.’

Gaonera taco

Head chef Arturo Rivera Martínez of El Califa de León knows how popular his tacos are, but a Michelin star?! He simply makes beautiful, honest, straightforward products. The secret is simplicity. The taco consists of a tortilla topped with red or green sauce. And wonderfully tasty meat: a filling of steak, pork chop, beef rib or tenderloin. And it’s the latter in particular—the Gaonera taco—that Michelin has praised.

“Thinly sliced tenderloin is expertly cooked to order, seasoned with nothing but salt and a squeeze of lime. The resulting combination is elemental and pure. With meat and tortillas of this caliber, the duo of house-made salsas is hardly necessary.” —according to Michelin.

Almost 5 dollars

You pay almost 5 dollars for a taco. More expensive than the average taco you can buy in Mexico City, but those don’t have a Michelin star either. El Califa de León is the only taco bar on the list of Mexican Michelin-starred restaurants. At the other 15 restaurants with one Michelin star, you won’t be eating from plastic plates, and you’ll pay much more than 5 dollars. An experience too, but this really is unique.

Also read:

• Real life: Jacky’s husband cheated on her, so she took revenge with this dish
• At Oaxaca, you can eat authentic Mexican cuisine (with ants, if you dare)
• 7 Mexican dishes they don’t eat in Mexico at all

Source: mexiconewsdaily. Thanks to Esther van Deuren and her KLM crew on the flight to Mexico