When deciding where to eat for a special birthday dinner in Guadalajara, a few options continuously presented themselves in my internet searches:
Alcalde, which consistently earns a spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list. It, like the meal we ate at Pujol several years ago, seemed to be the obvious choice for a celebration meal. But just because it was the obvious choice didn’t necessarily mean it was the right one – especially as my dining preferences have changed from the traditional fine-dining experience to a more approachable and relaxed meal. So that was a no from me – at least, not this time.
Then there’s Hueso, the place where any blogger who is anybody seems to eat. If you don’t know Spanish, “hueso” means bone – and the restaurant decor includes hundreds of bones (check it out, if you don’t believe me). I’m typically wary of anything that feels remotely gimmicky and places that are popular for being popular, so this was a no from me as well.
And finally, Xokol. This tiny restaurant in the Santa Teresita neighborhood popped up much less frequently, although it has clearly made its mark. The chefs focus on using native corn varieties in their dishes, as well as traditional techniques, to create a striking array of modern and ancestral dishes. Diners are primarily seated at a communal table, and the kitchen is in full view. Bingo.
We made a reservation a few weeks before our trip and looked forward to the meal immensely, even though we couldn’t find that much information on the web about what to expect in terms of the menu. Still, we watched an episode of a PBS show, which demonstrated the chefs’ shared passion for local and indigenous ingredients, and felt pleased with our choice.
We arrived on time for our 8 p.m. seating and were seated at the end of the communal table soon after. Little did we know these were the best seats in the house; the kitchen runs quite hot, and being closest to the outside is a huge help for staying cool.
Our first introduction to heirloom corn at Xokol was in the form of a gift. We were presented with a traditional corn water and a gorgeous blue corn tortilla to pair with a smoky salsa. It was wonderful, and I feel like I could have only eaten that and felt satisfied with my meal. However, there was more to come, and we had the task of sorting out our menu for the evening.
With the exception of groups larger than eight dining after 8 p.m. who receive a set menu, Xokol only offers an a la carte menu – a fact I missed when reading up on the dining experience. Michael and I studied the menu carefully, picking out Spanish words we recognized, and tripping over Nahuatl words like Huauhquiltamalcualiztli and Cacahuazintle. Thankfully, our server saw how lost we were and Chef Xrysw Ruelas came to our rescue, patiently describing each dish on the menu. We were tempted by many, but settled on four dishes to start, as well as a local beer and tepache, a delicious fermented pineapple beverage.
The dishes arrived sporadically, which I appreciated as it gave us time to enjoy each one before moving on to the next:
The first item to arrive was the taco ceremonial mazahua – a ceremonial taco from an indigenous peoples group. This taco was filled with slightly-bitter greens and black beans, and marked with an “ink” design made from grana cochinilla fina – an insect used to create carmine dye. Although beautiful in story and appearance, this was perhaps the most underwhelming dish of the night; I’d have loved just a hint of acidity to make the filling sing.
It was impossible to miss out on this Mexican take on the popular Italian cheese. Rather than a combination of mozzarella, stracciatella, and cream, the burrata at Xokol is made from Oaxacan-style panela cheese, fresh panela cheese, and aged cotija along with a tangy kefir. The finished cheese was topped with tomatoes and paired with mini tostadas for serving. It was a bit challenging to eat – there was way more cheese than tostadas, making for the most decadent bites – but otherwise, this dish is best described as cheese heaven.
My personal favorite dish of the night, the tostada raspada, is based on a traditional method of making tostadas in the region. A tortilla is made, cooked on one side, and then quickly removed. The uncooked side is scraped off using a metate, and the remainder is left to dry for several days before finally being fried. The resulting ultra-thin, ultra-crispy tostada at Xokol was topped with a smoky chili paste, creamy guacamole, ultra-fresh fish, beautiful tomatoes, and spicy herbs. It was like tasting the earth, the sea, and fire all at the same time.
I could have predicted the tetela rellena would be Michael’s favorite dish of the night – the triangle-shaped masa stuffed with beans, cheese, and sausage is a huge upgrade to some of our weeknight meals like sopes and quesadillas using similar ingredients. This dish was also probably our most concentrated masa dish of the night and allowed us to truly appreciate the nixtamalized corn.
And never too full for dessert, I was torn between two equally enticing sweets – and as it was my birthday, I made the executive decision to order both:
The flavors and textures of the corn and milk dessert (served in a tiny bowl!), were spot on. I loved the corn and coconut combination, and the popcorn was like a fun treasure buried beneath the surface. I’d happily eat this dessert every evening. As for the sorbet, fruit is almost half of the reason I like to travel to Mexico (kidding, kind of), and the combination of passionfruit and plum in a sorbet was intriguing. If the corn dessert was a sweet, soft pillow, then this sorbet was a lip-smacking wake-up call.
—
Sounds like the food was amazing – what about the rest of it, like the experience of it? And *whispers* how much did it cost?
Well, I think largely due to the switch-up in service, we experienced just a couple of hiccups during our meal: there ended up being a 45+ minute mid-meal gap between courses, so we weren’t able to order a second beverage as we would have liked as no one made their way to us. And with two main dishes remaining, my silverware was collected with the promise of replacing twice, but never returned – so Michael and I took turns using his utensils. Overall, I far prefer a more hands-off dining experience to a hovering server, and I’d take this experience over constant interruptions any day. Another thing to note, the restaurant is tiny, and diners are seated in very close proximity at the shared table (and it’s quite a squeeze to get in and out of your seat). Xokol has a time limit on their reservations, and guests have a maximum dining time of an hour and forty-five minutes. It must have approached the end of our seating time, as the party next to us arrived for their reservation and there wasn’t room for one member of their group. We had already requested our check, but the restaurant was experiencing technical difficulties with their payment system, so we all sat a bit cramped until we could pay and leave. These experiences were not enough to sour our meal and likely just a result of a busy evening, but I always like to share my honest feedback with you.
Our total for our meal for two at Xokol, including a 20% tip, was $58.30 USD (unfortunately someone didn’t keep the itemized receipt for the actual total in MXN, but it would be somewhere around 1200 MXN). Not inexpensive by any means, but much more affordable than an on-par meal in any other large city. I’m grateful that the chefs at Xokol are not only resurrecting ingredients that are at risk of extinction but doing so in a more accessible way.
Enjoyed this post? You may also enjoy:
- Guadalajara Food Guide
- Day Trip from Guadalajara to Tequila
- Guadalajara Travel Guide
- Guadalajara Packing List
- Visiting Guadalajara During Semana Santa
- Dining at Pujol
- Mexico City Food Guide 1
- Mexico City Food Guide 2
- Five Days in Mexico City
- Three Days in Mexico City Packing List
- Five Days in Mexico City Packing List
- Five Days in Puerto Vallarta
Have you heard of some of these dishes or ingredients before? Or are they new to you too?
FYI- my husband’s family is from GDL and Hueso is as delicious as it is beautiful. Worth a try if you are in the area!