5 Foods and Food Places in Mexico City
Mexico City has probably some of the best food choices I’ve seen since living in Latin America. Like any big metropolitan, this city has high competition among the different places to find food. So the quality is high. On top of that, there’s plenty of choices for what foods you can find.
When thinking of Mexico City, of course tacos and enchiladas will come up. But there’s so much more. There’s Indian, Japanese, Fusion, out of state foods, etc that fill up the buzzing metropolitan.
I’ve been in this country for a few months and have tried several restaurants here. Here’s a list of some of the foods I’ve had and loved.
Chile en Nogada
This dish is delicious. There is a sweetness to the dish, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s an eclectic flavor that combines two courses. Eating this as a main meal, felt like I was dipping a bit into dessert as well.
Chile en Nogada is a stuffed poblano pepper. Inside is a mix of spices, ground or shredded meat, and maybe fruits. On the outside, you’ll see an herbal garnish. And covering the poblano pepper are walnuts, pomegranates and the nogada.
The nogada is made with a walnut-based cream that also has a sweetness to it.
Around August and September, this dish becomes more common. The first time I was in Mexico was an earlier part of the year. I never noticed signs for Chile en Nogada. But now (August), it seems to be everywhere. After asking around, I’ve heard this is typically a seasonal dish served to commemorate Mexican Independence.
You’ll notice that the dish is symbolic to Mexico by the colors red, white and green from the pomegranate, nogada, and chile respectively. These colors are the same color as the Mexican flag.
Where: Boccado Prendes La Mexicana
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/DxPdb9ZnwEiHNeqC7
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boccadoprendesmx/?hl=en
Reservations: I didn’t need one when I went on a busy late afternoon.
Spicy Tuna and Salmon Roll
I had these sushi rolls at the same time I ordered Mexico City’s own Honey Boo beverage at Terraza Roma. This place has a great menu. The menu doesn’t specifically cater towards traditional Mexican dishes, but the quality is great.
If you want a light meal and fancy going out on a weekend, having a Spicy Tuna and Salmon Roll is a great way to start. I love sushi, and I loved this combo of fishes on the same roll.
After the light meal, you can expect the lights to dim down as the live DJ gets ready to play and wow the crowd.
Where: Terraza Roma
Google Maps: https://g.page/TerrazaRoma?share
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terrazaroma/
Reservations: Yes. Especially for weekends. Can be done via WhatsApp.
Huaraches
Ever had a quesadilla or a taco? By the looks of it, huaraches are more akin to quesadillas. But you eat it like a taco. First, you fold it in half and as you take a bite of one side, you try to not let the ingredients fall out on the other end.
The exterior is a tougher shell than a normal taco though. It has a crunch, but also a chewiness to it. Masa is what the flour base is made of which allows for this particular texture.
Refried beans are spread on the base of the tortilla, followed by meat, vegetables, cheese and other spices. This is a great street food Mexico City has. You can find huaraches everywhere there’s a busy sidewalk.
Cost: $40 MXN Pesos or ~$2 USD
Where: Cuauthtémoc, Roma Sur, Near Woolworth
Reservations: None. This is street food.
Blackberry in White Chocolate Tart
This is another food that’s not quite traditional to Mexico City, but it’s still delicious.
Torta in English directly translates to pie. But in English, this would be more aptly named a tart.
One of my favorite things to do in Mexico City is finding cafes. It’s one of my favorite places to write, and there’s so many cafes here in Mexico. I’ve recently moved from an AirBnB in Santa Fe. So this Mexico City cafe is located a block away from my new AirBnB in Roma Norte.
This tart was delicious. It was very complimentary to my non-caffeinated midafternoon drink: a yummy hot chocolate.
Where: https://goo.gl/maps/T38STZdM2Lf24CDG7
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tcblaroma/?hl=en
Reservations: None needed
Taco Peking (Vegan)
This is one of my favorite restaurants I’ve been to. I’m not a vegan, but this restaurant made me think otherwise. The food was absolutely delicious.
The ambiance of the place is also nice. It had a semi-asian exotic vibe inside the restaurant. Music was great as well, it had a hint of a house or trance feel to it which perfectly matched the dimly lit environment.
Okay now onto the food. Taco Peking is a completely vegan dish. I tried it, but didn’t know exactly what it was. My first thought was wow, this barbecue dish has a lot of flavor, and I like it. I then asked my friend what it was. Turns out, the main portion is made of mushrooms and tempe.
If you want to try a vegan restaurant in Mexico City, this is one of the best.
Where: https://g.page/Plantasiacafe?share
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantasiacafe/?hl=en
Menu: https://www.plantasia.cafe/menu
Reservations: I went on a Tuesday night and it was busy. But I didn’t need a reservation.
