The openings we loved in 2021

Some may think of lockdown as incapacitating, a creative stifler, a saw of freedom. It’s a reality: for some chefs and restaurateurs, 2021 meant the end of businesses that we still miss. For others, the year that is dying involved rethinking concepts and recipes to survive, endure, and offer something fresh to Mexico City. The days of stubborn menus with eighteen courses may be fading away. Today, restaurants are focused on honest cooking aimed at satisfying cravings through the best available ingredients. Because if one is going to risk it all and put their digestion in someone else’s hands, it better be worth it. This past year, several things happened in the restaurant scene in the capital. The streets were filled with great hamburgers –thank God–; we had the Taco Tuesday boom and, above all, seafood restaurants and kitchens opened, bringing us closer to the scents of the coast. For example, the restaurant that many claim deserves the laurels of the year opened. Fernanda Balmaceda, the deputy editor, highlights the opening of Mi Compa Chava by chef Salvador Orozco (a.k.a Gallo Orozco). This chef has specialized in seafood with the goal of defending the work done by Mexican fishermen in the Pacific. After a distinguished career at Grupo Bull & Thank, alongside Daniel Ovadía, Salvador decided to launch his seafood cart in Sinaloa style as a takeout and delivery scheme during the pandemic. It wasn’t until 2021 that Chava opened the doors to a full-fledged restaurant in the Roma neighborhood, offering the best products from Mexican seas.  “Mi Compa Chava has skyrocketed to fame for incredible dishes such as Señora Torres, a tower of seafood with yellowfin tuna from Zihuatanejo; octopus from Campeche, raw and cooked shrimp from Sinaloa, and scallops from Sonora bathed in a mix of lime, morita chili, and roasted tomatoes, and the unmissable ceviche Tripón, with bass scallops, scallops, raw and cooked shrimp, octopus, serrano chili, lime, cilantro, chiltepín chili, black pepper, and Clamato,” recommends Fernanda. Another one we love is Marea from our favorite chef Lula Martín del Campo, from whose recipes we highlight those you can see here if you are a KiwiPro subscriber, or Costela, from Top Chef Alexander Suastegui. Her spot in the Cuauhtémoc neighborhood specializes in the cuisine of Tijuana, from Baja. The surf and turf roam through every stop on the menu. There are shaved oysters and sierra ceviche to her spectacular tongue taco with barbacoa or her birria sandwich. “The city had been missing those layers of contrasting flavors and fun textures created by Chef Suastegui. For me, this was one of the most anticipated openings after the closure of Lucas Local a few years ago,” confirms Shadia Asencio, editorial director of Kiwilimón.  The opening of the two branches of Con Vista al Mar, by chef Irak Roaro, also makes the list, who may have had the best year or at least one of the most prolific (shortly after opening the second branch in Roma, he opened Casa Olympia in the outskirts of Polanquito). At Con Vista al Mar, you go to eat little tacos and fresh ceviches served on plastic plates, aluminum tables, and accompanied by well-chilled beers. The taco “I Know the Chef” and the taco “Chilango” have even made us order to go. Here, you shouldn’t miss the dessert: a flan like the ones grandma used to make, with an unmatched texture. Now let’s talk about hamburgers. This year saw wonderful proposals open, such as those from Cencerro or Margarita Burguer, but Shadia Asencio’s favorites are hidden in the short and robust menu of Londres 207. Hidden in the menu of this gastropub in the Juárez neighborhood are the wagyu sliders with Roquefort cheese nestled in homemade brioche bread. And if we are talking about tacos and Taco Tuesday, we couldn’t miss mentioning Cariñito Tacos. Sofía Danis, editor of Kiwilimón Recipes, recommends this unique taco bar with a strong Southeast Asian influence. The exotic taquería offers five options, including a succulent confit pork belly, the Cantonese, the Isaan, the Thai, in addition to an unmissable vegetarian option (Laos eggplant). Here, each taco is dressed with different salsas and topped with various herbs to achieve a perfect balance of sour, sweet, and savory flavors in every bite. Besides Boing, Topo Chico, and beers, Cariñito has a modest selection of wines and even kombucha to pair with your tacos. Although the partners of Cariñito conceived this project last year, they couldn’t open to the public until March due to pandemic restrictions. Coincidentally, the concept of this taquería seems to have been designed for the new normal, as the taco bar is outdoors, there are no seats, and the payment method is cashless.   “You can’t miss the new addition to the menu, the captivating taco criollo: a fried pork belly taco seasoned with a delicious Peruvian chili sauce and a rich criollo sauce made with red onion, habanero, and cilantro, and topped with crispy sweet potato chips. It’s not seafood nor is it tacos, but Gretel Morales, web writer, wants to highlight Yella, the new gastronomic proposal from chef Ricardo Verdejo, who a few months ago was behind Flavo Flavo –one of the twelve best restaurants born during the COVID-19 pandemic according to The World’s 50 Best–. A couple of months ago, after the closure of Flavo Flavo, Verdejo announced the creation of Yella, a project that will materialize in a series of pop-ups in Mexico and abroad. So far, the Chilean chef has taken his incredible creations to Mexico City, New York, Bogotá, and London. “This 2022, I hope to try the papaya roll, asparagus, fried leek, and citrus vinaigrette again, a complex dish that combines unexpected flavors that explode on the palate. Another must-try is the panna cotta with plums and green almonds,” Gretel tells us.  2022 is coming soon, and let’s hope that, in addition to what we have already ordered, the new year brings us love on many plates and an abundance of good openings in Mexico City. Let’s keep supporting local businesses!