I Tried Every Famous Mexican Food

[00:00] Everyone loves Mexican food.

[00:01] Tacos al pastor, burritos, quesadillas.

[00:04] Except what if that was just scratching

[00:08] most diverse cuisine on planet Earth?

[00:10] What if the best is something

[00:13] So I'm traveling all across Mexico—north,

[00:16] and south—to find the best

[00:19] The world thinks they know Mexican food,

[00:21] but we're about to open up the

[00:24] been missing out on all along.

[00:26] And it all starts in Oaxaca.

[00:27] If you could find where

[00:30] you'd probably be looking

[00:32] here.

[00:34] Arguably one of the most insane

[00:38] I'm so hyped!!

[00:39] They got grills lined all the

[00:42] Charcoal grills.

[00:44] This is basically like an

[00:46] Grill your own adventure.

[00:47] It's a happy place.

[00:48] This is my happy place.

[00:50] I say it first.

[00:50] Joining me yet again is the greatest

[00:54] my friend Gaby.

[00:55] And she's enlisted Oaxaca

[00:58] So let the adventure begin.

[01:00] Mira, ¡qué linda es ella!

[01:02] Suadero.

[01:03] Yes.

[01:04] And after we got our meats,

[01:07] This is fat I think she's

[01:09] And look how quickly it renders.

[01:10] Now she's essentially

[01:13] kissing it with melted beef tallow.

[01:15] This puts Korean barbecue to shame.

[01:17] After watching the master at work,

[01:20] I didn't know I was gonna be cooking.

[01:22] She really cares about

[01:25] While I was cooking,

[01:27] still hot from the griddle tortillas to

[01:31] You put the meat down and the

[01:34] This is so smart because instead

[01:36] you get this slowly rendered beef

[01:39] and you just kind of brush it.

[01:40] You're treating the chunk

[01:43] Those beautiful peppers over

[01:46] agua from the state of Oaxaca.

[01:48] Nowhere else you find them.

[01:50] We'll have a touch of incredible

[01:53] to find anywhere else.

[01:54] And after Gaby threw on

[01:56] we had our final plate.

[01:58] I don't know if we made

[02:00] We have here a bunch of

[02:03] chorizo, suadero over there.

[02:05] We have some guacamole, aguacates,

[02:09] Oh.

[02:11] There wasn't a single

[02:14] You tear some tortilla,

[02:15] and then you assemble

[02:17] I was in a state of bliss.

[02:19] But how did the exclusive

[02:21] Chile de agua.

[02:23] Not too spicy, but what I love about it,

[02:26] Like,

[02:27] one of the most flavorful

[02:28] Take a little bite of that.

[02:30] Magic.

[02:31] What makes it super incredible

[02:34] It makes it a community...

[02:35] so we can meet people, and then,

[02:39] You do feel the communal aspect.

[02:41] Everybody's selling something different.

[02:42] Oh, I want a little bit of this.

[02:43] I want a little bit of that.

[02:44] You can create, essentially,

[02:46] a chef's tasting menu

[02:48] vegetables, salsas,

[02:51] right here,

[02:52] picked fresh the moment

[02:54] The experience alone is a 10 out of 10.

[02:56] The food is so fresh, it's so delicious.

[02:58] You're going to walk away feeling good,

[03:01] Absolutely.

[03:03] Oaxaca is known for the

[03:05] and this iconic Mexican

[03:07] So according to Gaby,

[03:08] there is no one place with the singular

[03:12] and frankly,

[03:13] it's all kind of up to

[03:15] I tried all seven of them at a

[03:18] I'll call a crash course...

[03:20] And while they were all tasty,

[03:22] it's kind of difficult to pick a

[03:25] completely different applications,

[03:27] but also more specifically,

[03:30] Up next,

[03:33] La Teca.

[03:35] coastal Oaxacan food.

[03:36] I'm very excited because I'm

[03:39] Deyanira Aquino, known as La Teca.

[03:41] We call Teca to all the women that

[03:45] So this is a strong, beautiful woman,

[03:47] She's bringing all the

[03:51] and she will cook as her mother

[03:55] I'm excited.

[03:58] This is heaven.

[03:59] That was completely unexpected.

[04:00] This is the best chile

[04:01] This is my favorite chile

[04:03] Chile relleno is essentially

[04:06] but oftentimes I feel it's misconstrued.

[04:08] People just kind of stuff whatever in it,

[04:11] And then the inside has this tender meat,

[04:15] like, toasted nuts and olives.

[04:16] It's briny, it's sweet,

[04:18] It's like kind of everything in one bite.

[04:20] All in a nice little satchel.

[04:22] Garnacha.

[04:23] Garnacha?

[04:24] That's a good reaction.

[04:26] You cannot try it anywhere else.

[04:27] This is what makes Oaxaca

[04:30] The quality of the corn and the technique

[04:34] more than anything else.

[04:35] You're down here with a

[04:37] Then you have your first fresh one you're,

[04:40] But then you go to Oaxaca and you see

[04:43] way up here, dude.

[04:45] The topping is delicious as well.

[04:47] I love the grated cheese.

[04:48] It's almost like the Oaxacan

[04:51] It's delicious.

[04:52] Two great bangers at the gate,

[04:54] in front of us.

[04:55] But what stopped me in

[04:57] We had the seven moles,

[05:00] She just brought it out,

[05:03] I was like, okay,

[05:05] It is absurd.

[05:06] It's so rich.

[05:07] It's like,

[05:10] The texture is, like, smooth.

[05:11] It's a little fatty.

[05:12] It's got a sweetness to it as well.

[05:14] It's deep of, like,

[05:18] this dark chocolate,

[05:22] It turned the pork into...

[05:23] a Michelin-star bite.

[05:25] I mean, this is...

[05:26] like a transformative sauce,

[05:28] and that is a perfect example

[05:31] My brain is opening up to the idea that

[05:35] I mean, if that's where we're at now,

[05:39] Moving on.

[05:41] but now it's time to hit the Michelin

[05:45] where the whole M.O.

[05:46] is to create all their foods

[05:49] Instead of using granulated sugar,

[05:53] on site in front of your eyes.

[05:55] We did a simple four-course.

[05:57] And like everything else Gaby

[06:00] it was...

[06:01] and it turns out the food is inspired

[06:05] So jokingly, I asked,

[06:08] And, well,

[06:11] And you know,

[06:12] cooking runs in the family because

[06:14] restaurant out of her home.

[06:16] And it's a beautifully short menu.

[06:18] But here's the thing.

[06:19] They have no restaurant cooktop.

[06:20] It's just two bricks,

[06:23] and a massive stone comal.

[06:24] Something tells me this

[06:27] So Tia Elvia took our menus and said,

[06:29] I was born ready.

[06:30] First off,

[06:33] handmade, freshly ground corn tortilla.

[06:37] it had me concerned that it

[06:40] The salsa is incredible.

[06:41] Better than any bullshit breakfast

[06:45] Austin or everywhere else.

[06:47] insane.

[06:48] The fragrance of the corn

[06:50] They actually seasoned it properly.

[06:52] And then that, like,

[06:54] I don't want anything else at all.

[06:57] But also, this salsa is incredible.

[06:59] Next up, Tia's original mole recipe.

[07:02] That's absurd.

[07:04] I think this is my favorite mole I've had.

[07:06] It coats your palate

[07:08] I taste the intensity of the mole.

[07:10] I taste the salty sort of

[07:12] And of course,

[07:14] beautiful corn.

[07:16] Okay, what's next?

[07:18] I'm already tapped in.

[07:20] A perfect corn tortilla topped

[07:24] Oh.

[07:26] That is incredibly good.

[07:28] Another chile relleno taco.

[07:30] Jesus Gaby.

[07:31] Even chilaquiles.

[07:33] This is absurd.

[07:34] One of the best chilaquiles I've ever had.

[07:36] And last of all,

[07:38] Costilla frita,

[07:43] This is...

[07:45] 10 out of 10, no changes.

[07:48] How often do I say that?

[07:49] That bite was easily the

[07:52] And this is like a pinnacle example

[07:56] not just of Oaxaca, but of Mexico.

[07:58] It's like an attention to

[08:00] And it feels like we're experiencing

[08:03] meant to be experienced.

[08:04] Very, very traditional.

[08:05] We're literally in her home,

[08:07] She's not even cooking with

[08:09] It's like wood-fired everything.

[08:10] She's making this as hard as possible.

[08:12] She has every reason

[08:14] and she's fucking nailing it

[08:17] I mean, it's fucking insane.

[08:18] So we're in search of the best

[08:21] and I almost feel like at this point,

[08:24] How do we keep going

[08:26] Really good local ingredients

[08:29] Is the food just being cooked

[08:32] greatest Mexican food in the world?

[08:34] Only one way to find out.

[08:35] Our final destination of

[08:38] There's so much to say

[08:40] It's arguably the most influential

[08:44] Many many,

[08:45] many restaurants have been

[08:47] We're here to try everything.

[08:49] Just get the last final strong

[08:52] We were presented with a

[08:56] a chile de agua filled with ceviche,

[09:00] an insect tostada with

[09:02] But the best bite surprised even me.

[09:05] That's the best tomato salad

[09:07] It's fucking insane.

[09:08] I feel wrong saying this,

[09:11] this simple little tomato

[09:13] It's so balanced,

[09:16] the unbelievable produce of Oaxaca.

[09:18] So you got mini tomatillos,

[09:22] and this black sapote.

[09:24] I'm not a huge tomato salad guy,

[09:26] and this is my favorite dish

[09:29] Oh, margarita time.

[09:31] Mezcalita time.

[09:34] I do not know how anything will top

[09:38] In fact,

[09:39] the spots we've been going

[09:41] I started saving every

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[10:02] So if you're traveling anytime soon,

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[10:09] The link's in the description.

[10:10] Now, on to the next stop.

[10:11] Of course I love Oaxaca,

[10:12] but everyone talks about really two

[10:15] Oaxaca and Mexico City.

[10:17] Those are the best

[10:18] right?

[10:19] What if there was a hidden gem that

[10:23] I have no expectations,

[10:26] Los Mochis in Sinaloa.

[10:27] I had never even heard of this

[10:31] who's from there, told me.

[10:33] I think it's the best trip.

[10:36] I love you.

[10:36] Luis, I love you too.

[10:37] We've got restaurants

[10:40] supposedly the greatest

[10:43] and more styles of aguachile

[10:45] Turns out we might not be

[10:48] but a damn near seafood mecca.

[10:49] But then Gaby surprised me again,

[10:51] proving there's even more to

[10:55] So we're in Burritos Beli.

[10:57] Los number one.

[10:58] Los number one in Los Mochis, but around.

[11:01] This is an amazing experience.

[11:03] Since you're watching how

[11:05] this is an expertise that

[11:08] Like, in this region,

[11:09] the elasticity is very

[11:11] and this is the perfect

[11:14] They're basically rolling every tortilla,

[11:17] immediately stuffing it,

[11:19] This might be the fastest burrito

[11:22] So there's so much fat in the tortilla

[11:25] in the final dough.

[11:26] That's a good thing.

[11:27] That's a good sign.

[11:29] You can see the filling from the outside.

[11:31] We have three here.

[11:32] This one is the potato.

[11:34] This one, I think, is the barbacoa.

[11:36] The chicharron.

[11:38] Oh, my God.

[11:39] Insane.

[11:43] First of all, the tortilla is so tender,

[11:45] melts in your mouth.

[11:46] And it's buttery, too.

[11:47] It has, like, a buttery quality to it.

[11:49] But the filling, this is my big thing.

[11:51] It is seasoned perfectly to

[11:55] The porky flavor comes through.

[11:56] They're kind of frying it in its own fat

[11:59] crunch from the exterior of the meat,

[12:02] That fatty,

[12:03] sort of gelatinous chicharron

[12:05] It's chewy.

[12:07] This is probably the best

[12:09] It doesn't need anything else.

[12:10] There's no rice in it.

[12:11] There's no cheese in it.

[12:12] There's not, like,

[12:15] It's just literally tortilla, bean,

[12:18] Next up, barbacoa.

[12:20] He's burrito drunk.

[12:23] What am I doing wrong?

[12:24] The meat is incredible.

[12:26] Even this sort of, like,

[12:29] the second you chew, it just,

[12:31] These are things that are made every day.

[12:33] They're lifted up by the culture.

[12:35] But if you were to go somewhere in, like,

[12:38] everyone would be like, oh,

[12:41] These guys are doing it every day.

[12:42] They're just doing it the right way,

[12:43] And respecting the tradition

[12:47] I'm blown away,

[12:48] and we're starting off at a level I don't

[12:51] I've eaten in all sorts of insane

[12:55] but our next spot is something

[12:58] But first, meet Gaby's friend Irma,

[13:01] I trust her because her

[13:03] one of the most legendary seafood

[13:07] So I blindly followed Irma onto a boat,

[13:10] relaxing ride of my life,

[13:11] and a little show from

[13:13] shout out to the dolphins—and maybe a

[13:17] Let's buy that one!

[13:18] That one?

[13:21] We pulled up to a restaurant

[13:24] This is the best.

[13:26] I have no words.

[13:28] The first two words that

[13:30] Now,

[13:32] but it's actually a seafood oasis

[13:36] This is the stuff I love.

[13:37] We walked on and they hammered us with

[13:41] I mean,

[13:42] we hadn't even exchanged

[13:45] and they went to work on oysters.

[13:47] Not so sure about this guy's technique,

[13:49] I'm not gonna question it.

[13:52] Nothing.

[13:54] Peace and tranquility.

[13:55] Okay, so we have oysters here,

[14:00] very simply...

[14:01] Wow.

[14:03] Salud.

[14:05] These are the best oysters I've ever had.

[14:07] The texture is incredible.

[14:08] It has, like, a super meaty chew to it.

[14:10] And then we have a really

[14:13] They scrape this,

[14:14] and then they're marinating

[14:15] etcetera, which cooks it.

[14:16] So you get this sort of, like,

[14:18] All sorts of vegetables I'm seeing.

[14:21] You know.

[14:23] I've never,

[14:26] As it compresses when you bite it,

[14:30] because of all the acid and

[14:32] This one has, like,

[14:34] and it still has the same meatiness

[14:38] It's phenomenal.

[14:39] It's like the essence of the energy

[14:42] I love it.

[14:43] we knocked out some shrimp that were

[14:47] dish: their impeccable grilled fish,

[14:49] which you assemble yourself

[14:52] A touch of mayo,

[14:55] touch of onion,

[14:57] Cheers.

[14:58] Wow.

[15:00] Wow.

[15:02] And the flavor of the fish, so fresh.

[15:04] The sweetness of the onion, like perfume.

[15:06] Whole fish,

[15:08] Clean, simple flavor.

[15:09] Everything we've had in Sinaloa

[15:12] like, emphasizing natural flavor,

[15:13] just coaxing it in the

[15:16] good technique.

[15:17] Welcome to Sinaloa.

[15:18] Thank you.

[15:19] And I'm never leaving.

[15:21] Now it's on to one of the biggest

[15:23] Aguachile.

[15:24] This is the dish that Luis got me to fly

[15:28] After all, it is the aguachile birthplace.

[15:30] So we got set up with a

[15:32] Now, typically,

[15:34] but we'll see which one

[15:36] There's our bite.

[15:38] Sinaloa.

[15:39] You can't keep hitting home

[15:41] It's not fair.

[15:42] I've been to one, two,

[15:43] three-star Michelin

[15:45] and I can tell that this

[15:48] and they still can't

[15:50] It's so flavorful, it's so balanced.

[15:52] But also just the freshness is just, like,

[15:55] from texture to flavor

[15:58] It's fucking unbelievable.

[15:59] That was just the green.

[16:01] Wow.

[16:02] I guess we move on.

[16:03] I don't want to leave, but we move on.

[16:05] Before I left Sinaloa,

[16:08] El Farallon, and we finally found Luis.

[16:10] He's been missing for a couple days,

[16:12] We had scallops, shrimp,

[16:15] But then I saw a dish that

[16:18] I mean, I'm talking as dark as night,

[16:21] So how good could this really be?

[16:23] Favorite that we've had in

[16:26] Amazing marriage of tradition and new.

[16:28] The technique in that bang.

[16:30] Fruity sweetness from it is insane.

[16:31] Combined with the dark flavor

[16:34] If you look up Sinaloa and you

[16:37] you probably will not find anything.

[16:39] And after being here,

[16:40] I'm realizing that that is probably

[16:44] exist on planet Earth today.

[16:45] I can't believe nobody has really been

[16:48] Producing some of the greatest food

[16:52] in the whole world.

[16:52] And we're not even done.

[16:54] We have one last place.

[16:55] We've covered the origin, Oaxaca.

[16:57] Then we've gone all the way up north

[17:01] We have our last place, Mexico City,

[17:03] where the pure enjoyment of street food

[17:07] the beauty of one of the most dynamic

[17:11] including the number one

[17:14] But to name the best

[17:16] it's going to require a unique strategy.

[17:18] We're doing something

[17:20] We're stair-stepping our dishes.

[17:22] We're leading to a top of the mountain.

[17:23] We're starting at the

[17:26] It is the number one obvious example

[17:30] It is where classic meets innovation.

[17:32] Al pastor would not exist without the

[17:37] The trompo having the

[17:39] and then the Mexican people,

[17:43] has created arguably one of the

[17:47] This place is so professional,

[17:49] I always feel skeptical when

[17:52] It's a game changer, isn't it?

[17:54] Game changer.

[17:56] So fragrant, so soft.

[17:57] The meat is fatty and like

[18:00] And the juicy, sweet pineapple.

[18:02] I mean, listen,

[18:04] I love it.

[18:06] But where we are going to end,

[18:08] We move on.

[18:09] We couldn't have this

[18:11] Maybe you saw that coming.

[18:13] things in here that I didn't even know

[18:17] a type of restaurant mostly

[18:19] but locals love.

[18:20] Gaby took us to one of

[18:22] El Sella.

[18:23] And I'm going to be honest,

[18:25] This could be a situation

[18:28] because this could be

[18:31] Hidden in plain sight.

[18:32] The energy is giving me energy.

[18:33] All the people talking.

[18:35] And the crazy thing is there's no music.

[18:37] The music is just...

[18:39] this.

[18:40] We just sat down and already...

[18:42] Yeah.

[18:43] One of the best things about

[18:45] The service is amazing here.

[18:47] What is this?

[18:48] Chamorro?

[18:50] my favorite dish here.

[18:51] Oh, my God.

[18:53] Two different dishes.

[18:54] We have a chorizo, a sizzling platter,

[18:56] and then this beautiful

[18:58] The chorizo smells...

[18:59] Amazing.

[19:00] Oh, my God, smell that.

[19:01] We call it chorizo a la sidra.

[19:03] Smoky sweet porky.

[19:04] I mean, it just smells unbelievable.

[19:06] This feels like a very Spanish dish.

[19:08] And they even served it with bread.

[19:10] Not just tortillas, but also sliced bread.

[19:13] That looks tremendous.

[19:15] I didn't even need a knife.

[19:16] It just, like, came out.

[19:18] Cilantro, onion, cilantro, some chili.

[19:20] That's a lot of chili.

[19:22] Oh, okay.

[19:25] Amazing.

[19:26] I love this because it's

[19:28] This is exactly what you

[19:31] The Mexican, the Spanish.

[19:32] But the feeling of the homestyle,

[19:36] The waiters, they will know you.

[19:37] They will know what you drink,

[19:39] You can spend here hours.

[19:41] It's just very uncomplicated.

[19:42] You don't need to feel stuffy or

[19:45] throw something on, sit down,

[19:46] and then just eat and

[19:48] That's like my kind of day.

[19:50] How do I try the chorizo?

[19:51] I think with bread.

[19:54] I knew you would love it.

[19:56] Yeah.

[19:57] Really?

[19:58] Seasoned crazy phenomenal.

[20:00] It's super acidic, but also very salted,

[20:03] unctuous.

[20:04] And there's a smokiness to it,

[20:08] When you're done eating the chorizo,

[20:09] you take your bread and you mop

[20:12] This is an experience that you

[20:16] No reservation.

[20:16] You show up, eat,

[20:18] dip.

[20:19] This might be the most slept

[20:21] I love it.

[20:22] We started with two classics,

[20:26] arguably one of the best

[20:29] possibly in Mexico.

[20:30] And a place where they treat corn like

[20:33] gold.

[20:34] But it's their mind-bending taco

[20:36] what makes Mexico City so special.

[20:38] Chef Santi, good friend of mine.

[20:40] Thank you for having us here again.

[20:42] He's a new young chef, but also,

[20:45] perfect example of breathing

[20:48] Santi told me he'd give me the

[20:52] So we started out with a bang.

[20:53] Dish number one, a shrimp flauta,

[20:57] Whole shrimp

[20:58] left all in one piece,

[20:59] wrapped with the corn tortilla that

[21:02] The corn tortilla wrapped around

[21:05] it would its natural shell.

[21:06] The meat should be cooked perfectly,

[21:10] Cheers.

[21:11] It's not a big list of ingredients.

[21:13] Just like the quality and the technique.

[21:15] It's still keeping that tradition

[21:19] But it's also creative because simply

[21:22] He could just break down the shrimp,

[21:25] but leaving it whole and making it

[21:28] Great example.

[21:30] So this is his suadero taco.

[21:31] This one's a little bit more traditional.

[21:33] This is my favorite taco from all Maizajo.

[21:36] Wow.

[21:37] It tastes like the heart and

[21:39] But then he has all these

[21:42] like the pickled onion and chili,

[21:45] that slight bit of elevation.

[21:47] Mexico City, baby.

[21:48] We're not quite at the

[21:50] We are at where haute cuisine

[21:54] Next up, the New York strip taco.

[21:56] The tortilla is made by hand.

[21:58] New York strip, the best quality meat,

[22:01] plated really beautifully.

[22:02] Amazing.

[22:04] Nailed it.

[22:06] The meat is cooked perfectly.

[22:08] It's exactly like I like it,

[22:10] but it has a lot of intramuscular

[22:13] and it's just kissed on the grill.

[22:14] It's full of moisture, full of juice.

[22:16] Seasoned perfectly.

[22:17] Needs absolutely nothing.

[22:18] Truly perfection.

[22:20] We started at the absolute baseline,

[22:24] Mexico City.

[22:25] With a simple taco that's

[22:28] and now we're seeing it.

[22:29] Young chefs reinventing the classics.

[22:31] But before we end this video with

[22:35] the entire country of Mexico,

[22:37] we first are visiting a restaurant

[22:41] A place that's supposedly pushing

[22:44] actually eat every single day...

[22:46] We started out with a

[22:48] a tomato salad,

[22:49] and a dish that finally made

[22:52] But the next dish tops them all.

[22:54] I cannot eat anymore.

[22:55] You're doing so good.

[22:56] I've been eating seven days in a row.

[22:58] Now we have a tartare.

[22:59] They're lightly smoking it and curing it.

[23:01] Now we're stepping it up.

[23:03] Now we're feeling the Mexico

[23:06] It's the best tartare I've ever had.

[23:09] This is made with a cut of beef

[23:12] and it's cured and it's aged,

[23:14] so all that flavor is super

[23:16] And guess what?

[23:18] I know we're not rating,

[23:21] 9.9, maybe a 10.

[23:23] In the world of tartares, frankly,

[23:25] And somehow when I thought

[23:28] an unlikely dish challenged

[23:34] I have never been a huge fan of tripe.

[23:36] This is amazing.

[23:37] This chef is a baller.

[23:38] He's risky because not a lot

[23:41] in this kind of restaurant,

[23:43] but it still has the flavor

[23:46] that he's the source of his creativity.

[23:48] This is a place I will spend all my money.

[23:50] I also will spend all your money here.

[23:52] It's the best tripe I've ever had,

[23:54] And I went in for a second, third bite.

[23:56] This is how all tripes should be served.

[23:58] And now for the star of the show,

[24:00] the pork chop al pastor

[24:03] Arguably the largest and craziest

[24:07] So how does it compare

[24:09] This is the next level.

[24:11] Al pastor taco has been

[24:13] but now we have al pastor inspiring a

[24:18] A beautiful grilled pork chop,

[24:20] Instead of a taco,

[24:24] This is the marriage

[24:26] Mexico City.

[24:28] but it's still equally

[24:31] while still respecting what makes a

[24:35] but also new.

[24:38] Beautifully done.

[24:39] It is modern cuisine perfectly done.

[24:42] And by that,

[24:44] beauty second.

[24:45] And I'm not saying the

[24:47] They're stunning, but they're not,

[24:49] so lost in making it beautiful that

[24:52] Some of the bites here have been

[24:55] But where do they fit in the

[24:58] So we move on to our final location,

[25:00] the number three restaurant on earth

[25:06] Quintonil.

[25:06] So you want to talk about

[25:09] This is the highest form of innovation.

[25:10] We have a lot of courses coming.

[25:12] Let's see what they look like.

[25:13] Can fine dining really deliver the

[25:17] a better meal than all of the

[25:21] First up, the snack course.

[25:22] They started us off with pescadilla,

[25:27] Thai chilies, and a grasshopper salsa.

[25:30] A lot of flavor.

[25:31] It's funny,

[25:33] yeah, I know those flavors.

[25:35] Not too dissimilar to many of the

[25:38] She's joining cultures in small bites.

[25:41] In big dishes,

[25:44] it's like a bomba.

[25:45] Like a what?

[25:46] Bomba.

[25:47] Bomba!

[25:48] Next snack.

[25:49] Mussel tostada, pickled mussel,

[25:53] Cheers.

[25:56] These are the kind of moments

[25:58] Explosion of flavor.

[26:00] So deeply flavorful, super layered,

[26:03] That's a bite.

[26:05] Okay, we're rolling well so far,

[26:08] but could I really eat 30

[26:11] Fried escamoles, ant larva.

[26:13] They call it the Mexican caviar.

[26:14] That's a better angle...

[26:16] It's like an aged cheese flavor.

[26:17] A little fried donut.

[26:18] This reminds me a lot of my grandmother.

[26:21] She used to do, like,

[26:24] And then she will add cotija cheese.

[26:25] I think it's like a ratatouille, like,

[26:27] You know,

[26:28] ratatouille or I don't

[26:30] Pulling the emotion out of you.

[26:32] It's a beautiful thing.

[26:34] Now it's on to our first

[26:36] Butternut squash salad,

[26:39] and rice vinegar dressing,

[26:40] and then what looks like

[26:43] The more you eat it, the better it gets,

[26:46] It's like a perfect salad.

[26:47] Perfectly balanced, creamy.

[26:49] Salt level's amazing.

[26:50] It's still the same mentality, though,

[26:53] really well.

[26:54] We've seen tlayuda in Oaxaca,

[26:56] But in front of me,

[26:59] completed with a crab salad,

[27:02] Very Asian inspired.

[27:04] Yeah, that is impressive.

[27:06] This is where they're really

[27:08] create their own cuisine here.

[27:10] You can taste the inspiration of,

[27:13] but it also...

[27:16] This is where the innovation is now,

[27:20] Now we have reached a course

[27:23] Pork tamale with an onion ash.

[27:26] This feels like an iconic

[27:29] But speaking of classics,

[27:33] I'm nervous for Tía Elvia back in Oaxaca.

[27:36] Will this be the best

[27:38] Wow.

[27:42] It is probably the best

[27:44] It's absurd.

[27:47] This mole, take home with me.

[27:49] Quintonil's was absolutely delicious,

[27:52] so I gotta give it to Tía.

[27:54] I feel that we're

[27:56] We've come all the way back

[27:59] and they're really hitting heavy now.

[28:01] I'm full.

[28:02] The final dish of the entire evening.

[28:04] This is where it all comes together.

[28:06] A cornbread base with a passion

[28:11] Oh my.

[28:12] That is a 10 out of 10 dessert.

[28:14] That is a banger of an

[28:18] A beautiful crescendo by Quintonil.

[28:20] But we have to ask,

[28:21] what is the best Mexican

[28:24] On one end,

[28:25] I'd say the burrito and the seafood

[28:27] the top of my list. But wait,

[28:29] wait wait,

[28:30] So was Gaba kind of at the same level.

[28:32] And also, so was the cantina,

[28:33] and so was the incredible

[28:36] So how are we supposed

[28:38] I think what I'm realizing is these

[28:42] And this isn't a cop out.

[28:43] It doesn't matter how much money

[28:46] Sure,

[28:47] you can have great on

[28:49] but really,

[28:51] Taking the ingredients that they

[28:55] locally and just treating them

[28:58] when they make the food.

[29:00] And Tía Elvia cared just

[29:03] Quintonil cared just as

[29:06] And everybody in those individual

[29:08] other were having a great time.

[29:09] And that is what the best

[29:12] Love you.

[29:13] Bye.