Intro
- Pujol definitely has garnered quite a ton of hype over the years, especially in part due to Chef’s Table, which has propelled Enrique Olvera’s hospitality expansion both into LA and NYC.
- Located in IMO, the Beverly Hills of CDMX, Pujol resides in one of the most beautifully constructed buildings I’ve ever stepped foot in; moody and well-designed in nearly ever square inch of the the property
- The meal was about 3.5 hours, and the staff all provided wonderful explanations in English for us to to connect a little more to what we were eating.
- At the time of dining, the meal costs $128.25 plus 15% tip = $147.49 USD, incredible price by US standards, however, leaves some to be desired when benchmarked against other restaurants in CDMX.
TLDR
- Execution was near perfect, essentially everything was very well-made
- However, doesn’t taste emotionally resonant compared to other meals I’ve had this trip in Latin America [The weakest of El Chato & Quintonil IMO], and definitely less emotionally resonant than more affordable options like Contramar/Entremar, Fonda Fina, any assortment of tacos found throughout the city
- Mole was definitely awesome
Interior
Menu
Course 1: Snacks
Smoked Baby Corn w/ a sauce made of coffee, costeño chilis, and chicatana ant
- one of Pujol’s signature bites, this dish was a treat for all the senses. Incredible showmanship to bring it out in the pumpkin and let the smoke bellow out
- The smokey smell brought about a certain feral/carnal meatiness to the entire
-the sauce was viscous, dark, and a wonderful contrast to the sweet baby corn - definitely wish I could have some more!
Sope w/ Crispy Kale - forgot what the paste was
- wonderfully chewy, corn-fragrant Sope base, creamy second layer, sweet caramelized onions/shallots and a crispy slice of kale on top
- tasty tasty tasty snack
Course 2: Sea Snail Ceviche w/ Heart of Palm Juice, Parsnip
- wonderfully meaty sea snails
- had a certain minerality to it, that reminded me of red meat; think of slightly undercooked beef tendon in texture, where its still satisyingly chewy, however, isn’t uncomfortably tough at all
- for some reason, the combination of cilantro oil and heart of palm juice with the beefy sea snails reminded me of pho
- eat with taro chips
Course 3: Brussells Sprout Tlayuda, Almond Mojo, Ant Roe
- seems painstakingly made
- tastes like each leaf of the sprout was sautee’d in a basket over open flame, all having a wonderful toasty aroma
- the tlayuda had an awesome brittleness; better than a typical tostada
- the ant roe popped in your mouth and smeared creamily
- almond mojo provided a wonderful brightness to contrast the roasty brussels sprouts and rich ant roe
Course 4: Rockfish from Baja, Mussel, Squash Huatape, Asparagus, Cachuazintle
- wonderfully executed; everything was perfectly cooked
- plump wonderful mussel, flakey soft rockfish
- delicious squash huatape [the white sauce underneath]
- IMO, this tasted very French in technique
- depsite the incredible execution, wasn’t emotionally resonant for me
Course 5: Build your Own Tacos: Mushroom Mixiote, Mole amarillito, Wild Herbs
- The mushroom mixture is cooked with chilis, garlic, onions, and I’m sure some Pujol secret ingredients in Mixiote paper then roasted over flames
- Served with Sliced Avocado + Cilantro blossoms
- Smooth Tahini w/ Cilantro Oil
- Fluffy AF basmati rice w/ chives
- fresh handmade tortillas
- Overall, a fun interactive meal, with the flavor of the mushrooms being absolutely tremendous
- Holistically as a dish, a little underwhelming, especially given the caliber of Pujol; this wasn’t necessarily a superior dish to say the Oyster Mushrooms at Bavel
our server unwrapping the mushrooms
fluffy, buttery basmati rice
smooth tahini w/ cilantro oil
Course 6: 2923 Day Old Mole Madre, Mole Nuevo made with Seasonal Fruit 
HIGHLIGHT DISH
-Probably the most recognizable dish at Pujol: the duet of old and new mole served with regular tortillas, and hoja santa tortillas
- 2923 Mole Madre - insanely dark, rich, reminiscent of tobacco/cigarettes - Emotionally, this tasted like having your last cigarette on death row and savoring the taste in every capacity possible. There’s a heaviness, and smoke that lingers in your teeth and mouth that truly reminded me of smoking a cigarette
- Mole Nuevo - by contrast,sweet, spicy, savory and bright. I’m thinking of tomatoes, caramelized onions, stewed apples; a melded sweetness that best reminded me of Japanese curry.
- Eating these moles with the tortillas was also an incredible experience, apply a little bit at a time and enjoy with the very fragrant hoja santa tortilla [tastes similar to Korean perilla] or enjoy with a plain chewy corn tortilla.
Course 7 [woops left early because I had to hop on a work call]
- my friends did bring me a choux pastry 30 minutes later. Top 3 choux pastry i’ve had in my life LOL
Conclusion
Overall, Pujol is an excellent restaurant with immaculate vibes and terrific food. It’s nowhere near the most emotional meal I’ve had, and I would probably need some strong convincing to make a return visit. I’d probably come back to try their Taco Omakase, but there are way too many other restaurants in CDMX worth trying over Pujol. Luckily, Enrique Olvera does have a few more casual eateries around the city that might scratch the itch a little bit better for me and be less of a commitment than a 3.5 hour meal.