Restaurant Oaxaca | Discover Mexico’s unknown culinary treasures
Those who appreciate authentic Mexican food like in Mexico no longer have to take the plane to do so. Having successfully brought “the cuisine that doesn’t travel” to Barcelona with his friend Iñaki Lopez de Viñaspre, Spanish chef Joan Bagur has begun the march northwards with the opening of Oaxaca (pronounced wa-ha-kà) on Amsterdam’s Spuistraat.
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Oaxaca brings Mexico’s culinary heritage to Amsterdam
If it is up to Joan, this is just the beginning, because since his inauguration 23 years ago by the “mayoras”, the traditional, mostly female, Mexican chefs, he has been on a mission. In Oaxaca, he is unravelling a masterpiece of Mexican culture with the utmost respect for its origins. A visit to Oaxaca is therefore more than just a dining experience; it is an adventurous exploration of Mexico’s unknown culinary treasures.
Two chefs, one mission
Born in Menorca and dyed-in-the-wool in various starred kitchens of Spain, Joan Bagur’s culinary resurrection took place in Mexico. He spent Twenty-three years there unravelling kitchen secrets of the “mayoras”, who pass on their recipes exclusively orally from mother to daughter, and studying millennia-old maize varieties, countless varieties of chilis, frijol and pre-colonial moles. A meeting with Iñaki Lopez de Viñaspre of Grupo Sagardi, like himself an ardent advocate of traditional cuisines, not only heralded Joan’s return to Spain, but led to something thought impossible until then: the introduction of cuisine that does not travel in Barcelona. On one condition: the cuisine had to be truly Mexican. Therefore, no concessions were made in terms of freshness, authenticity and purity. How is this possible? Thanks to Sagardi’s “milpas” outside Barcelona where native Mexican products are grown fresh. And what cannot be grown in-house is sourced directly from Mexico. You won’t find Tex-Mex nachos and tacos at Oaxaca, but instead “Chicatana Ants” and “Chapulines” (deep-fried grasshoppers), local delicacies from Mexico’s culinary capital after which the restaurant is named, fill the menu.
Iñaki Lopez de Viñaspre: ‘Mexican cuisine, which Ferran Adria*** even called one of the most important in the world after a tasting hosted by Joan in 2012, is virtually unknown outside Mexico. After Barcelona, Amsterdam as a multicultural city with an adventurous food culture was the right place for us to change that.’
Ants, moles and a mezcalería with 32 kinds of mezcal
After a grandiose renovation and the skilful hand of designer Txema Retana, the restaurant, spread over three monumental buildings with an indoor mezcalería, has the atmosphere of a Mexican cantina. The cocktails and street food are as authentic as the 10-course degustation menu, which always starts with table-prepared guacamole and “totopos” of the vernacular “molcajete”. This gastronomic expedition covers Mexico’s main regions and their classic dishes and is concluded with a traditional Mexican coffee ceremony. But even if you do not immediately warm to Aztec insect cuisine, there is more than enough to discover at Oaxaca. Describing this culinary approach as “traditionally evolved”, dishes are prepared in exactly the same way Joan learned from the “mayoras”. From the homemade tortillas to the “saosados”, “tatemados” and pre-Hispanic “moles” and stews. And do you want to discover why Iñaki and Joan call mezcal the finest spirit in the world? With 32 varieties of mezcal in house, a selection considered the finest in Europe, Oaxaca’s mezcalería is the place to do just that.
Joan Bagur: ‘I was initially going to stay in Mexico for a month, but I was so taken aback by all these ingredients and techniques that we in Europe don’t know about. After 23 years, I am still not bored. For Iñaki and me, the most important thing is to let as many people as possible discover this fascinating cuisine. This is what I promised Titita, my Mexican mother. Everything we do at Oaxaca is done with respect for the traditions and techniques of the “mayoras”.
Oaxaca is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner. The two dining rooms, a separate private dining, mezcalería and another room for larger groups on the first floor, together accommodate 135 covers. In summer, Oaxaca will expand to include a terrace.
Website: Restaurant Oaxaca
