Buenos días!
Today I’m going to give my first restaurant review. Unfortunately Washington D.C. lacks a substantial selection of good Mexican dining; although having lived in California for three years and Texas for 16 it’s a little hard to beat what those two great states have to offer. Last night my roommate Nicole and my friend Lindsey and I went to Jose Andrés’ Mexican restaurant called Oyamel. I’m pretty skeptical when it comes to being impressed by Mexican restaurants here in DC- the only places I have thoroughly liked are El Centro D.F. and the amazing taco truck in Arlington, VA called El Chilango (the Mexican Ambassador to the U.S.’s personal driver took me and some former co-workers there when I was in D.C. in Fall of 2010- this place is SO GOOD!!! Try the tacos al pastor). Casa Oaxaca is also good, which is in Adams Morgan and is a Mexican restaurant that specializes in different types of mole, a traditional Mexican sauce that is made with chocolate, as well as chili peppers, onions, garlic and is amazing when prepared well. Nonetheless, I was looking forward to see how Sr. Andrés’ restaurant fared among the other Mexican places I had tried thus far.
Upon walking into Oyamel, the vibe reminded me of many small, local, authentic Mexican restaurants you could find in Texas or California. Oyamel’s website describes it as: ” combining Mexico’s rich regional diversity with the modern urban atmosphere of Mexico City,” and I have to say- I definitely agree. One of the first things that caught my eye was the huge candle altar that looks exactly like what you would see in a Catholic cathedral in Mexico- there was an abundant level of wax that had obviously been accumulating over the years and looked like it was a melting sculpture. The ceiling was lined with bright orange flowers that brought me right back to the many summers I spent in Mexico visiting family- it especially reminded me of the beautiful summer my family and I spent in San Miguel de Allende. Still, I was very anxious to see what culinary experiences Oyamel had to offer. Oyamel’s menu is comprised of a wide selection of Mexican antojitos or “small plates” for everyone at the table to share. To be quite honest, I thoroughly appreciate this type of menu over the ridiculously excessive portions most restaurants in America provide. I can’t stand it when I go to a restaurant who’s idea of the main course is an enchilada plate with enough food to feed a small family of four. I love the small plate wave that’s taking over D.C.- Cava Mezze has mastered this in the Greek cuisine (another amazing DC restaurant who I will have to provide a review for at a later time). The server explained to us the concept: you should order 2-3 plates per person, but everyone shares. Lindsey, Nicole and I are all Mexican food connoisseurs so we knew what we wanted to order, even though the menu is very extensive and can seem overwhelming for those who aren’t familiar with traditional Mexican cuisine (I’m not talking about Tex-Mex cheese enchiladas or chips and queso). Since I had read up a bit on this place, I knew that their ceviche was highly acclaimed along with the tacos. I will rate each dish on a scale of 1-10; 1 being completely unsatisfactory and 10 being extraordinary. The prices were pretty standard for a small plate restaurant, but be warned– the drinks are expensive. We ordered:
- Ceviche de huachinango, a red snapper ceviche with avocado in salsa mexicana of tomato, sweet onion, cilantro and lime juice: I would give this dish an 8 because while the flavor profile was quite good and the citrus complemented the fish and avocado really well, I wish there had been a little more heat.- $11
- Quesadilla huitlacoche, corn tortilla with Chihuahua cheese and Roy Burns Farm Mexican corn truffle. This was actually my favorite dish we ordered I’d have to say, so I will give this a 10. The green salsa that came on the plate with the 4 little quesadilla triangles was amazing and gave the spice factor that I was looking for in the ceviche. Please order this plate if you go to this place! -$9
- Pollo con mole poblano, traditional chicken mole plate: half of a grilled young chicken with epazote herb rice and a mole poblano sauce of almonds, chiles and a touch of chocolate. It was a very standard mole dish, nothing to write home about but satisfactory. I give this dish a rating of 6. -$10
- Albondigas enchipotladas con queso de doble crema, meatballs in chipotle sauce with crumbled ‘double cream’ cheese and cilantro. These were so good! Definitely looked like meatballs in a bolognese sauce, but the flavors were great and definitely not bolognese. The only criticism I have is that there was way more sauce than meatballs, which seemed a little ridiculous. I would rate this dish at a 7. -$7
- Tacos de pancita de puerco al pastor, tacos of seared house cured pork belly in a sauce of tomatoes and guajillo chiles, served with pineapple, onions and cilantro. Keep in mind that each taco is ordered as a single taco- so we ordered three. This taco was absolutely incredible! The combination of the sweetness of the pineapple and the spices from the guajillo chiles and tomatoes was mouthwatering. The pork worked very nicely in this taco. Definitely would order this again and I rate this taco at an 8.5. Each taco is $4
Overall, I was very satisfied with Oyamel. The only aspect of this restaurant that I know my father wouldn’t like, who was raised in Mexico and knows what good Mexican food should look and taste like, is the fact that the plates here are small. Most people come to Mexican restaurants to gorge themselves on the endless supply of chips and salsa, beef and chicken fajitas or brisket tacos, not to say that my father does like this aspect- I just know that most grown men would rather have full-sized portion entrees. If you are looking for this type of experience, then don’t go to Oyamel. I’m never looking for that type of experience so Oyamel was very refreshing and I highly recommend it for those who truly like exciting Mexican flavor profiles and for those who sincerely appreciate Mexican restaurants that strive to maintain the integrity of what an authentic Mexican restaurant should serve and prepare.
littlechefmary 
Mary, great review, I’ve only been there once a long time ago and this kind of makes me want to go again! And, good you know about Mexican food, cause guess what! You’re Mexican!!