By Eduardo Arroyo
Azul Condesa is a favourite restaurant both for visitors to Mexico City and for natives. But before starting, remember there are other restaurants nearby (some in the same group) so don’t go to the wrong one!
It’s what we call “New” Mexican food – nothing to do with US state but here you can taste and enjoy typical Mexican cuisine based on ancient recipes, with, at the same time, the freshness of a delicious result of its fusión food touch, plus the experience given by chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, who is in charge of this great gastronomic paradise.
It is located close to Parque México (a 6 mins walk), and surrounded by restaurants, cafés and bars. Sometimes cultural events, artistic expressions and other stuff happens here or it can be just a pleasant place to visit, walk, run, skate or cycle around.
Original recipes, flavours and finally the way dishes are presented makes this restaurant different.
Ricardo Muñoz Zurita loves to preserve and promote Mexican gastronomic dishes with his sense of talent, quality and experience. You find this in their fixed Menu and with an alternative of a random option throughout the year of seasonal ingredients or with typical gastronomic dishes from different Mexican states. The menu is in English as well as Spanish.
On my last visit, I ordered as a starter the unforgettable “PANUCHOS DE COCHINITA PIBIL” corn tortillas handmade by staff from Oaxaca state, and from the moment of tasting, they offer a real experience from their texture, colour and smell. These hot fresh corn tortillas are filled with black beans cooked in the ancient way that adds a very traditional and incomparable flavour, topped with “cochinita pibil” (slow roasted marinated pork).
This provides a real delicatessen experience with its perfect timing of cooking and its secret sauce and mixed with pickled red onion. It’s just simple basic ingredients but cooked with this almost magical recipe. As a suggestion this dish is suitable for sharing.
Then I ordered a very famous Mexican soup “Sopa de Tortilla”, often considered as ”The queen of soups”.
I was surprised when I received a very original ceramic soup dish designed as a catrina which is the legendary skeleton of the day of the death (our Dia de los Muertos festival in early November). The bowl a hot chicken broth, with fresh roasted tomato, Mexican creme fraiche,,”panela”cheese,fresh fine cut slices of avocado and small tortilla fried squares.
It is a really famous and popular soup, and it was delicious with fresh crunchy tortilla squares mhhhh!!!
Its flavours were very well balanced with tomato, which its smell is just a little proof of the taste that is going to delight and, for sure a soup that easily could be the best one I´ve tried in my life!!! Yes, I love this!
My main dish was “Buñuelos Rellenos De Pato Rostizado” my favourite of favourites!!!
It is stuffed with roast duck, and bathed in Oxacan black mole sauce. Sounds simple but is an excellent option to ask in this place! This Mole Sauce is really a magical ancient recipe with traditional mole from Oaxaca state, a mixture between chile and chocolate, that gives an explosion of flavour in your mouth, as you try it simultaneously with the light roasted duck.
It’s a perfect combination!!! The presentation of this dish is really a surrealistic shape of a Mexican pyramid with delicious flavour and with geometrical rounded angles and some raspberries giving a delicate touch.
And the detail of keeping the sauce in an iron “cazuela” that keeps it hot while serving it as your choice, looks and goes good too!!
For dessert I asked for my favourite “pastel de chocolate suave”, a cake with a soft melting part in the centre. It is served with a little Gorgonzola Cheese ice-cream, and it also has got macadamias from the state of Veracruz, a must for chocolate lovers to experience the flavour of real Mexican chocolate melting in really a surprising and unexpected way.
There is a good wine list – and a friendly staff. I hope that you don´t miss it, while visiting my City, México City!
And there are great vegetarian options.
Expect to spend about $45 (US) per person.
Public transport
Metro Chilpancingo (line 9 Brown: 13 mins walk )
Metrobus Sonora Station : 10 mins walk (line 1 is called MetroBus but it is a coach not a Metro)
Website – search azul.rest (in Spanish and Google translate into English)