Olvera was born in Mexico City and went to the US for culinary school, “mainly because my father was very keen that I had a bachelor’s degree. I think I’m quite a unique person because I love my family, but I also love having time to myself. And I like contrasts in my life, so it was important for me to do something apart from them. It made me appreciate Mexico, and I realised that the things I thought I hated were actually the things I missed the most. I was in upstate New York, and it was some of the best years of my life.”
Upon returning to Mexico from the US, Olvera catapulted Mexican cuisine onto another level when he opened Pujol in 2000. And though he is synonymous with glittering Michelin-starred gastronomy, his new book, Sunny Days, Taco Nights, is, in fact, an ode to the humble taco. Though, as he rightly points out, they have as much right to be on his fine dining menus as anything else. “It’s a book I’ve dreamt about for a long time,” he explains. “We started doing tacos on the menu back in 2010, and some people told me at the time that I was crazy when I started doing them in Pujol. However, I began visiting Japan at that time and noticed that street food was being elevated and introduced into fine dining restaurants. I thought, Why not do the same with tacos? Why are we not celebrating our food when there is quality in everything? And, I think now in this world of Instagram and AI, we want things that are pure and real.”
My conversation with Olvera drifts back to Mexico City and his love of what he describes as the city’s “depth. You always see diversity in cities, but Mexico City has so many layers. You see it in the cuisine and the architecture too – you’ll see pyramids next to cathedrals next to modern buildings, and that’s in the city centre. I would go as far as to say that, especially now, it’s the most vibrant city in terms of cooking.” And, though he is celebrated for his fine dining, Olvera’s favourite Mexico City restaurants are local, authentic, and unfussy, often having existed almost unchanged for decades. In his own words, “there is no such thing as taco hour. All tacos can shine at any time; the taco is like the sun – we move around its bare-bulb spotlight on the socket hanging from the roof of a humble room. The taco is still, and we invent hours around it.” And, with that, some of Enrique Olvera’s favourite places for, amongst other things, tacos in Mexico City.
Restaurante Nicos
“This is a neighbourhood restaurant, and my grandparents used to live very near there, so I’ve been going for a long time; it’s been open for about 68 years. The second generation is now running it, and they were part of the slow food movement when nobody was part of the slow movement [a global goal for food that feeds everyone in the community, and which is beneficial to everyone as well as to the planet]. There’s also a store where you can purchase all the carefully curated products they manufacture. I would highly recommend trying the Pasteis de Nata, which are unlike any you will have had anywhere else. They’re layered like crêpes with tomato sauce and resemble a mini lasagne in design. It’s both Mexican and not Mexican at the same time, and it’s typically served at Christmas. So, if you’re there at that time of year, they must be tried.”
Ultramarinos de Mar
“I would say that seafood is like a gift from God, and God is the best cook ever, so when you get the best seafood, you need to do nothing with it, except maybe just add a little Mexican accent to it. The seafood at this place is incredible, and it features great little counter seats in front of the open kitchen. The menu is seafood-heavy, featuring items like clam chowder and lobster rolls, and offers a large selection of raw seafood. It is a little like a diner, and people go there for the desserts, too. This is definitely where you’ll find some of the freshest seafood in the city.”
