Pujol — Restaurant in Mexico City

Left highly dissatisfied - not coming back and definitely not worth close to 200 USD - this review is necessary given a) it is a 2 Michelin star restaurant and b) it was the most disappointing experience during our stay in Mexico despite visiting only regular restaurants. Had to go elsewhere to finish our meal for the day.

Disclaimer: This is our first time trying a Michelin star restaurant - did not know what to expect, except that food and service would be great.

Service: All good but the forks provided on all three occasions were bent - I would have guessed a 2 star place would pay attention to this level of detail (attached evidence) Cleaning of plates after dishes was inconsistent - for two straight dishes a piece of corn was left on the plate as the waiter served the dish (attached evidence) Explaining the dishes in English and Spanish simultaneously by two different people talking over each other meant I did not actually hear nor understood what was being said about the dishes - is this a 2 Michelin star restaurant or a fish market? Waiters tended to cluster around the area entering the bar counter which meant more noise to distract from the description of the dishes - fish market vibes again When the waiters cleared dishes that we clearly did not finish, no attempt was made to check in or ask for feedback Attempt to check in was made when we shifted from the indoor area to the outdoor area for the last course on the menu, which felt like small talk to cover the silence rather than any genuine attempt to get feedback - 0 follow up questions asked when my partner just said it was nice - again 2 Michelin stars for insincere small talk?

Atmosphere: Indoors were impeccable but for the last dish we were asked to head outdoors in a 17 degrees Celsius weather (which felt like 13) to eat a cold dish? Some folks brought their cardigans or jackets with them but others including myself, not so lucky (attached evidence) The tables at the dining area outdoor were low, which meant diners had to bend over to eat dessert? Made no sense (attached image)

Food: Crab Tosada - 5/5 - was done impeccably

Lobster - 3/5 soup was spicy and artichokes had a sharp pear like taste - made no sense to my unsophisticated taste buds - a small piece of lobster was hidden behind the artichoke slices - then why call it a lobster dish if the main ingredient even isn’t visible when served? Are we playing hide and seek?

Margarita scallops - 1/5 corn was burnt (attached photo), overly sour - sent back without finishing the dish - even displayed the burnt corn to see if they would pick up on it but no one asked any questions - how can this place have 2 stars?

Octopus taco - 1/5 given I love octopus was disappointed as both of us could not taste the octopus itself but was overwhelmed by the grain taste of the taco, accompanying vegetable and lime

Tuna tlayuda -5/5 - amazing dish would eat it again and again

Soft shell crab taco - 3.5/5 - the deep fried oil from the crab overwhelmed the taste of the other ingredients - might as well make it like a Japanese tempura dish and call it a day - this level of drama to eat a taco that tastes primarily like oil didn’t go well with my taste buds

Fish chorizo - 2/5 - had neither a chorizo texture nor fish taste - just plain tasting crumbles - had to be saved by salsa

Mole madre - 1/5 - tasted like traditional Chinese medication herbal drink - I say this with full respect to Mexican cuisine and having eaten mole before a number of times. So bad that I didn’t finish even half of it.

Passion fruit moose, mango, citrus sorbet - 1/5 - not sure why the chef thought it was a good idea to mix the sourness of the passion fruit with the sourness of the mango and sourness of the sorbet. Is the target audience people who love sour heads? Even the sweet mangoes couldn’t save it. The chef should call it mango madness - this is the most accurate description of the dish.

Service recovery: The manager Arcel was nice enough to waive off the bill for my meal and we only paid...

My 2nd time at Pujol and it was as good as, if not better, than the first time - the magical experience did not diminish at all. Granted this time I got the tasting menu and not the tacos omakase, there were still some notable similarities like the chicatana ant mayonnaise with baby corn, or the signature mole madre. The 2 snacks to start are a tostada and the baby corn. The tostada is vegetarian and served with broad beans, a unique choice that works exceptionally well; they are rich in flavor and add a delicate umami flavor, while avocado purée and a light salsa balance it out with more expected flavors. The radishes are particularly fresh and crunchy, and add a refreshing vegetal taste. It’s a great dish for spring. The baby corn is a classic that never changes. It is covered in a lightly sour yet satisfying umami mayonnaise made from flying ants. The baby corn is lightly sweet, acting as a great base for the mayonnaise. In a smoked husk environment the dish is rich in flavor, and the ingredients are exquisitely Mexican. The rockfish ceviche features a leche de Tigre made from heart or palm, which is creamy in texture and vaguely nutty too. It produces a very unique sauce for ceviche that I thoroughly savor. The lettuce with sesame on the side is sweet and meant to be had together, but it feels a bit random. The artichoke tamal is a great addition to the traditional tamal, adding an earthy richness that complements the yellow corn masa exceptionally well. Two sauces, a tomato and lemon purée as well as an avocado one, add a rich creamy excitement to the dish. The charred kale provides a light oiliness but is deep in flavors perhaps from smoke. The catch of the day is a rockfish, grilled unremarkably well and only seasoned with salt. The rest of the dish is challenging, featuring romeritos (a rosemary like local green that was particularly sour), a celeriac purée and foam, and an oyster. It wasn’t unagreeable, but it was more abstract and I felt ‘challenged’ as I ate it. The Swiss chard wrapped rice and bulgur is the most interesting main with tortilla combo I’ve had from chef Olvera’s restaurants. It’s completely vegetarian; the components – avocado, chickpea purée, a sauce made from garlic onion and corn leaf ashes – are diverse and feel quite strange but come together to make something primally tasty and satisfying. The chickpea purée carries the flavor that is balanced by the smoky and slightly sour sauce. The avocado adds richness while the rice and wheat tell a story of its own. The mole madre is perhaps the single most complex food I’ll ever have. It’s storied from aging and feels like you taste all the flavors of the world in one bite. The new mole has capiscin and is initially more sweet and savory at the front, it reminds me vaguely of a Japanese curry. The old mole is more chocolate-y and richer. It’s initial excitement lingers longer and is far beyond the front. Like an aged whiskey, you taste a world of flavors that transition with from front to middle to back. The flavor is intense either way. Combined, you get a larger initial attack from the new mole but the persistence of the old in one bite. The dish is a masterpiece. It is so simple yet complex. It is best enjoyed savoring every single bite. This is no doubt the best mole I’ve had, and the best mole I’ll ever have. The mango and pineapple sorbet + creme features very flavorful and ripe mangoes. However, while it is excellent, it is very straightforward that it felt a bit disappointing relative to the rest of the menu. The churro is so airy and soft it’s like eating a fried cloud. It’s so light, compared to most churro places, and has a more distinct egg flavor. The nutmeg is a fantastic addition with the sugar for a churro; it...

On the eve of the lunch, ‘Paola’ sent an officious WhatsApp in English, confirming dietary requirements and that if we arrive more than 15 minutes late; then the $250 US will be deducted from my bank account and we won’t get a seat. Perhaps this introduction was what prompted the very sad looking queue outside the restaurant at 13.15 on the day. ‘Fine diners’, about to experience the worlds’ 5th best restaurant, queuing in the sun as if they were at an ice cream stand. Shame. On filing in, I simply heard the squark of American accents revelling in anticipation. It felt like a queue for a rollercoaster ride; not a Spanish speaker in sight; and certainly no Chilangos (local Mexicans). We were presented with a drinks menu, with no wine pairing option available. A basic beaujolais was $130US and probably the cheapest wine on the menu. We opted for a Mexican wine, that was terribly overpriced. We were seated, and waited a polite 45 minutes before we got what was described on the menu as ‘snacks’. It was an amuse bouche- over-poweringly corn flavoured. Nothing wrong with it really, and nothing right with it either. Our 45 minute thumb-twiddling wait allowed us to absorb the atmosphere somewhat. The Spanish music playing had a particularly heavy base coming from the ceiling speakers - it sounded like ‘los Panchos’ or a similar cliché, but pleasantly drowning out the canteen style noise. The gringos surrounding us hadn’t ordered wine, and were generally just drinking water (on account of the price, I imagine) most were not enjoying the food so much as taking Insta-selfies to boast to the world that they had made it to the No5. Some of the clients were clearly struggling to get the tacos past their juvederm filled lips, and selfie at the same time; chickpea purée dribbling down one lady’s Botox filled cheek. Shame. A few snails, some ant eggs, a mussel with fish- each was either overpoweringly spicy or salty, or corny… and finally a memorable dish - the Mole Madre- it tasted wonderful, and was accompanied by a taco pressed to a Ocha santo leaf- wonderful! Although it was in fact just a sauce on a plate. It didn’t seem like something that required complex timing or refined delivery to get it to the table, like many of the other art works that I tried in various other restaurants. The pudding was fine, but unremarkable. The staff were kind, attentive, and were clearly trained to walk around the table so as not to interfere with the diners’ experience- however seeing so many of the staff playing on their phones, chatting with each other, and taking sips of the wine at the wine counter did make me smile. Barely any client was drinking wine, however on several occasions the staff were ‘tasting’ it, and certainly not using a spittoon. We did comment on the 45 minute wait for any food, and the staff were gracious, however they then sped up the meal and ended up over-compensating- we then had to ask them to slow down the service. No pasa nada.

We have been to many top restaurants, and this ranks mediocre at best. Certainly go, if you want to try ‘number 5’, but without much effort I can think of about 10-15 other restaurants that I’ve been to that were far better, in my opinion. Some of the lower scoring reviews note that they felt hungry and that the price was too high. I would disagree with both of these comments. Others noted about the poor timing, and this I would concur with. The price for the food was fair, and the quantity of the food was perfect. The wine list was over priced, the sommelier couldn’t offer a pairing, and this showed in the lack of interest people had in buying any wine- I’ve never seen such a thing in a high end restaurant such as this. The ultimate test of a restaurant- would I...