Juana Cocina de Casa — Restaurant in Oaxaca

Over the years, we have enjoyed many of the high-end, chef-driven restaurants in Oaxaca and Mexico City. We were fortunate to spend some years in Portland, Ore., which has an amazing food scene that our farmer daughter is a supplier to. We have traveled extensively and enjoyed dining high and low all over the world and I have the great fortune in a loving partner and wonderful daughters who are all excellent home cooks.

I think we have a new favorite restaurant and it definitely sets the bar high. So tasty, so unpretentious, so reasonably priced and… it is in Zaachila. Yes, that Zaachila.

You’ll find it in a residential neighborhood, behind an unassuming porton, the front of the chef/owner’s family house.

For $500 we got a tasting menu of contemporary , chef-driven, Oaxacan-rooted cusine. I went there with no expectations and we were blown away. The staff was very friendly, the service was top-notch and we were offered complimentary wine and mezcal after the meal. Did I say it only cost $500? That’s a bit more than $27USD

You choose your mains, there were three on offer, and before that arrives we had four large incredible entradas. I could have stopped after the appetizers but, how could I have? The mains came with two delicious salads served family style and the meal finished with an excellent chocolate desert. Gracias a díos!

Juana Cocina de Casa is the creation of Chef Adi Nava who was the head chef at Pitiona for many years. Now she’s doing her own thing assisted in the kitchen by her mother, brother and sister. And she is hitting it out of the park! The flavors , the creative combinations, the textures and beautiful plating, the service and the modest setting. It all added up to a memorable meal that would have been a value at twice the price. I was so taken by the first few dishes I forgot to take pictures of them.

Desayunos Saturdays and Sundays and the tasting menú on Sundays. The degustación changes weekly....

Wow. One of the best food experiences in all of Mexico. Unique, creative, delicious and beautifully presented. Adi and her family are an incredible team and will give you everything you didn’t know you needed. We stayed in Zaachila for 2 nights near the end of a 6 month roadtrip through Central Mexico and we ate here twice. Absolutely fantastic. Love Zaachila. Love Juana Cocina de...

Tuve la oportunidad de visitar este sitio en un municipio aledaño a Oaxaca. La atención es muy buena y lo primero que te sorprende es que te dicen que cada fin de semana el menú cambia y que todo lo cocinan con leña y carbón.

Mi opinión personal... Esperaba muchísimo un sabor super espectacular, especial y único, desde mi perspectiva le falta sabor y sazón a los alimentos, probé tres platos diferentes y en los tres sentí lo mismo.

Definitivamente le ponen corazón a la preparación y mucho empeño, las porciones son abundantes y la forma de presentar cada plato es espectacular. La atención es buena y los precios son justos.

Uno espera encontrar ese sazón y sabor de la gran cocinera de tu familia que siempre cocinó en su antigua cocina de leña y obviamente al esperar tanto es inevitable las comparaciones.

En resumen, es un buen lugar, pero...