This is the first in our occasional series, A Drink With, wherein we sit down for a beverage (or two) with chefs, restaurateurs, and sundry other tastemakers.
One of the most celebrated chefs in Mexico, soft-spoken Enrique Olvera is taking a three-month break from booze, so when we caught up with him at Ma Peche in Manhattan recently, he went for the house-made ginger ale. (We tried it too, mixed into a Dark and Stormy.) Sitting at a corner table in the bar, we talked about his future restaurant plans, the constant drive to find new and interesting ingredients, and what it takes to create the perfect dish.
The new Pujol: When it opened in 2000, Olvera's signature restaurant garnered praise for elevating Mexican staples and street meat to the fine dining level. The chef is now looking beyond food for inspiration, including the world of contemporary art: his latest presentation of tacos al pastor takes a page from artist Gabriel Orozco. Meanwhile, new interior decor—all black walls and crisp white tablecloths—puts the emphasis where he's always meant for it to be: on the plate and on the diners. You'll still recognize it as Pujol, says Olvera, but he's boldly moving the experience forward.
Digging up new flavors: Olvera's recently been scouring the country for new varieties of corn, beans, and other native foods to bring to the table, though he's not obsessed with novelty for its own sake: "It's not like we're going to be cooking with stones from the moon that no one's ever seen before," he says. More critical than finding a food that nobody's ever tasted, the chef maintains, is putting a winning combination of techniques and flavors on the plate.
The quest for the perfect dish: None of his creations are perhaps more well known than Olvera's haute tacos, pictured, which takes Mexico City's ubiquitous street snack up about 11 notches. But he's thrilled with a new creation, the Dia de los Muertos, a skull-shaped dessert that diners crack open like a piñata. It's delicious, he says with a grin, but also hilarious, a participatory punch line to punctuate the end of a meal. There's no need to be serious just because Pujol is a fine-dining destination, he adds. "It's just food after all."
Recently (last month) had a very average meal at Pujol - very disappointing. Ambiance with the new black wells was a downer; the food overly structured yet downright blah. Nothing really creative flavor-wise. Great service, though.