Farewell Switzerland and your fine cheese, mountain peaks, funiculars, friends, family and chocolate… ¡Hola Mexico! and the quest for the perfect tortilla!
Sixteen hours of travel later, we arrive in Mexico City from Geneva – compliments of British Airways Business Class. Now, before you roll your eyes and close this overly-smug read, I will validate this content inclusion. We’re flying around the world Business Class for a year, thanks to our frequent flyer points collection efforts. It took a lot of petrol fills, credit card swaps and loyal supermarket shopping to get here. But… it’s worth it.
It’s surreal to think we’ve been living out of backpacks for just over six months now. How did this happen?! We’ve been fortunate to see, climb, explore and eat our way through many places, share time with old and new friends made along the way, and it’s been a joy to write and share our journey with you. Thanks for sticking around.
Enough gush! Onwards with Mexico.
Landing in a country you’ve never set foot in before can be discombobulating. One minute you have this travel thing under your belt, ordering your coffee in local dialect, knowing which pastries require further investigation – then suddenly everything’s new. You have no idea how to cross the road, you stumble over multiple sidewalks, and strangers make eye contact with a “Hola” and a smile… what a wonderful welcome!
Our Mexico City home for the next two weeks is the leafy, slightly gritty neighbourhood of Roma, a little south of the city’s Centro Histórico. It’s oddly familiar – curated record stores, second hand clothing boutiques, La Marzocco baristas on every corner, oversized jeans and muchos eateries. Did we catch the wrong flight? Is this Melbourne home-central?
This city is massive – not only with it’s nine million people, but its cultural footprint is infinite. You’ll ‘do yourself a number’ trying to see and do all that’s on offer with just a few days’ fleeting visit.
This post is part I of II Mexico City posts, sharing mostly foodie experiences we’ve loved. For part II, I’ll dive into the local art and architecture scene. Enjoy!
Leafy Roma – Our New ‘Hood
It’s morning one. After a late night arrival we’re out the door early. Trying not to look like a fish out of water, I soon manage my first trip and %$@#! on the wonky pavements… with many more to follow. There’s tree roots, sawn off metal poles, open manhole covers, and low-hanging metal awnings everywhere. I’m sure plenty of pedestrians, tourists and locals have put a wrong foot forward on these very un-Swiss sidewalks.
We’re feeling a little smug, certain we’ll be first to arrive at Panaderia Rosetta. This baking institution’s reputation is ‘the goods’. We approach a jungle-covered facade in a bohemian oasis, joining the queue of locals craving their like-minded caffeine and carb kickstart.
There’s outdoor seating filled with hipsters, digital nomads and designer pooches. The main bakery has all the charm. Rustic carpentry with well-worn counters and timber framed glass displays, filled to the tilt with a world of pupil-dilating treats. The girl serving us is in no rush, warmly walking us through their signature bakes.
The corn muffin is dense and warm, salty sweet, and packed with golden kernels. The guava danish with its light, buttery pastry and cream cheese to balance the syrupy fruit compote, takes the tasty cake.
Some indulgences are worth queuing for.
Mercado De Medellin
Unlike the sidewalk chaos, Roma’s streets are an easy-to-navigate grid, lined with giant fig trees, verdant green Monsteras, and manicured parks busy with dog walkers, lovers, bench sleepers and fashionistas.
One one of these grid blocks you’ll find Medellin Market, or as the locals call it ‘Little Havana’, with it’s mostly Cuban vendors. It’s compact, and has everything you’ll need with a laid-back, friendly vibe.
One of the joys of connecting with a new town is seeking out how locals eat. There’s tamarillos, which taste like the offspring of a tomato, guava and passionfruit… delicious with lime and salt. Plátano Dominico bananas… the baby sweet ones that also love a good squeeze of lime – a dozen of those small, juicy limes hit the shopping bag. In a sticky, syrupy box there’s dark, candied pumpkin called Calabaza en Tacha. Squash are simmered in spices and a truckload of sugar for hours, then served with cream or milk. A Mexican poached pear perhaps? Happy to sit this heart-stopper out.
The chopping boards are hard at work, as we make our way along the ‘nose to tail’ row of butcher stalls. Mexican’s eat everything. I’ve heard rumours of a cow eyeball taco? Thankfully I don’t eat beef. Seeing meats piled high on room temperature counters makes me curious – are we overly cautious with food hygiene back home?
Heading back for now, we’ll be returning for Cuban custard apple and cinnamon ice cream.
Michelin-Worthy Tacos
Cariñito Tacos was one of those lucky ‘stroll by’ discoveries. We clocked a huddle of happy diners at this curb-side eatery just around the corner from our flat.
It’s Sunday night and it’s buzzing. There’s small standing-room-only tables, potted palms, festoon-style lights, a styling piece of branding, plus on the wall mounted proud are three shiny red Michelin plates for 2024, 2025 and 2026. It has to be good.
We ask if there’s a lag on orders.“No delay!” we’re assured. Cervezas from eskys filled with ice are handed out to entertain the wait.
The menu’s simple, but there’s chef genius behind the six tacos that pay homage to asian cuisines across the globe.
First to arrive is the ‘Issan’, a Thai-style open tortilla filled with shredded pork, mint, coriander, shallot, lime and some crunchy puffy bits, neatly served in a corn husk shell – smart eco-friendly thinking. The flavours balance perfectly. Sweet, salty, sour… yum.
Next, I jump continents for the ‘Siu Yuk’ – a Chinese-style tortilla packed with roast pork, Thai fishy sour sauce and pickled vegies. Adriano opts for the Cantonés eight-spice pork, which likens to classic Chinese duck pancakes with hoisin, pickled cucumber, and sesame.
With a few spare centimetres of stomach, we order the sweet corn ribs in Madras butter. Dripping good! I mention to the waiter, “This place reminds me of Australia, becau…”, I don’t get any further before she excitedly replies “Our owner is Australian!”
Chef and founder, Ross McCombe overhears, whilst adding finishing touches to the next order. After mentioning we’re from Melbourne, “What’s your team?” he asks with a cheeky smile.
Ross joins us. He tells us he’s been in Mexico City for six years, and talks like a Mexican jumping bean on crack. He’s sparky fast, and super friendly. In the space of a few minutes we learn he has a coffee shop in our local Melbourne neighbourhood, and a soon-to-launch second taqueria in Japan. A busy man!
There’s a round of Mezcal dropped to our table, we connect on Socials, then Ross is off on his push-bike.
Our first Mezcal fuels the fire! A smooth, smokey finish to one of those unplanned, unforgettable travel encounters.
We waddle home.
Shared Moments
More Eats:
Chico Julio
This local taqueria started life as a street cart serving up fish tacos. The Aguachile is a standout – a Ceviche upgrade. Thin slices of shrimp, cucumber, red onion and a dousing of a green chilli and sweet lime sauce – served with crispy tortilla chips. Their signature fish taco is battered fish on fresh tortillas. Simple. Head to the ‘toppings bar’ for coleslaw and salsas including cucumber, tomato, caramelised onion, and jalapeño infused oils. Mmmmm… good.Contramar
Eva Longoria’s ‘Searching for Mexico’ series was a strong catalyst for this chapter of our travels. After watching the first Mexico City episode, booking a table at this city institution was mandatory. Head chef Gabriela Cámara’s Pescado a la Talla features grilled, butterflied fish coated in vibrant red and green sauces. OMG. The Tuna Tostada – a deceptively simple open face, face stuffer… is iconic. Avocado, sashimi fresh tuna, a smokey sauce and crispy fried leeks, atop a warm corn tortilla. When are we coming back?
Caffeine Lovers:
Blend Station (Condesa)
Jump across the suburban border to Condesa for this establishment. The latte artistry was fine, but what lay under the bonnet? Hello rich chocolatey-hazelnut style roast. True brew mastery. Then the entertainment began, the barista puts flor de jamaica (dried roselle hibiscus flowers), cinnamon, and star anise in a pot of boiling water. After seeping, she added this to fermented tea water. Our interest was clocked – a glass poured for tasting. Kombucha just got a serious upgrade.
Best ‘worth the effort’ moment:
Points-paid-for Business Class long haul. Period. Let me know in the comments if a dedicated ‘how to’ article would be of interest.
Flat point:
With a lot of dogs walking the streets comes a lot of dog ‘dunnit’. Not happy with the shoe-full!
Cultural observation:
Mexico City locals (Changos), besides loving their car horns, have been most welcoming. It’s refreshing to visit a country whose language footprint is very much their own… ‘Spanish first’. Putting in the effort makes all the difference. A simple ‘buenos días’ goes a long way.
And… onwards! 💚
There is a market you might want to visit if the part you stay is not so far away from it: Xochimilco Market: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GFgXAM4PD8eqqMX77 - it is a gigantic, multi-section market that sells fresh produce from the swarm famring area nearby, it has an incredible food sections from all over Mexico (They cook very differently from each regions), and nearby there is a boat section to see the swarm area, and a small cute museum about the history of the place. I don't do the boat, figuring negotiating price is tiring to me, but all other are so wonderful.
Hopefully they’re still doing the blueberry focaccia at Rosetta!