Tacos, Michelin star dishes thanks to the famous taco restaurant in Mexico City

“Street food” is in fashion. But now it has not only conquered the tastes of the majority of consumers, but has also managed to impress the trained and demanding palates of Michelin Guide inspectors.

From this week, A simple and popular taco joint in Mexico City It can boast of being the first “street food” establishment to receive one of the Michelin stars that reward restaurants that serve exceptional cuisine.

At the door of Taqueria El Caliva de LeonLocated in the chaotic and bohemian neighborhood of San Rafael, queues of hungry customers are common. This hasn’t changed since they did it Michelin star.

And the speed with which their chefs prepare the famous tortillas, cook the pieces of meat on the grill, slice the limes and garnish them with the green or red sauce – depending on each customer’s taste – that forms the basis of their tacos. .

Customers at this taqueria don’t need to read the menu or ask the chef to guide them on the best options on the menu. In Khalifa Lyon There are only four types of tacos to choose from. A poor presentation, but effective.

Owner: Takeru Arturo Rivera MartinezAnd now it can be done with top international chefs. But far from bragging, he prefers to personally continue to select the best cuts of beef and control the cooking point of the meat in his tacos. He confirms that simplicity is the secret of his success:

“Our tacos contain only tortillas and red or green salsa. The secret is simplicity. And that’s in addition to the quality of the meat.”

In his restaurant And you don’t need bartenders. According to Arturo, the drink that accompanies a good taco is Coca-Cola.

Although Michelin inspectors brought him one of his prized chef jackets that marks him as a star winner, Arturo refused to flaunt it while cooking. He prefers his usual black suit, which is more resistant to grease stains caused by the iron.

The Michelin star brought him international fame, but his clientele did not change. They are the same ones as always queuing outside in the street. Maybe in time, some tourists will venture to San Rafael to sample Caliva’s tacos.