Famed restauranteur José Andrés newly opened Oyamel is located on the ground floor of Hudson Yards. The open air concept, swirling ceiling fans and tropical vibe will transport you far from NYC and into a vacation state of mind. And you’re never going to want to leave this Mexican fiesta.
And it’s not just because of the ambiance. This place slays with spectacular food. I’m not a Guac fan myself (bring on the haters) but my dining companions were, so they ordered a big ol’ Molcajete of freshly mixed Guacamole with green tomatillo, serrano chile, and crumbled queso fresco. And they raved! On the side came two paper cones of incredibly crispy house made tortilla chips and a great spicy salsa which I loved. The chips were so light with just the right amount of salt and not greasy at all. We devoured them.
I also opted into one outstanding Pescado Baja California Taco which was a crispy tempura battered seasonal fish with shredded cabbage, chile arbol mayo and Mexican crema. It was only about five bites of yum, but the flavors completely blew me away. The fish was so tender and had that audible crunch. And I loved the pickled onions on top, fresh greens, diced tomatoes and squeeze of tangy lime. And that crema? Wow. Each bite was a flavor explosion. What a winner. Possibly the best taco I’ve ever had.
For our mains we shared the Pulpo-Macha– Spanish octopus in a pool of mashed potatoes, with salsa macha, crispy corn masa, green onion, and cilantro. The Octopus was perfectly tender and that chili oil topper was to die. What did they do to those mashed potatoes that had me at hello? And the delicate bits of masa were a wonderful textural addition.
We also ordered the Quesadilla de Hongos which was stuffed with an Oaxacan cheese blend, roasted mushrooms, onion, chile poblano, and cilantro. It was cut into four small triangles with a side of green salsa. The Quesadilla was packed with roasted poblanos and we loved the crispy, cheesy edges and fragrant dip.
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