Published: Thursday, May 16, 2020
MEXICO CITY – Newly awarded Michelin star chef Arturo Rivera Martinez sat over a scorching hot grill at the first Mexican Taco Stand to receive a coveted Michelin star from the French Dining Guide and did the exact same thing that he has been doing for the past 20 years – searing meat.
He didn’t wear it, even though Michelin representatives had come to his office on Wednesday and presented him with a heavy, white, chef’s jacket that was full-sleeved and pristine. In this 10-foot-by-10-foot (3-meter-by-3-meter) shop, heat is the key. The heat is intense.
Tacos El Califa de Leon in Mexico City, located in the bohemian San Rafael district, only has four items on its menu. All of them are tacos and they all come from an area near a cow’s loin, foreshank, or rib.
The secret to our taco is its simplicity. The only ingredients are a tortilla and a red or green sauce. “That, and the meat quality,” said Rivera Martinez. When asked to recommend a beverage for his food, he replied, “I like Coke.”
There’s more to it than that. El Califa de Leon, the only taco stand in the 16 Mexican restaurants that received one star and two other eateries with two stars. The rest of the restaurants are all pretty posh (hint: lots of seafood in shells and on plates made to order).
El Califa de Leon, a tiny restaurant in the heart of Madrid, is the only one to have ever received a Michelin Star. The grill is bigger than the salsa and occupies half the space.
The other half of the restaurant is crowded with customers standing and holding plastic plates, ladling the salsa and a female assistant rolling out tortilla dough.
El Califa de Leon pays homage to the resistance to change. It achieved this by following the exact same four steps it has followed since 1968.
Rivera Martinez slaps the steel grill, which is super-hot, with a thinly-sliced beef fillet he has just grabbed from a pile. It sizzles violently.
He sprinkles salt on it, squeezes lime juice over the top and then grabs a round of tortilla dough that has just been rolled to puff it up.
He won’t reveal the exact time because it’s “a secret.” After less than one minute, he flips over the beef with a spatula and flips the fresh tortilla. Then, he quickly scoops out the tortilla and places the beef onto the plate.
The customer can add any sauce — whether it’s fiery red, atomic green or both — to the dish. The sidewalk in front of this business is occupied by street vendors selling socks, batteries, and cell phone accessories.
You wouldn’t want to eat in the tiny taco shop. It is incredibly hot on a springday.
Rivera Martinez’s secret was the heat. The grill must be heated up to 680 degrees Celsius (360 Fahrenheit). When asked how it felt to receive a Michelin Star, he replied in Mexico City classic slang “esta Chido… esta Padre” or “it’s neat… it’s cool.”
Prices are high for Mexican standards. One taco, which is generous but not enormous, costs about $5. Many customers believe it is the best and cheapest taco in the city, if not even the best.
Alberto Munoz has been coming to this restaurant for eight years. “I’ve never been disappointed. Now that it has been given a star, I will recommend it even more.
Alan Munoz, Munoz’s son who was waiting with his father for a beef-taco, said, “This is a historical day for Mexican food, and we are witnesses to it.”
The only thing that needs to be changed is the freshness of tortillas, menu and layout. Mario Hernandez Alonso, the owner of the restaurant, won’t reveal where he gets his meat.
The times have changed. El Califa de Leon’s most loyal customers were originally politicians from the former ruling PRI, whose HQ is located about five blocks away. The party has been in decline since losing the presidency in 2018. It’s now rare to see anyone wearing a suit.
Hernandez Alonso pointed out that his father Juan who founded the company never trademarked the Califa brand. A sleek, well-funded taco chain opened 15 restaurants with a similar sounding name in upscale areas. Hernandez Alonso is toying with the idea to get the business onto social media but it’s up to the grandkids.
Mexico City restaurants are now allowed by law to create canopied street seating areas following the coronavirus outbreak. El Califa de Leon, however, doesn’t have a sidewalk to sit on due to the many street vendors. Customers are forced instead to stand next display stands and plastic models.
When asked if he wanted them to create a seating area on the street, Hernandez Alonso responded that “if it’s not broken, don’t change it”.
Why fix or change what’s already good? “You shouldn’t change anything,” he said to the street sellers. It’s how God made it, and you must deal with it.
Source: ABC News