By Julio Zuniga

Guelaguetza Restaurant Review

Ever had good Oaxacan food? Ever had Oaxacan food period? Located in the heart of Korea Town in Los Angeles is Guelaguetza, the only restaurant around where you can get authentic Oaxacan food. Whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, Guelaguetza restaurant boasts great food made with hand picked ingredients straight from Oaxaca, Mexico. If drinks are more your game, then good news! Guelaguetza restaurant also features one of the largest selections of mezcal!

You can feel an ethnic vibe when you walk in. The place features traditional decorations from Oaxaca, Mexico. The vibrant colors stand out, but don’t overwhelm the senses. Combined with a stage for live music and bar with a wide selection, you’re in for a unique dining experience.

First lets start with appetizers. Once you’re seated, they start you off with a chips topped with mole sauce (more on what that is later) and queso fresco (fresh cheese).

The chips are good, but I recommend ordering the Molotes de Papa con Chorizo. That’s Spanish for fried corn dough rolls filled with potato and chorizo sausage. The chorizo sausage has a hint of spice that should be savored with every bite into that crispy roll.

Lets talk drinks. This restaurant features freshly made fruit juices, sweetened water drinks made from seasonal fruits, sodas imported from Mexico, as well as a variety of beers. But something that attracts a lot of people is the imported alcohol, the mezcal to be precise. Before I talk about the mezcal, a word of caution. Mezcal is roughly 48% alcohol, do not take it lightly. If it’s your first time trying it, take it slow. For those of you who don’t know what mezcal is, it’s an alcohol distilled from the agave plants. Think tequila, with a bold, rich, smoky flavor.

You can get mezcal in one of their cocktails, such as the Guelaguetza Margarita. It’s your standard margarita with mezcal in the place o tequila, adding a slice of cucumber, and tajin chili powder. Some slight changes that make a definite difference in taste. The drink is refreshing, delightful, and yet bold. If you’re like me, you prefer your alcohol straight. The bar here has over 60 different mezcals to choose from. This time, I decided to try a shot of Los Amantes mezcal. You can definitely taste all the hard work that goes into making this artisan drink. The bold and smoky flavor is distinct, and goes down smooth.

Now on to what people come here for: the mole sauce. Mole sauce is bit hard to describe due to the recipes, some having as many as 20 ingredients. To say that it’s sweet, tangy, and bit spicy barely begins to cover it. There are various recipes for different types of mole sauce that are made here. However most of them include chile, nuts, various spices, seeds, and even Oaxacan chocolate. If you’re new to the world of mole sauce and want to try more than one I would say the “Festival De Moles” (translated, Festival of Moles) dish is for you. This is a tasting dish that comes with four different kinds of moles: black mole, red mole, estofado, and coloradito. Served with chicken breast and a side of rice, each of these moles has a unique taste. The black mole stood out to me, as I could make out the rich taste of the dark Oaxacan chocolate, combined with the poblano chile.

If you like seafood, Guelaguetza also has this plate called a Tuxtepecana Mixta. I know what most people are thinking: strange name. But this something you won’t really see at many other places. Basically this dish is pineapple stuffed with shrimp, octopus and fish, sautéed with onion wedges, with a side salad and rice. My favorite part of this dish was the shrimp. The pineapple gives the shrimp a lightly sweet and refreshing flavor that I couldn’t help picturing a tropical beach.

There are so many more things at Guelaguetza restaurant to choose from. I’ve only touched the surface with the few dishes I sampled in this article. The only true way to experience the full authentic flavors of Oaxaca is to go there yourself, or to try them here. If you like what you taste, they also sell some of their mole sauces, meats, and even some of the mezcales, for you to take home.

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