Oyamel Cocina Mexicana

Reviews 4

ME

Melanie Tam

Came here for lunch at around 2. The place was full but we didnt have to wait, since we opted for a table outside (which is a little weird since its around the corner - not out front or in the back like most restaurants tend to have their outdoor seating). To start, we went with the pitcher of the blood orange chili mimosas. These were great! It was a welcoming change from the typical overly sweet mimosas you would get at brunch elsewhere. Im not sure if the blood orange juice was fresh but it sure tasted that way. The chili added a nice little kick to it. As an appetizer, we of course got their table side guacamole, which is made right at - you guessed it - your table side. It has green tomatillo, serrano chile, crumbled queso fresco, but of course, you can customize it how you want it. Their spicy is more like a mild. This might possibly be one of the best guacamoles Ive ever had. I think it was probably the crumbled queso fresco that did it for me. I dont know why it never occurred to me to have cheese with guacamole, especially since I love both so much. It has been a truly eye-opening experience. But now, I feel like Ill be looking for that crumbled queso fresco every time I order guac elsewhere. For my entree, I ordered the tuna salad (confit of Ahi tuna with creamy avocado dressing topped with a smoked local tomato, spinach and herb salad) as my entree. I think my brain must have skipped over the confit part when it read Ahi tuna, and just assumed it would have been raw Ahi tuna. So when the dish showed up with non-raw tuna, I was a little disappointed. But after I took the first bite, I was pleasantly surprised. The fish tasted fresh and the light creamy avocado dressing complemented it very well. Im not sure how I felt about the smoked tomato - too smoky for me but I really enjoyed my salad overall. My boyfriend had the pork belly quesadilla. The meat was on the tougher side. Maybe it was too lean? Not sure what went wrong there but he seemed to enjoy it. Both of our dishes were from the brunch menu and the portions are on the smaller side. However, these along with the guac were enough to fill us up. We didnt leave too full but were satisfied. I would deffo recommend Oyamel, especially that table side guac!

AL

Alice Wang

Underwhelming is the word of the night. While certainly a very hip and trendy restaurant with nice decor (fun fact: the oyamel is the preferred tree for the Monarch Butterfly to reside in during its hibernation in Mexico), the food fails to impress. My boyfriend and I decided to order the guacamole, prepared tableside with green tomatillo, serrano chile, and crumbled queso fresco. I enjoyed it, but its hard to mess up guacamole to be honest. Oyamels style is tapas to share. For plates to share, we ordered quesadillas de chicharrones; cachetes de puerco con mole amarillo; and three tacos each. The quesadillas de chicarrones were pasture-raised Shenandoah Valley pork belly fried until crisp and served with Chihuahua cheese and a sauce of five chiles. The cachetes de puerco con mole amarillo were braised house-cured Kurobuta pork cheeks with a mole of guajillo and costeño chiles, served with heirloom rebosero frijoles de olla and chochayotes. The mole was somewhat disappointing, tasted really bland and not like mole at all (or at least not like good mole). Moles are typically prepared with chili pepper so theres a bit of a spice and is usually a thick sauce, but this mole was neither. The rebosero frijoles de olla and chochayotes were flavorless as well. The tacos we ordered were: tinga poblano con puerco (shredded Shenandoah Valley pork with chorizo, chipotle, lettuce and avocado); pancita de puerco al pastor (seared house-cured Shenandoah Valley pork belly in a sauce of tomatoes and guajillo chiles, served with pineapple, onions and cilantro); and carnitas con salsa de tomatillo (confit of baby pig with green tomatillo sauce, pork rinds, onions and cilantro). My favorite was probably the tinga poblano con puerco. The carnitas taco was too oily and was just exuding oil onto my plate. Oyamel received a makeover last year with plenty of romantic touches so it certainly has some decent decor going on. However, they really need to kick it up a notch when it comes to their food. I dont know how much time Jose Andres is spending at Oyamel (I would assume most of his time in DC goes towards Minibar and Zaytinya) but I hope that he spends a little more time reworking Oyamel.

JE

Jessica Rosenberg

We came here for Restaurant Week when Rasika wouldnt seat us within what must have been 90 minutes. So we were pleased that Oyamel seated us immediately. The walk to the table felt whimsical with the decorations, and the decorations continued to be a source of entertainment and fascination throughout the evening. The guacamole--I dont get it. Its guacamole. Kind of bland guacamole at that. Creamy, but thats about it. I definitely would not order this again, and would not recommend that *anyone* order it at that price (something like $13!!). The tableside creation somehow isnt that impressive, either, so Im not sure why they even mention it. An overall bust. Especially since Oyamel gives you free chips and salsa to start, and the salsa is actually quite interesting with its smoky flavor. From there, the Restaurant Week menu got each person three plates, one taco, and one dessert. I loved four of these five items--the ceviche (very light, nice chunks of fish, GREAT spice that left my mouth warm), the sweet potato taco (warm with nice crunchies on top to give texture), the chicken tamale (nicely cooked in a tasty sauce), the tres leches dessert (the best Ive ever had!). I was only unimpressed with the mushroom dish, as the texture was a little uncomfortable... endless tiny little pieces of chopped up slickness, to give you a sense. I also had a mojito. It took itself too seriously and cost too much for what it was. It was fine, but utterly forgettable. "Lime air" (read: foam) and all. The service was fine. Why three stars, then? The price. For two people, the bill (with tax and tip) came out to $130. Absolutely insane for five small plates and some bland guacamole. Id be curious to come back here, but would want to be very careful with the bill. Its good food, but its not $75pp good.

AN

Anonymous User

NOT allergen friendly. I was diagnosed with celiac disease about 15 years ago. Eating out can be stressful, especially now that gluten free has become somewhat of a fad. I was visiting family in Washington DC and we wanted to do something fun and unique for dinner. I did my research and found that this restaurant has a large gluten free menu and was excited to go there. Upon sitting down, my family ordered the guacamole. My family munched on the chips and salsa while I was careful not to before I could ask what the ingredients were and how they were prepared. When the waiter came back to make the guac I asked about an allergen friendly menu, at which point he about lost it. He told me that it was too late to order gluten free because everything in the kitchen had already been contaminated and to do that would be a hassle for the kitchen and I would have had to call in earlier in the day if I wanted to order gluten free. He went off on a long loud rant about how "you people" are making the health department shut down our businesses and that there is really nothing he could do for me. I felt so embarrassed and felt like walking out of the restaurant with my tail between my legs. He was so loud everyone around our table was staring at us. I apologized and told him that I would be ok and I could find something to order that would be okay (I am pretty knowledgable with what I can and cant have) just to warn me if it is breaded or fried. At this point he took my menu away. He came back about 10 mins later and handed me an allergen free menu and then walked away. I was absolutely humiliated, embarrassed, and felt like the worlds worst person and biggest burden on that restaurant. That being said.. I didnt get sick and the food was alright. Very fun atmosphere and great location.