3.5. A little torn on this review, because I thought the staff was quite welcoming and sweet,…read morethough also very busy after our food was served, so it was difficult to get anyone's attention to ask for utensils. Meanwhile maybe I didn't order the right items because the food was ok though didn't particularly stand out.
On a Sunday afternoon around 1pm in January I came to this market very much the foreign tourist, wide-eyed and curious to see what I would find here. Mercado de Coyoacán is a local market that is also recommended by well known references like Eater and Time Out as food destination for locals and tourists alike, with what feels like about three dozen prepared food stands in the market.
Not knowing much Spanish or having done any research prior to stepping foot into this market, in my desperation I resorted to G-maps while wandering around, and luckily I happened to be within a few market storefronts away from #186, the stall number for Antojitos Sandy.
This stand is so popular that they have a few different seating areas, the counter immediately around the kitchen, and a couple overflow tables in market stall spaces diagonally neighboring the kitchen.
Food I tried:
- café de olla $45*: their version of this Mexican preparation brewed in a clay pot (olla de barro) with piloncillo (unrefined cane sugar), cinnamon, and perhaps cloves or orange peel--was good, pretty standard.
- agua Fresca guayaba (guava juice) $45: on the sweeter side, decent.
- pozole rojo $135: probably what I enjoyed the most about this meal, a flavorful broth soup with pulled pieces of chicken, topped with chopped crunchy radishes, iceberg lettuce, and deep fried tortillas (aka chips) that you can break up and add to the soup for that added crunchy texture.
- tlayudas Oaxacañas $165: this Oaxacan specialty is one of the menu items this food stand is known for, and is a large, thin grilled tortilla topped with toppings of refried beans, pork lard, diced bits of Oaxacan cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado and a protein of your choice (shredded chicken, pork, beef, sausage), of which I chose suadero which was a mix. This was huuge, larger than some personal pan pizzas in diameter. The tortilla is kinda crispy though I found mine a little soft in the middle and from the moisture of the toppings. Having never eaten one before, I found it a bit hard to eat with the toppings falling off as I went along and no utensils. I read online afterwards it's supposed to be eaten broken off bit by bit, which I found a bit messy to eat in a market setting. The flavors were a bit bland for me, from the tortilla to the toppings, the vegetables were raw and unseasoned and the meat wasn't particularly savory. I think I probably was supposed to top the tlayuda with some of the salsas sitting in jars on the table though it was a bit hard to reach sitting at a communal table of ten. Coupled with the difficulty to eat, unfortunately it didn't leave the best impression. I'm glad I tried it though wouldn't say I'm clamoring for more.
That being said perhaps it was just the combination I ordered, there are a lot of other options on the menu so who's to say they aren't better? Certainly the crowds waiting for seats and the mass of glowing reviews deem it worthy.
*all prices in pesos.
