Oyamel, Penn Quarter in the old Andale Space - Chef Omar Rodriguez Replaces Colin King

[CrescentFresh]

Dinner there last night was almost a complete repeat of my last visit there. Relatively decent food. Overpriced wine. And non-existent service personnel. Granted, the food comes rather quickly from the kitchen, but the employees responsible for taking orders and giving you your check are spending far too much time running out to the Oort Cloud or something. They need to hire more people or upgrade some of those runners and bussers. It's really pretty sucky.

Thankfully, no mariachi band last night. Had the molten mole dessert which rocked. The salmon ceviche was an utter failure, meanwhile. And odds are good that Oyamel was the only place in town serving grasshopper tacos.

ETA: The queso fundido was gooey, cheesy goodness. Hadn't had that before. Will have it again.

[Meaghan]

The shredded chicken tacos were *very nice*, but I even more enjoyed a special of softshell crab tacos with a corn crema.

A rice dish with huitlacoche was *okay*, another special of sauteed spinach was *nicer*.

Aside from the tacos, the salmon Veracruz was the *next best* item. The sauce was *excellent* with tomatoes, olives, onions and capers and not one overpowered the other. That was a *great* sauce and I'm gonna have to make that at home sometime. The albondigas were quite *good*, too.

*Adjectives*

[CrescentFresh]

*Adjectives*

Yes. Lolly, lolly, lolly get some adjectives here. Sorry, Charlie. Just ranking the dishes. The chicken was chickeny. The crabs were crabby. The salmon was fishy. The tomatoes were tomatoey. And I'm sorry I'm no helpy. I did call the meatballs juicy and the wine fruity! I will look to do better next time.

[giant shrimp]

oyamel is located in an obscure part of town, but jose andres owns the block, with an outpost of jaleo next door and his aspiring mug plastered in the windows on campaign-style posters he commands with a stern expression of celebrity. the space is modern and cavernous, hot and cold by turns, loftier than it needs to be, tin monarch butterflies swarming overhead, tijuana elegant. you could march elephants through this place and still not fill the emptiness. it is so lonely on an early sunday evening that in no time after our server departs from the table with our drink order we are confronted by a second server who announces that the table is his, until he realizes otherwise and retreats, leaving no hard feelings. this is by far the friendliest of the jose andres theme restaurants. a tableside preparation of guacamole opens into a warm discussion of the ingredients being ground into the stone mortar. clearing dishes becomes an opportunity to discuss the grasshopper special, which, it turns out, is ordered primarily by men. this is a dish you can try at home. gather them small and sauté in oil with garlic, but be forewarned that these bugs are not for everybody. for every two jumping legs that you will probably like, there is a stomach that you just might not.

served with soft flour tortillas, the guacamole is good, but not as fine as café atlantico's version, where it costs a couple dollars more. the diced tomatoes are pale and flavorless and thankfully not the star ingredient. starting with a wan salsa, tomatoes pop up all over the menu, and consistently appear to be of the cellophane variety. maybe they will improve as washington moves into the height of the tomato season. there is really nothing wrong with the tacos al pastor except that you have probably had better someplace else, maybe at guajillo in the days when it was in its prime. small tips of beef on shaved pineapple, another motif in the cooking here, are also satisfying and disappear in a quick few bites. the olives come on too strong in an unpleasant halibut ceviche prepared "veracruz style," but the gamy fish predominates. desserts are a highpoint of the meal: a tres leche that combines well with pineapple and coconut ice cream and a presentation of mango in four forms that are primarily molten. (still, if you are really looking for tres leche, and it's not too far, i would go to samantha's in outer silver spring.) the house margaritas are excellent, topped with salt air strong enough to hold lime zest and it doesn't break down. the inspiration is more spanish than mexican, but there is a long list of tequilas served with sangrita for those who are searching for something more authentic.

oyamel is probably a happening place, but it was just not happening the night we were there. the carpeting and some of the upholstery is starting to look a bit shabby, evidence of crowds. all in all, i found the cooking too clean, lacking depth, over-engineered - though not half bad. oyamel is more like being transported to bethesda than mexico, and it's the kind of place that's more worth visiting to tour the restrooms than to eat the comidas.

[zoramargolis]

there is really nothing wrong with the tacos al pastor except that you have probably had better someplace else, maybe at guajillo in the days when it was in its prime. small tips of beef on shaved pineapple, another motif in the cooking here, are also satisfying and disappear in a quick few bites.

Early on, the tacos al pastor at Oyamel were made with braised oxtail. Later on, they were made with duck. I'm not sure what meat they are putting in it now. Traditionally, tacos al pastor are made with thin slices of spice paste-rubbed pork that are stacked with pineapple and skewered and cooked on a shawarma-type of vertical grill. The outside layers are shaved off as they cook. Taqueria Poblano was the first place in the area to offer "real" tacos al pastor, and they were good. Oyamel's oxtail version was tasty, though I wasn't sure why they called it al pastor, other than it had pineapple in it. The duck version was sort of tasteless, and by that time, an order of tacos had gone from three to two, for the same price. And I'm not really in love with Oyamel anyway. Sigh.

[giant shrimp]

Early on, the tacos al pastor at Oyamel were made with braised oxtail. Later on, they were made with duck. I'm not sure what meat they are putting in it now. Traditionally, tacos al pastor are made with thin slices of spice paste-rubbed pork that are stacked with pineapple and skewered and cooked on a shawarma-type of vertical grill. The outside layers are shaved off as they cook. Taqueria Poblano was the first place in the area to offer "real" tacos al pastor, and they were good. Oyamel's oxtail version was tasty, though I wasn't sure why they called it al pastor, other than it had pineapple in it. The duck version was sort of tasteless, and by that time, an order of tacos had gone from three to two, for the same price. And I'm not really in love with Oyamel anyway. Sigh.

the tacos were made with pork and the ingredients authentic enough, though i don't know how traditionally the meat was cooked.

if oyamel has bombed at this location that might explain why it felt like someone had given up on it a couple of weeks ago when we were there. i thought maybe it was because jose andres was in spain.

[shogun]

Zoramagorlis: The tacos al pastor have rotated around to pork. They're pretty good, I thought.

Giant shrimp: Yeah, place has slow times like any other. I went at 5 pm on a Sunday to catch the beginning of happy hour with some friends who were about to fly out of town and the place was dead. It was almost depressingly quiet: empty and bright does not suit Oyamel. Still, it's tough as ever to get close to the bar on a Friday or Saturday night.

For my part, I was there last week, and by pure happenstance caught my favorite bartender on his last night. Apparently wanting a change after having been with the company a few years, he's taken a position as bar manager/tender at The News Cafe. JP does really good work behind the bar. While there, I had this excellent ginger and rum drink, which was not as sweet as I expected, and thankfully, not as powerfully gingery as it very easily could have been. The previous week I had a variation on his "White Rose" (I forget what's in this one...know it uses Agavero) that instead of a rosepetal garnish had a maguey worm. Less of a girl drink.

I also hear that Jose Andres is up to something. The move to Andale, if it happens, might not be just a simple relocation.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I also hear that Jose Andres is up to something. The move to Andale, if it happens, might not be just a simple relocation.

What I don't undertand is how they can recoup an investment in the sort of build-out that Oyamel represents in such a short period of time.

[Michael Landrum]

What I don't undertand is how they can recoup an investment in the sort of build-out that Oyamel represents in such a short period of time.

It is my understanding that Charles Smith picked up the entire tab for Oyamel, which often happens for name chefs, but I could be wrong.

[DonRocks]

Tom Sez

a soon-to-be-vacated, 140-seat restaurant space

Todd Sez

restaurant I am not currrently at liberty to divulge

Hell, nobody ever asked me not to divulge anything. Does this mean I can dish? (P.S. there's a bit more to the story than this...)

[Biscuit Girl]

Tom Sez

Todd Sez

Hell, nobody ever asked me not to divulge anything. Does this mean I can dish?

Dish Away! Enquiring minds want to know the dirt.

[xdcx]

Dish Away! Enquiring minds want to know the dirt.

uh, oyamel closing, getting replaced by bebo by donna. it's in tom's chat if you read between the lines.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

uh, oyamel closing, getting replaced by bebo by donna. it's in tom's chat if you read between the lines.

Oyamel closing or Oyamel moving (to the Andale space)?

[Biscuit Girl]

uh, oyamel closing, getting replaced by bebo by donna. it's in tom's chat if you read between the lines.

No need to snark......I just thought he had something new on that subject. Sheesh.

[xdcx]

Oyamel closing or Oyamel moving (to the Andale space)?

that's in the chat too if you want to read between more lines. either way it's closing it's doors in crystal city and donna is taking over the space at some point before october if what tom provided is correct.

[DonRocks]

I just thought he had something new on that subject.

eye dew

But I'll just leave it at this: I'm very good at keeping secrets. But I need to be told what's going on, in advance, from the source rather than hearing things through the rumor mill (which I always do). At any given moment, I'm sitting on several pretty big news items, but I don't tell a soul because the people involved have asked me not to. Cheers, Rocks.

[brr]

that's in the chat too if you want to read between more lines. either way it's closing it's doors in crystal city and donna is taking over the space at some point before october if what tom provided is correct.

this piece in the Post today seems related to this discussion

Taste of Spain to the city early next year.

Veteran restaurateur Rob Wilder and chef José Andrés already count seven dining establishments in their portfolio: Café Atlantico , Minibar by José Andrés , Zaytinya , Oyamel and three locations of Jaleo , the popular tapas bar. The formation of their new company, THINKfoodGROUP , and its subsidiary, THINKfoodTANK , is a way for the team to manage existing properties, develop new concepts and foster Andrés's work beyond the restaurants. Already a star abroad, for instance, with his cooking show on Spanish national TV, the 37-year-old chef has plans to host an American series in 2008.

The news puts to rest rumors that Andrés is leaving the market. "It was important to reassure all of our people and the public that while José's opportunities are growing," says Wilder, the founder of Austin Grill restaurants, "his base will be in D.C."

The good news for the staffs of Café Atlantico, Minibar and company: THINKfoodTANK is about to sign a lease for space in Penn Quarter where kitchen workers and others can conduct their research. The yet-to-be-publicized location will also house something for the general public: a small restaurant (the working title is Bar José ) that will celebrate the cooking of Spain.

Reached last week in southern Spain, where he was officially on vacation but awaiting the arrival of two chefs from Minibar, Andrés said the food in the forthcoming venue will be "very simple, very traditional. The product will be king!" The finest cheeses, the best ham, prized mushrooms and cured tuna loin will be among the draws, he added. Wilder refers to Bar José, which will have room for fewer than 30 diners, as "Minibar goes traditional."

Do we see a line forming already?

[CrescentFresh]

You can get seriously stuffed on $1.50 fish tacos (as well as other small plates) and $4 margaritas really easily at Oyamel. Big pieces of fish in the tacos tonight, too.

Tonight was the second time in the last 2 weeks that Oyamel became a really nice $20 Tuesday. And that's including tax and tip. Actually, it only came to about $18/person tonight.

I'm having much more luck, success, and pleasure sitting at the bar at Oyamel than at the tables. Of course, you never know who you might run into in there. Lots of riff raff.

[joncephine]

Speaking of riff raff, E and I ate there on Saturday afternoon. And we managed not to injure the waitstaff or ourselves*, and broke no glassware. That in itself should make it a good night!

This was our first time at Oyamel (I know, terrible since we live right up the street - we didn't go to Rays until after we moved away from there, either) and we were quite glad we went.

Whenever I go to a restaurant, I think I'm just going to start answering "Yes" to the seemingly ubiquitous question "Is this the first time you've been here?" I started defaulting to "no" after some chain restaurant followed that up with, "Well, welcome! We're glad you chose us for your dining pleasure today!" and offered no insight into the menu. Our server at Oyamel, instead, took it upon himself to steer us along the menu in some of the right directions.

Also? E is NOT a tapas person. Which is probably the real reason we have not visited Oyamel yet.

So, we started off with the squash blossoms and the 'mexican potatoes' which were fries with a little mole and probably a Oaxacan cheese (I didn't pay that close attention). I liked the squash blossoms, E liked the potatoes, but the mole was a little bitter for our taste - which we didn't notice since mixed with the cheese it was great. Then, as an "entree" (since E won't do just tapas) I had the baby pig tacos and he had the steak. I was very happy with the tacos, and we raved over the entree. This is where the bitterness of the mole was a little too much for us, so we just sampled the tortillas, but between the two of us, we practically licked the rest of the entree plate.

And I topped it all off with the hibiscus margarita.... defintely a great welcome-back-to-home-after-a-vacation meal.

Only dim spot? The salsa on the complimentary chips/salsa was great (it was the chipotle) but the chips were stale. We didn't worry about it so much, but it turned us off to the salsa antojito.

---

*yeah, I might have a scar. on my forehead. from a square plate at a not-bad indian restaurant in cambridge. probably a story for another thread.

[ladle]

I learned about Taco Tuesdays from this thread and have to say thanks! I had the steak and tilapia tacos along with the 5 salsas (my favorite part of the deal). Topped off with the Oyamel margarita, which is strangely the only marg I like, it was a great meal!

[Tujague]

Tom Sietsema's just confirmed the rumors. Saturday is the last night for Oyamel in Crystal City before Roberta Donna moves in, and then it will move to Andale's old space.

[DonRocks]

BTW, if anyone got a press release saying Oyamel will be open for dinner in January ... it ain't gonna happen!

I just talked with Joe Raffa and they're not there just yet. BTW, congratulations, Joe!

Cheers,

Rocks.

[Sundae in the Park]

BTW, if anyone got a press release saying Oyamel will be open for dinner in January ... it ain't gonna happen!

I just talked with Joe Raffa and they're not there just yet. BTW, congratulations, Joe!

Cheers,

Rocks.

Oh, oh, I hope when Oyamel reopens they will bring back the mushroom soup from the original opening (I think) menu. It was sooooo good (huge bowl of exotic mushrooms in densely meaty broth), perfect for winter, and such a good value. I miss it.

[Escoffier]

Grover and I attended the soft opening of Oyamel this evening. Just a short synopsis of some of the (many) dishes we had:

- Guacamole-made at the table and very good. Most places who do this do it for show. In this case, all the ingredients came together extremely well. There wasn't a bit left.

- Pollo Mole - a section of breast and a full leg and thigh. The chicken was tender and juicy. Not a flashy dish, just good, tasty chicken.

- Camarones - well cooked sizeable shrimp. We found this dish to be a bit salty but the shrimp were not rubbery or tough, they were cooked exactly right for my taste. Nice spicy bite.

- Short ribs - OMG this was a super-fine rendition of short ribs. Fork cuttingly tender, great beefy flavor.

- Flank steak - Another slightly over-salty dish. If you can ignore the slight oversalting, another exactly right beef dish. Nicely pink in the center and very juicy.

and finally the Tres Leche was heavenly...

The soft opening continues through the weekend with the official opening due on Feb 23. Chef Joe Raffa looks happier than I've seen him in a long time and the food reflects his happiness. He's still adjusting the seasonings on the food (see above) but for a soft opening, everything seems to be coming together very well. Grover and I both left totally full and very happy. I'd say this is an auspicious re-opening for Oyamel. We both look forward to going back (and seeing some of our (former) Majestic friends who are working there is also very welcome).

[purplesachi]

politburo and i also attended the soft opening of oyamel last night.

when we got there it was quite empty - we were probably one of the first people there. but as the night progressed, more and more people started showing up.

they still have the hanging butterflies around the dining room, which was nice to see.

there is also a regular bar, which is where we sat, and has about 8-10 seats. they also have a ceviche bar, which is in the corner of the restaurant, so if you were outside at 7th and D, you could watch them make the ceviche plates. i think there were 4 seats at the ceviche bar. i was also told by one of the bartenders that the ceviche bar is also where they assemble the desserts, though, i didn't happen to notice from which direction our dessert came from.

they had pitchers of margaritas (which i don't believe they had at the crystal city location), which i thought was a steal - $30/pitcher, which served like 5-7 drinks for us. if you order one margarita, i think it was $9. so we went into it thinking, if we at least drink three, it'll be worth it. (we actually ended up almost finishing the pitcher ) i think they are still working out the kinks with the pitcher, because the bartenders asked us about how many drinks we got out of the pitcher. i wouldn't be surprised if they change the price of the pitcher in the future.

the bartenders also gave us a sample of a traditional non-alcoholic mexican drink, (horchata, i think is the name), and it was sweet and made with ground up rice. it tasted like rice pudding but in drink form.

the menu is very similar to the previous menu, with some new items on there. they have a "reopening" special, chapulina tacos: grasshopper tacos famous in oaxaca. we opted to try one (you can now order individual tacos instead of getting a pair of them). i was skeptical because i don't like the idea of eating insects, but i couldn't resist just trying it once. i could tell that they were grasshoppers upon first glance, so i just took a bite without looking hoping for the best. it had an earthy flavor, and had a bit of crunch. it wasn't bad, though, i don't know if i could eat it again. especially when they still had the carnitas (pork suckling tacos topped with crumbled/crushed chicharon) on the menu, which was just as fantastic as i remembered them back in crystal city.

other things we ordrered:

papas al mole - just as i remembered. deep fried potatoes topped with mole, cream and sesame seeds.

ceviche de atun - 4 tiny bites of tuna ceviche and red onion, wrapped in a thin layer of jicama, and served with a cilantro puree

nopalitos - baby cactus salad with tomatoes, red onions, and prickly pear vinagrette

we finished off the night by sharing the cafe de olla dessert. it was fantastic. i'm not exactly sure how to describe what it was. the bartender described it as a mexican chocolate flan, but it had more of a fudgy (or flourless cake) consistency. it was served with anise ice cream, and a kahula/coffee gelee. i'm already thinking about how i'm going to stop in there saturday night and order this dessert again.

they are obviously still working out the kinks (i inquired about a private room and i was told that the room to the right of the bar was going to be the private room, for about 40 people, and they were still planning on putting up glass doors to segregate that area), but based on our experience during their soft opening, we'll definitely be back soon.

[jparrott]

Are they serving tongue again? They took it off the CC menu after having it when they opened.

[DMcCabe]

Are they serving tongue again? They took it off the CC menu after having it when they opened.

Yes they have a beef tounge taco on the menu

[jm chen]

Are they taking walk-ins over the weekend or is it invite-only til the official opening on the 23rd? We're going to be in the neighborhood for a show and tacos sound like the perfect pre- or post-show dining experience.

[purplesachi]

Are they taking walk-ins over the weekend or is it invite-only til the official opening on the 23rd? We're going to be in the neighborhood for a show and tacos sound like the perfect pre- or post-show dining experience.

i think walk-ins are fine. politburo and i just happened to go on opentable and see that oyamel was listed, even though the website says 'opening in march'. so we called to see what the deal was and they said 'soft opening this weekend'.

i'd just go and stop by.

[Politburo]

Are they taking walk-ins over the weekend or is it invite-only til the official opening on the 23rd? We're going to be in the neighborhood for a show and tacos sound like the perfect pre- or post-show dining experience.

Pretty sure the weekend (well, Saturday) is just walk-ins. Closed Sunday and Monday, then Tues-Thurs next week is a reservations only benefit, according to a flyer we picked up. $75 all-you-can-eat a la carte (+$ for booze/tip/tax).

[Edited to add that next week's event is a benefit]

[jm chen]

Went to scout the new Oyamel on Saturday night and virtually everything we had was delicious. The place was seriously hopping, w/every table full and folks a couple deep along the bar, but it seemed to be running smoothly despite the crowds.

Three of us split a pitcher of margaritas, the tableside guac, and a heap of small plates (oxtail and pork tacos, mushroom enchiladas, ceviche, corn cakes w/chorizo, plantain fritters w/coconut sauce, short ribs, pollo in mole, stuffed pepper, chocolate cake...). Pre-tip damage, about $130, including $28 for the pitcher.

Out of the gazillion things we had, the only one I wouldn't order again is the red snapper ceviche, which was a small portion and seemed to have more avocado than snapper in it. Everything else was fantastic. Particular the oxtail tacos, which I think are al pastor, and the pork ones, which were cochinita pibil. Great flavors all around. Especially the pepper stuffed with ground beef, potatoes, raisins and pine nuts, served in cream sauce with pomegranate seeds. Busy? Yes. But delicious.

A fine addition to Andres' ever-growing Penn Quarter empire.

[JLK]

Is Oyamel open tonight? I can't tell from the web site which focuses on this week's benefits (T-Th).

[Rieux]

Went to Oyamel last night with 5 friends. I travel to Mexico City a lot and love the food, so I always made the trek to VA from DC for mole, huitlacoche, etc. at Oyamel.

The food, just as it was in VA, was very good. They've added some new items like chilaquiles and chiles en nogada that used to be specials to the regular menu.

But, the service was simply bizarre. The waiter was friendly enough, but when he asked if we had eaten there before, and some people in my party said no, he launched into a 5 minute explanation of the menu. Literally, 5 minutes, even though it was obvious that we were bored and wanted to get back to our conversation. I understand a brief "this is like tapas" lecture, but there is no need to explain every single category on the menu. We know what the words salads and soups mean. You don't need to tell us that salads are listed under, well, salads!

Also, the waiter poured our pitcher of margaritas from so high above the table that he spilled a lot of the drink on the table each time he filled one of the six glasses. I think $10 of margarita ended up in our napkins.

Finally, I understand that this is tapas style and that all food comes out when it is ready. Still, some people received all three of their plates at once at the begininng and I and other friend had to wait AN HOUR until even one of ours came out. We asked several times what was going on, and the answer was "I put the order all in at the same time, sorry." I understand maybe 15 minutes between different items, but AN HOUR? I had to sit there watching my friends eat, starving, while waiting.

I still love the food, and it's nice to have Oyamel in the city, but man, the service is ROUGH!

[acevedo81]

Having worked with Jose Andres' restaurants before (I don't anymore), I just wanted to add some perspective to your description of the service as you see it. At all the restaurants in the company (jaleo, zaytinya, oyamel... cafe atlantico is differently managed), management insists on a description of the menu and how it works, regarding the small plates and insisting on sharing all the plates. I know it sounds tedious and it is in fact very tedious and boring to listen to, but these servers get graded (by shoppers) on that introduction with horrible consequences if they skip any part of the service steps (the intro being huge part of it). As far as the intro goes i would say your server was new and inexperienced, but this is an issue you could take to the restaurant, b/c it's part of their jobs to give you that intro (whether they do it or not). The margarita, I don't know what to say... yea that was bad. On the food getting to your table with some people getting food and others not getting it, well that is the nature of tapas or antojitos, where the restaurant assumes that the tables' food is everyone's food (a philosophy that jaleo, zaytinya and oyamel work with). It is up to the server to course your meal, when i worked at jaleo i had my own way of coursing which may or may not work (cold items, then seafood, then meats, along with meat friendly vegetables), I see it probably would not have worked out with your table, but that's what makes these restaurants casual, where people share their food and try new things. On another note, I don't think there is an excuse for having to wait 1 hour for your food.

[FunnyJohn]

Oyamel was doing brisk business last night. A companion and I arrived sometime between 7 and 8, and were told that it would be about 20 minutes for a table. We got about halfway through our glasses of wine at the bar before the thingy with the lights and vibrator went off in my pocket and we had the menu in hand at our table. The server did go through the spiel about how the menu was set up, but he did it succinctly and took our orders. He warned my friend that the Caesar salad was large and he wasn't kidding. But I got a half plate full from her and it was yummy -- almost classic except that the cheese was fried, so it worked like croutons would have if they had been a part. Had another couple of small plates washed down with the least expensive of their fine selection of Mezcal. The Mezcal hit me like a bomb (note to self avoid mixing with too much wine). Also had the "flan" which is more like a Mexican chocolate/caramel soup with a dollop of ice cream -- some of which managed to get transferred to my napkin and then to my khakis -- my dry cleaner loves me! Very good though. Did't experience any of the service issues mentioned above on a busy Friday night. Probably had the A team working the floor, or maybe they have worked the bugs out. It's good to have this establishment more conveniently located (at least for me) than previously.

[DMcCabe]

How about Jose and the team beating the pants off of Bobby Flay last night on Iron Chef!! Congrats to our very own DC chefs for showing the world what we've got!

[monsterriffs]

I had a pleasant Oyamel experience yesterday afternoon after witnessing the Wizards' shellacking at the hands of the Bulls. The lady and I both had the Tacos de hongos, a taco of sauteed wild mushrooms, garlic and shallots w/ guac and Cambray onions, and we also split the Arrachera con salsa de chile guajillo,

piña y cacahuates and Ensalada de palmitos, the former being a grilled skirt steak with a guajillo chili, tomato and onion sauce on a bed of a thinly sliced pineapple and crushed peanuts, while the latter was a salad of hearts of palm, various orange segments (I believe there was grapefruit in there as well), radishes, and avocados. I really enjoyed both the steak, which was appropriate rare to medium-rare, while the salad had a great balance of sweetness and tanginess to it, and I was particularly pleased with the addition of a blood orange.

As for tacos, in addition to the wild mushrooms, I also had the Tinga poblana, which was a stew of shredded chicken, chorizo, potatoes and chipotle topped w/ a red onion, and the Cochinita pibil con cebolla en escabeche, which was Yucatan-style pit barbecued pork with pickled red onion and Mexican sour orange. The Cochinita was probably my favorite of the three, because of the pickled red onion.

Overall, the experience was really pleasant given the airiness of the decor and the food. The service lagged a bit at the beginning due to what I surmise was a mix-up with who was serving our table, but once Maria C (I believe) took over, service was attentive and expedient, but not overbearing.

No chapulines this time, but given the extensive tequila selection, who knows what my next visit holds!

[LizH]

I finally tried the new Oyamel a few days ago for lunch. I would say I will go back for drinks and apps for sure, it does seem a bit pricy if you want to leave full. We shared the Guacamole, which was good, though for a group of 6 it was not a huge order, I must remember next time to go with less people... I had the Oxtail taco, which I enjoyed, but it is a bit pricy. I shared the Chicken Mole entree. I am glad I shared it, as it was pretty rich for me. The drunken beans that came with it were ok, but so soupy it was kind of hard to eat. It had some rice in it, but perhaps they could add more. We shared the Mexican hot chocolate, which we all enjoyed very much. On the way out I asked about the "fruit water" on the bar and was given a taste of the Watermelon juice. I would like to have that again on a hot day this summer. I didn't get to try any of the other drinks, so I will have to go back soon.

[TinDC]

Mmmm, I love watermelon juice! I drank tons of it in Mexico. Now I really want to check out Oyamel.

[christopherc]

Had great Classic Margaritas Saturday afternoon along with some very good chips and sala. A group of police officers in town from Connecticut had just finished eating before we arrived and were singing the foods praises. We ended up at Central but will go back to Oyamel.

[Al Dente]

I don't know why this place isn't getting frequent mad props around here. I took my semi-adventurous parents a few weeks ago and we loved it. So last night I went by myself and had a seat at the bar and enjoyed the hell out of the following:

Alabanuxtzotzil

A traditional tomato salad from Chiapas with pork rinds, serrano chili, tomatoes, onions, radish and a lime dressing. At first I thought there were too many pieces of pork rind, but the ratio worked out well-- a salty fatty crunch to each lime dressed slice of tomato.

Camarones al epazote

Shrimp sautéed with tequila, shallots and scallions, served with epazote herb oil and chipotle peppers in adobo tomato sauce. It seems I'm always getting overcooked shrimp. Not this time. Perfectly tender and succulent, these shimp had a wonderfully bright flavor.

Arrachera con salsa de chile guajillo, pií±a y cacahuates

Grilled skirt steak in a sauce of smoky guajillo chili, tomato and onion, with thinly sliced pineapple and crushed peanuts. This was a fairly simple dish that I'd like to recreate at home.

Chilaquiles con salsa de tomatillo, queso y cilantro

Fresh hand-made tortilla chips with melted Chihuahua and Oaxaca cheese, green tomatillo salsa, cilantro and red onion. Definitely a heavy dish, but with some tasty cheeses. The chips are solid enough to retain some crunch under the salsa and melted cheese.

The service at the bar was very good despite how slammed he was when I first walked in. They've really got a good thing going-- stop by some night and give it a try.

[lackadaisi]

I don't know why this place isn't getting frequent mad props around here.

If anyone else has experienced the really bad service that we have, that may be a part of it. We stopped by several weeks ago, and all I remember now is that the food that we tried was hit or miss (can't even remember what we tried), the service was bad, the place was extraordinarily loud, and the agua frescas were amazingly good.

We will try again, but nothing made us want to return soon (other than the agua frescas, which I could have everyday).

[monsterriffs]

I enjoy the Oyamel, but it's definitely a "like this establishment" vs. a "LOVE this establishment" sort of restaurant. If I'm in the neighborhood and I have the hankering, I'll stop in. However, I wouldn't really go out of my way to go here.

Still...I'm all about the taco variety.

[Al Dente]

When I went a few weeks ago with my family, I tried the grasshopper taco. I sort of liked it. The sauce would have masked the flavor of just about anything, so I can't say whether or not I'd enjoy a more straightforward insect preparation.

I did spend the rest of the night picking antennae out of my teeth.

[Spiral Stairs]

...I did spend the rest of the night picking antennae out of my teeth.

[Crosses grasshopper taco off list entitled Things I Might Try Someday If Sufficiently Drunk and adds it to list entitled Things I Would Try Only If Necessary For Personal Safety Or National Security.]

[Pool Boy]

After seeing Hamlet yesterday (so-so production), my wife and I were hoping to hit Rasika (closed), then Central (closed), or even Ten Penh (closed), so we ended up at Oyamel.

But it was interesting to try Oyamel. My overall impression was that it was decent. The service was OK, but we were seated right next to the place where the waitrons punched in their orders, so there was always somebody right next to me or right behind me. Grr. The experience overall was decent enough, but I'm not likely to seek it out and go there with a purpose. I also prefer Jaleo and Zaytinya to this joint.

The food was all at least OK. Here's a list of the tacos we sampled --

• Carnitas con salsa de tomatillo -- Confit of baby pig with green tomatillo sauce, pork rinds, onions and cilantro
• Cochinita pibil con cebolla en escabeche -- Yucatan-style pit barbecued pork with pickled red onion and Mexican sour orange
• Tinga Poblana -- Stew of shredded chicken with potatoes, chorizo, and chipotle, topped with red onion
• Rabo de buey al pastor con laminas de pií±a -- Braised oxtail with tomatoes and peppers, served with pineapple, onions and cilantro
• Tacos de hongos -- Sautéed seasonal wild mushrooms with garlic and shallots, served with guacamole

The first had pork that was a bit too tough and the flavors just didn't deliver. The 2nd was better, the pork was much more tender, but ther sour orange was MIA. The chicken and potato thing was good, and my wife liked it more than I did. The oxtail was quite tasty and full of flavor. But the best taco was the mushroom one. Very good. I could eat 6 of these. Which brings up the point that all of these tacos were pretty small. Good, but small.

We also had a couple more things --

• Cebollitas Cambray -- Grilled Cambray onions in mole almendrado sauce of almonds, chili and a touch of chocolate
• Sopes de papas con chorizo -- Traditional corn flour cake topped with chorizo, potatoes, refried beans and light Mexican cream

The onion dish was pretty mediocre. The sopes were good enough.

We did have some Oyamel margaritas, and they were very good (if pricey).

[DonRocks]

If you like the guacamole at Cafe Atlantico, you'll also like it at Oyamel. Mixed and served tableside, it pays to order it spicy because, unlike some guacamoles which are simply chili-and-onion-bound, this had enough lime and salt to balance the spice, and coupled with the cool avocado, it came across as properly zesty, not murderously hot. The neutral-tasting chips work better with the guacamole than they do with the relatively bland salsa, and they're thick enough not to snap when you use them as shovels. Thirteen dollars is pushing the price point for this dish, which uses only 1-1/2 avocados, but the presentation takes several minutes and it's served in a real stone vessel.

The Quesadilla Huitlacoche ($8.00) should be ordered with the guacamole, not afterwards. Served with plenty of oaxaca cheese and corn kernels inside of a piping-hot corn tortilla, the earthiness of the huitlacoche serves as a perfect foil for the salty, limey acidity of the guacamole.

Margaritas are not optional with this highly recommended combination, but starting at $9 and going up from there, you're at risk of doubling the bill very quickly - I speak from experience here.

Cheers,

Rocks.

[JLK]

How was the service? I was there two Sundays ago for a snack and the service was so absent-minded that I was too frustrated to recount it at the time. The food we ordered and ate was OK, but nothing to rush back for. The price does indeed climb quickly for those very small portions.

[DonRocks]

How was the service? I was there two Sundays ago for a snack and the service was so absent-minded that I was too frustrated to recount it at the time. The food we ordered and ate was OK, but nothing to rush back for. The price does indeed climb quickly for those very small portions.

I'm impressed with Jorge as a bartender - the last two times I was there, he left me with the feeling that I was in good hands, especially when I had questions about tequila and mezcal.

[monsterriffs]

That baby pig confit taco is fan-frigging-tastic in all its pork-driven glory.