Guzina Oaxaca

Guzina Oaxaca, as the name implies, delivers Chef Alejandro Ruíz’s take on the Oaxacan region’s cuisine, a favorite cuisine throughout Mexico. Chef Ruíz has attempted to elevate what is typically a comfort food cuisine, to gourmet status.

Ruíz has attempted to put his concepts of modern Mexican cuisine into recipes he enjoyed while growing up in native Oaxaca, and made authenticity a priority in constructing the restaurant’s menu.

To fulfill this objective, Chef Ruíz brings ingredients from Oaxaca by truck, twice a week.

He weaves these ingredients into dishes, some familiar to local residents in the Polanco, others more unique and bit of mystery.

In customary Mexican fashion, there’s an employee at the front of the restaurant manning a hot “plancha” where the tortillas are cooked and the creamy cheese in the quesadillas are morphed into an oozing goodness, mixed with a variety of ingredients.

For brunch, I had the quesadillas with the huitlacoche, another with mushrooms and with Mexican sausage.

On a prior visit a companion and I had the octopus and an assortment of tamales.

Everything was delicious and the service and ambiance in the stylishly decorated dining area were just as impressive. I also received a pleasant surprise at the conclusion of the meal. The check didn’t require me to break the piggy bank. Everything on the menu was priced under US$10.

This is ComaBeba’s pick for experiencing Oaxacan cuisine in Mexico City.