Oaxacan at Restaurante Sofia
Next to Bósforo, a popular little mezcal bar, sits Restaurante Sofia. A place that hones in on local ingredients to create Oxacan inspired dishes. The restaurant resides in the Cuauhtemoc District west of Centro. There’s not much to do around the area. So our trip here, actually our long walk here, was just to eat. There’s the bar next door obviously, but that’s about it.
When you walk into the restaurant you’re immediately hit with the wonderful scents of what’s cooking. The open kitchen takes up the whole right half of the restaurant. Cooks are busy making dishes and keeping the stock of tortillas ready and fresh. You’ll want to stop and watch but the place is pretty narrow. You’ll only be in the way of the servers.
Seating here may be problematic for any groups larger than four. We were a party of six with a baby. They sat us down at a table in the back. We barely fit and wondered if there was going to be enough room for our food. That’s important right?? Luckily, we were all sharing food. We’ll clear out dishes pretty quick just passing them around. What was mainly disappointing though was the lighting. A bit dark for a full on DSLR, when you happen to bring the wrong lens. However, it was perfect for your smartphones. Time to make your other friends hungry.
Overall, this was a great restaurant. It had the unique flavors we were hoping to find. And with the size of our group, we almost ate the whole menu. Each item becoming a talking point for us, including the vegetarian. His food is covered on his Instagram account. I’ll assume you’re an carnivore like me. And if I were you, I’d make a special trip to try this place.
Restaurante Sofia
Luis Moya 31
Colonia Centro
06000 CDMX, Mexico
Verdict: I highly recommend this place for just some downright good food.
Just look at that beauty. Octopus legs seasoned with mora chile and cooked to perfection. You will have to order this when you’re here. $200 MXD
Of course I had to love this soup. It’s a sour and savory soup with cuts of catfish. The flavors our very similar to a Vietnamese soup, canh cua. Happy to discover Oaxacan cuisine carries a similar dish. $170 MXD
Accompanying the bone marrow were the freshly made tortillas.
This was two orders, two pieces each, of their bone marrow cooked with with potatoes and papalo. $140 MXD / 2 pieces
What’s chicatana you ask? Why it’s ants. And this wasn’t a concoction made to dare the tourist. These ants are an important ingredient in Oaxacan cuisine. And after having it in this tamale, I can taste why. $75 MXD
This was my choice for a tamale, the one with mussels. Not bad though it tasted exactly as I’d imagine. A moist tamale with whole mussels scattered throughout. $98 MXD
Here’s our first starter, an Instagramable plate of fish cerviche with the blue corn tortilla chips. Everyone get your cameras ready! $175 MXD
This place carries local artisanal beers from Guadalajara, Mexico. I didn’t get the price on it, but it didn’t break the bank.
Complimentary to every table were two salsas and blue corn tortilla chips.