la.foodblogging

When one thinks of Mexican food, the inevitable thought turns to tacos, burritos, and the like. Perhaps this is a function of Taco Bell and Del Taco commercializing the cuisine. Whether this is the case or not, living in LA, there is a myriad of variation in Mexican food that sometimes goes unnoticed. I myself am somewhat guilty of it as well. However, last December I went down to Oaxaca for vacation and experienced what some say is the best type of Mexican. Given how much I ate, I might actually agree.

Thankfully, I don’t have to travel back to Mexico to savor Oaxacan cuisine because of Guelaguetza. I knew I would love the food when we were given a plate of warms chips drizzled with red mole sauce and some mexican cheese. It was so good that we actually were given another because we finished the first plate so quickly.

I ordered the enchiladas with chorizo and red mole sauce. Here, the enchiladas aren’t rolled up tortillas stuffed with cheese. Rather, it is a layer of tortillas with cheese on top and then covered with the mole. The chorizo was pretty good, but I should have gone with the tazajo (beef), the cecina (pork), or the chicken. The sauce was amazing and made the dish for me. It had a sweet flavor that developed into a slightly spicy taste.


My dad had the barbacoa roja de chivo(goat), which came cooked in a bowl of broth flavored with dried chiles, avocado leaves, and herbs. While I expected it to be tough, the meat was very tender. The flavor meat was a great combination of the broth and the natural goat. My dad thought the broth was so good he started drinking it after eating the goat.

My mom had the shrimp, which were smothered in garlic and lemon. Personally, I didn’t like the taste since I’m more of a fan of the natural taste of seafood. Additionally, I find that the more herbs on seafood, the more likely it is that the seafood isn’t as fresh.

Finally we had the flan napolitano for dessert. This was supposed to be the Oaxacan style flan. It was thicker than normal flan and less sweet. I liken it to a cross between normal flan and bread pudding, both things I love.

Gueleguetza supposedly offers very good margaritas and an assortment of mexican beers. However, the real draw is the variety of non-alcoholic drinks they have. I had the horchata, which was excellent. It came with some diced walnuts and some cantelope slices. It really served to complement my meal.

Overall, I was extremely happy to have found and gone here. The service was very friendly and the food was excellent. The kitchen is somewhat small and it can get very busy so you might have to wait a bit for your food. But that just means you can sit around, have a drink, and converse, which is what a good meal really should be about.

Guelaguetza
11127 Palms Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90034

By Jeff (see more of his posts).