Taco Stand in Mexico City Gets Michelin Star
2024-05-18
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1Mexico City's Tacos El Califa de León recently became the first Mexican taco stand to get a Michelin star - an award presented by the famous French restaurant guide.
2Chef Arturo Rivera Martínez recently stood over a very hot grill when Michelin representatives came to present him with one of the company's heavy white chef's coats.
3But Rivera Martinez did not put the jacket on.
4In this very small, 3-meter by 3-meter business space, the heat makes the meat.
5And the heat is strong.
6At El Califa de León there are only four things on the menu -- all of them tacos.
7The food business has been doing the same four things since opening in 1968.
8"The secret is the simplicity of our taco. It has only a tortilla, red or green sauce, and that's it. That, and the quality of the meat," said Rivera Martínez.
9He is also probably the only Michelin-starred chef who, when asked what drink should go with his food, answers "I like a Coke."
10Other than perhaps one street food stand in Bangkok, Thailand, El Califa de León is probably the smallest restaurant ever to get a Michelin star.
11And half of the small space is taken up by a solid steel plate grill that is hotter than the salsa.
12Thousands of times a day, Rivera Martínez gets a fresh, thinly sliced piece of beef and puts it on the hot steel grill.
13The heat is one of the few secrets Rivera Martínez would share.
14The steel grill has to be heated to 360 Celsius.
15Asked how it felt to get a Michelin star, he said in classic Mexico City slang, "it's neat, it's cool."
16The prices at his stand are quite high by Mexican standards.
17A single taco costs nearly $5. But many customers are sure it is the best in the city.
18"It's the quality of the meat," said Alberto Muñoz, who has been coming to the place for about eight years.
19"I have never been disappointed. And now I'll recommend it with even more reason, now that it has a star."
20His son, Alan, who was waiting for a beef taco alongside his father, noted "this is a historic day for Mexican cuisine, and we're witnesses to it."
21It really is about not changing anything - the freshness of the tortillas, the menu, the design of the restaurant.
22Owner Mario Hernández Alonso will not even tell where he buys the stand's meat.
23By law, following the coronavirus pandemic, Mexico City restaurants have been permitted to open up street-side seating areas.
24But El Califa de León does not even have a sidewalk where customers could eat because of all the street vendors.
25Asked if he would like them to make room for a street-side seating area, Hernández Alonso said pointing to the street vendors, "As the saying goes, why fix or change something that's alright? You shouldn't fix anything... It's the way God ordered things, and you have to deal with it."
26I'm Caty Weaver.
1Mexico City's Tacos El Califa de León recently became the first Mexican taco stand to get a Michelin star - an award presented by the famous French restaurant guide. 2Chef Arturo Rivera Martínez recently stood over a very hot grill when Michelin representatives came to present him with one of the company's heavy white chef's coats. But Rivera Martinez did not put the jacket on. 3In this very small, 3-meter by 3-meter business space, the heat makes the meat. And the heat is strong. 4At El Califa de León there are only four things on the menu -- all of them tacos. The food business has been doing the same four things since opening in 1968. 5"The secret is the simplicity of our taco. It has only a tortilla, red or green sauce, and that's it. That, and the quality of the meat," said Rivera Martínez. He is also probably the only Michelin-starred chef who, when asked what drink should go with his food, answers "I like a Coke." 6Other than perhaps one street food stand in Bangkok, Thailand, El Califa de León is probably the smallest restaurant ever to get a Michelin star. And half of the small space is taken up by a solid steel plate grill that is hotter than the salsa. 7Thousands of times a day, Rivera Martínez gets a fresh, thinly sliced piece of beef and puts it on the hot steel grill. 8The heat is one of the few secrets Rivera Martínez would share. The steel grill has to be heated to 360 Celsius. 9Asked how it felt to get a Michelin star, he said in classic Mexico City slang, "it's neat, it's cool." 10The prices at his stand are quite high by Mexican standards. A single taco costs nearly $5. But many customers are sure it is the best in the city. 11"It's the quality of the meat," said Alberto Muñoz, who has been coming to the place for about eight years. "I have never been disappointed. And now I'll recommend it with even more reason, now that it has a star." 12His son, Alan, who was waiting for a beef taco alongside his father, noted "this is a historic day for Mexican cuisine, and we're witnesses to it." 13It really is about not changing anything - the freshness of the tortillas, the menu, the design of the restaurant. Owner Mario Hernández Alonso will not even tell where he buys the stand's meat. 14By law, following the coronavirus pandemic, Mexico City restaurants have been permitted to open up street-side seating areas. But El Califa de León does not even have a sidewalk where customers could eat because of all the street vendors. 15Asked if he would like them to make room for a street-side seating area, Hernández Alonso said pointing to the street vendors, "As the saying goes, why fix or change something that's alright? You shouldn't fix anything... It's the way God ordered things, and you have to deal with it." 16I'm Caty Weaver. 17Mark Stevenson reported on this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for VOA Learning English. 18________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20grill - n. a metal object or frame that is used to cook food over hot coals or a fire 21tortilla - n. a round, thin Mexican bread 22slang - n. an informal word or expression used in everyday situations 23cuisine - n. a kind of cooking 24vendor - n. a person who sells something (often on the street)