HIGH CABO DIET
Everything good in Mexico starts with ‘T’: tacos, tostadas, tamales, tortillas and tequila. Yet apart from being a foodie’s paradise, it is also famous for its beach resorts, music, chilling, celebrity spotting … and tourism.
Apart from being a foodie’s paradise, Mexico is also famous for its beach resorts, music, and celebrity spotting.
Ask any resident of Mexico and they’ll tell you about the five best things that will ever pass your lips. Juicy soft tacos al pastor, heaped high with marinated pork, are a pure delight. Bearing the weight of marinated chunks of fresh ahi tuna, crispy tostadas are the ultimate lunch to enjoy by the beach. Quality tequila – and its cousin, mezcal – will kick off the best night you’ll never remember. Add tamales and tortillas for the full foodie deck.
The ingestible hallmarks of an irresistibly vibrant culture can be enjoyed for a few pesos on the streets of Mexico City or paired with celebrity sightings in the glamorous oceanfront resorts of Los Cabos. From the cities to the white-sand beaches and mountainous inland regions, Mexico is a foodie’s paradise.
Even the dearly departed are well fed, at least in spirit, on the annual Día de los Muertos – Day of the Dead. Each November, families and friends gather by the graves of their loved ones and remember their lives with a joyous feast. Offerings of food – including tamales and sweet pan de muerto rolls – are tenderly placed on headstones.
Viewed not as a day of sadness, but rather one of celebration, it’s a time to come together, share stories and raise a toast with the deceased’s favourite drink. So if Aunty Maria loved tequila, a good time is sure to be had by all.
A DELICIOUS HISTORY
I start my adventure in Mexico City, the sprawling capital once ruled by mighty tribes. They settled there over 700 years ago, guided by auspicious signs from above to build a city that would become the very centre of the Aztec world.
Corn was the staple crop back then, eaten daily along with squash, cacao, beans and chilli peppers. Wild turkey was gobbled up as an excellent protein source. Two centuries later, the Aztecs were conquered by the Spaniards. They brought European architecture styles, Catholicism and farm animals – sheep, pigs, cows – to the table.
Today, the Mexican diet is a fusion of Aztec and Spanish traditions, in a melting pot of food culture created by globally minded chefs. On an Urban Adventures walking tour of the city, we stop at a hole-in-the-wall taqueria (food stall) for a late lunch.
A white-aproned cook patiently cranks a tortilla machine by hand, feeding balls of corn maize dough in one side and collecting flattened rounds from the other. She deftly flicks them onto the hot grill, then loads them up with our choice of topping. Chilli peppers stuffed with cheese are an option, as well as juicy beef tongue and spicy chicken.
I play it safe with a crispy fish fillet doused in lime juice and fresh coriander. The taco base is soft and fluffy, a tasty surprise for Antipodean visitors more accustomed to crunchy taco shells.
To drink, we are offered freshsqueezed juices and horchata – a creamy rice-and-cinnamon blend. We almost lick our plates clean.
FORGET THE DIET
One thing you won’t find on the Mexican culinary scene is enthusiasm for the low-carb diet. Most bakeries are open 24 hours a day, serving up a head-spinning display of cookies, cakes, slices, muffins, empanadas and gelato. Wander through at midnight and there will still be family groups stocking up on tres leches cakes and crispy fried churros.
“Even the dearly departed are well fed, at least in spirit, on the annual Day of the Dead.”
Eating like a local by visiting taquerias and bakeries for takeaway is an affordable way to tour Mexico City – but if you have the cash and the inclination, there is plenty of memorable fine dining to explore.
Book far in advance for Pujol – chef Enrique Olvera’s temple of nouvelle Mexican cuisine that’s been named the best in the country, and one of the 50 best in the world. Olvera trained at the Culinary Institute of America and has since seen his star soar with inventive takes on classic Mexican dishes, including a rich mole (pronounced mo-lay) that is never quite the same two days in a row.
Dinner at Pujol doesn’t come cheap, but it’s an experience you won’t forget in a hurry.
MAKE SOME NOISE
If Mexico City has a soundtrack, it’s the energetic blast of mariachi music played on the streets by roving bands of violinists, guitarists and trumpeters. Dating back more than 140 years, bands of musicians would dress in distinctive suits and huge hats, roaming the streets to play their lively music.
The best place to enjoy it live today is Garibaldi Plaza – where musicians in traditional garb peddle their tunes to anybody willing to pay a few hundred pesos. We wander through the square on our way to the Museum of Tequila and Mezcal, watching loved-up couples soak in the serenades.
The museum is a must-visit for tequila lovers, showcasing hundreds of the finest libations and explaining the production process. An extensive and well-curated gift shop is the ideal spot to pick up boozy souvenirs.
My guide explains that quality tequila needs no supplementation with salt licks and lime sucks. It holds its own as a heart-starting shot, a theory we test drive at the museum’s terrace overlooking the plaza.
We also learn about mezcal, and its broader taste profile. Both agave-based liquors, mezcal can be made from many different types of agave, but tequila can only be made from one. Tequila is mezcal – but mezcal is not tequila. Tequila is to mezcal what Scotch is to whisky. Pro tip: best to concentrate on this lesson before, not after, the tastings.
There is much more to Mexico than its intoxicating capital city. Pack your swimsuit and sparkliest caftans and make tracks for Los Cabos – an A-list resort destination where the desert meets the Sea of Cortez.
“Tequila is to mezcal what Scotch is to whisky.”
Pardon the name-dropping, but with LA just a two-hour flight away, Los Cabos – or ‘Cabo’, as it’s often referred – is a celebrity magnet. Jennifer Aniston just can’t seem to leave, George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio both have residences there, and it’s a hotspot for mega-wattage weddings – including former TV host Karl Stefanovic’s lavish celebrations with now-wife Jasmine Yarbrough.
Perched on the southern oceanfront tip of the Baja California peninsula, the Cabo coastline is rocky and dramatic. Local tour operator Cabo Adventures offers unforgettable outings to snorkel and swim with whale sharks. The magnificent gentle giants of the ocean pass through the area between October to March.
Visitors to Los Cabos are spoilt for choice when it comes to where to stay, eat and play. Luxurious resort development is experiencing a surge of activity – with Nobu Hotel just opened and a Ritz-Carlton Reserve property on the way.
A SERENE STAY
I stayed at Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, and it’s difficult to imagine a more perfect spot to lay your head. It opened recently to instant classic status, a 128-key property that feels intimate and almost zen-like in its tranquillity.
Some would say the king-sized Simmons Beautyrest mattresses and outdoor showers are what give the rooms that you-know-you’re-onholiday yum factor, but for me it was the private plunge pool and hammock on my terrace overlooking the sea that sealed the deal. Months later, I’m still daydreaming about lying back and gently swinging in the breeze.
The resort’s architecture and design takes cues from local materials, traditions and style. Don’t expect to see a single palm tree, as they aren’t native to Baja, but do look out for
artfully arranged cactus gardens. An earthy vibe is created with Mexican materials – wood, bamboo, textured marble, and wall sculptures by local artists – while the glamour factor goes into overdrive at the oceanfacing infinity pool.
At the onsite Ojo de Liebre Los Cabos Spa, thalassotherapy meets Mexican treatments, including massages and on-point facials. They couldn’t be more relaxing.
From the oceanside casual Mako to fine dining at Cascabel, the resort’s food philosophy leans strongly towards fresh, local, organic produce from nearby biodynamic farms and fisheries.
I recommend moving (ever-so adventurously) beyond the poolside fresh guacamole and chips – as tasty as they are – to try the restaurant’s sophisticated share plates along with its thoughtfully considered wine list. This is Cabo for grown-ups.
ALL FOR YOU
It takes about five minutes to get the hang of a luxury all-inclusive resort. Craving a room-service burger? Coming right up. Fancy a cocktail by the pool? No charge for you, sir. Feel like eating at three restaurants tonight and not paying a cent? Well, it’d be rude not to.
Americans, in particular, love the convenience and indulgence of all-inclusive resorts, and Los Cabos is where you’ll find some of the best. The daily rate at these resorts includes meals, drinks and many activities.
At Le Blanc Spa Resort, an adults-only environment encourages sheer hedonism; a swim-up bar in the oceanfront pool is a popular spot for sunset cocktails and mingling. If Los Cabos has a signature cocktail, it’s the margarita – though the bartenders at Le Blanc can magic up just about anything you fancy.
For dinner, there’s the choice of French, Italian, Lebanese and Chinese cuisine or an international buffet. At lunch, take our tip and head straight to Blanc Ocean restaurant for shrimp tostadas and succulent salmon tacos.
Just made sure you save room for dessert: crunchy, hot churros are served straight from a roving cart each afternoon, heralding a new level of decadence we never want to end.
Bookending the oceanfront resorts corridor, the towns of Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo – the two collectively are referred to as Los Cabos – are different in just about every way. While the former is a favourite haunt of university-age revellers in search of dollar-shots, the latter is a haven for artists – its town square a charming ode to colonial-era architecture.
On Thursday evenings from November to June, the streets are closed to traffic and art galleries stay open until 9pm for an event known as Art Walk. A festive atmosphere takes hold at this time, with singers and dancers performing in the streets as visitors browse the arty wares for sale. It’s the perfect opportunity to pick up a Frida Kahlo notebook, sip on a mezcal, and snack on some Mexican street corn and tamales.
Surely the chicest farm you’ll ever visit in Mexico, Flora Farms has become an A-list destination for its
organic practices, as well as its popular restaurant. Maroon 5’s frontman Adam Levine married model Behati Prinsloo there, and Cabo celebrity regulars can often be spotted. With its open-air bar, shops selling high-end jewellery and caftans, and tours of the Insta-worthy herb gardens, it can feel more than a bit Malibu-meets-Mexico.
SUSTAINABLE SENSATION
The vast organic farm truly follows the ‘farm-to-table’ ethos, with a policy to serve only what they make, raise and grow. Beef, for example, is not served because it is not considered sustainable. Instead, feast on fennel sausage and mozzarella pizza from a woodfired oven, or try chef Guillermo Tellez’s famous chicken pot pie.
The menu is seasonal, making the most of fresh herbs, vegetables and fruits grown under the Mexican sun. Dishes are well suited to sharing family-style, though you might want to keep the ice cream all to yourself. Made from farm-fresh ingredients, the flavours are original and utterly enticing. Try the cajeta, a traditional goat milk caramel, if it’s available when you visit.
At the Farm Bar, classic cocktails, wine and beer are available, though the real showstoppers are the fruitand vegetable-infused craft cocktails. Flora’s unique take on a margarita – an heirloom carrot Farmarita – seems almost virtuous. The Pelo de Perro – a Bloody Mary made with heirloom tomato water, is just what the organic doctor ordered.
Raise a glass to the vibrant flavours of Mexico.