Category Archive for Food + Theme Restaurants
Balcón del Zócalo restaurant: Mexico City’s most innovative fine dining. Chef Pepe Salinas, Zocalo Central Hoteles.
Some career news: I’m now a food writer for Observer! I recently went to Mexico City to report on the meaningful menus by chef Pepe Salinas at Balcón del Zócalo. His artistic tastings are themed around social issues like climate collapse and women’s rights… I think you can see why I was drawn to his story!
Thanks for supporting my writing — read my Mexico City chef/restaurant feature here on Observer.
These vibrant photos are by Albert Ting of The Click Ting and @pootie_ting Instagram — so happy he accompanied me on the trip!
And watch the reel about my Balcón del Zócalo dining experience here on @LaCarmina Insta.
How gorgeous is this greenery-filled open air restaurant, located on the 6th floor of Zócalo Central Hotel?
I’m wearing a 100% mulberry silk cheongsam or qipao (traditional Chinese dress) by Beth and Brian Qipao. I’m transitioning to a nearly microplastics-free wardrobe, so this luxe floral design with a leg slit was perfect for a dinner to remember.
In my debut for Observer, I wrote about how Mexico City chef Pepe Salinas conveys a Mad Max future through fine dining. Imagine a five-star, nine-course dinner based on water scarcity… which references a Dune-like future of drinking our own urine to survive!
Every three months, chef Salinas and his R&D team create a new menu based on pressing (and sometimes divisive) topics of the day. This summer, Balcón del Zócalo’s tasting is based on Day Zero, the imminent doomsday when Mexico City’s reservoirs will run out of water.
Each course weaves in a story of The Collapse — which is happening now — through Salinas’ well-rounded flavors and textures. Trained as an artist, his dishes are works of art. This one is inspired by Lake Pátzcuaro, which is drying up due to human activity. The melon aguachile, corn toast and freeze-dried strawberries (as well as the custom plate) allude to the drought affecting the lake.
I love sardines, so this was a personal favorite… Salinas invites you to scrounge together a post-apocalyptic meal out of sardines in a glass can and dehydrated meat “crackers!” Talk about a delicious dystopian simulation.
Here, he addresses my current obsession: death by microplastics! Pepe Salinas designs and 3D prints tableware to perfectly fit his themes. The bread plate is made from discarded water bottle parts (photographer Albert Ting and I are still salivating over the incredible sourdough served at Balcon!)
The restaurant’s wine pairings bring out the umami of each dish. The Day Zero tasting isn’t all doom and gloom — it’s playful and showcases creative solutions, such as using hydroponics to grow crisp greens.
The chef is also an artist, and combines his passions by hand-drawing each menu (every guest gets to take home a copy). The tasting also involves going into the wine room for the starter (a meteorite candy with champagne and a tribute to the Aztec rain god), and later the kitchen to say hi to the team and have a palate cleanser.
I also got to visit Pepe Salinas’ experimental lab… Of course, I was drawn to this row of homemade skull liquors, and tried the one with a scorpion in it!
As I wrote in the Observer article: “Universal Flood encourages guests to simulate an eco-disaster by vigorously shaking the broth around a slab of buttery totoaba fish, causing beet gummy bears to bleed out red. Salinas focused on plant and marine ingredients—like a coconut soup with scallops, squid and spirulina that evokes life-giving amniotic fluid—to show that fine dining can be delectable and beautiful when resources are scarce.”
I smiled when the desserts came out with 3D printed axolotls (colorful, smiling endangered Mexican amphibians)!
Come watch the video footage of my dinner at Balcón del Zócalo here — you get to see the interactive elements of the tasting.
The video also gives you a tour of the magnificent restaurant, which is on the 6th floor of Zocalo Central Hoteles in Centro Historico, Mexico City.
Balcón del Zócalo’s name refers to its vast balcony overlooking the ancient square, which was originally an Aztec ceremonial space, and is now the site of the 16th-century National Palace and Metropolitan Cathedral.
Love the plants everywhere, and black and white tile floor. (My heels are Dream Pair Shoes.)
You can eat a marvelous breakfast by the balcony as well — we loved our stay in this classy hotel.
Stay at Hotel Centrales Zocalo for a boutique experience rich with character and history.
This hotel was made for me… the lobby was filled with skully elements! Photos by Albert Ting of The Click Ting / @pootie_ting on Instagram.
I adore Day of the Dead in Mexico, and the sugar skulls / spooky folklore surrounding the occasion. (See my 2019 blog about coming to CDMX around Halloween).
Cheers to Zocalo Central Hoteles for the fabulous hospitality.
The hotel and restaurant are located near Mexico City’s top museums, including the nearby Museo de Arte Popular. These towering calavera figures greeted us. Despite being dead, they’re still enjoying life to the max through song, dance, and fashion. (Sounds like some Goth friends of mine.)
Mexico City’s Museum of Popular Arts has several floors of folk art. My favorite exhibition featured Mexican devils of all sizes and shapes!
Such captivating detail in each of the horned masks.
These are humanized, comical versions of the Devil, who was introduced to the indigenous people of Mexico through Christian missionaries. Some of the works show Lucifer and his infernal court, while others show demons crying over losing their tails.
And of course, there were tons of skeletons hanging out at the museum.
Speaking of spookiness… we loved the vibe of Xaman Bar, which is inspired by ancient shaman culture! Find the hidden entrance and enter into a cavernous space filled with mysterious indigenous masks.
The menu is a Gothic dream — it references voodoo, tarot, and the occult. Of course, I went for the mezcal cocktail on the top right, called “Goodbye to Evils,” which sends the Devil packing.
Xaman Bar incorporates traditional liquors and ingredients, and elements of shamanic ritual — like a fire and smoke performance.
Spend an evening at Xaman Bar for a taste of mixology with alchemy and ritual.
One of my favorite things to do in CDMX — check out contemporary art. We wandered into a Jan Hendrix “Atlas” exhibition at the downtown Palacio de Cultura Citibanamex, and were mesmerized both by the art and setting.
The Dutch artist’s large-scale works are inspired by biology and botany.
You must see Jan Hendrix’s art in person to get the full effect of the shimmering forms and colors, such as this interactive mirrored sculpture.
On my previous trip to Mexico’s capital, I also went to the Museum of Anthropology, Museo Soumaya, Templo Mayor and more — coverage here.
Also close to Central Hotels Zocalo — a David LaChapelle photography gallery. I’m sure you recognize the iconic images of Britney Spears and Marilyn Manson by the American photographer and music video director.
If there are only two things I can do in Mexico, it would be… eat inexpensive / street food (especially tacos), and buy over the counter tretinoin (anti-aging skin product)!
I was in my happy place eating $2 cachete (cheek) tacos at Los Cocuyos Taqueria (a fav of Anthony Bourdain) and Taqueria Arandas. I also adored the quesadillas and huaraches at street stall El Huarache Loco. And I went to Farmacia Similares to get ten tubes of tretinoin 0.05 cream for $2-3 each.
Thanks to everyone who made it possible for me to visit Mexico City and report on food, art, and travel.
I hope you enjoy my debut article published by Observer about the conversation-sparking restaurant Balcón del Zócalo .
For more from Mexico City and this dining adventure, watch my reel here — and add me on @LaCarmina IG for my latest travel and food adventures!
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Offbeat New York City! Sushidelic kawaii restaurant, Edge observation deck, Paradise Lost Satanic bar, Inter_IAM art.
New York City is one my favorite places in the world for eccentric, artsy, offbeat attractions. Every time I return to NYC, I have a giant list of new bizarro places to explore.
Such as this Harajuku kawaii sushi parlor (SushiDelic), founded by Tokyo’s Sebastian Masuda (the mastermind behind 6% DokiDoki and the now-closed Kawaii Monster Cafe)…
… as well as Edge observation deck at Hudson Yards, a devilish tiki bar called Paradise Lost, Inter_IAM immersive digital art museum, and more. Read on for my alternative food and travel guide to NYC — there are Seinfeld spots at the end, since I’m a mega-fan of the 90s sitcom!
Let’s start at SushiDelic, which lives up to its promise of sushi + psychedelic decor. This funky Japanese restaurant opened up in New York’s SoHo / Little Italy not long ago.
Address: 177 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10013, United States
At SushiDelic, the food is as colorful as the Harajuku-pop decor. (We came on a Sunday to try their special sushi brunch menu, which includes this tiered tower).
The decor at SushiDelic is eye-popping, candy-colored cuteness. I’d expect nothing less from Sebastian Masuda, the legend behind the kawaii boutique 6%DokiDoki, Tokyo’s Kawaii Monster Cafe, and other Jpop meets art projects.
A pink conveyer belt goes round and round the counter, bringing out stiletto heels, jelly bags and other fabulosities (as well as plates of food!)
SushiDelic restaurant aims to be an immersive kawaii experience… these rotating, long-eyelashed cat heads certainly delivered that.
Kaiten sushi gets glitzed up at this New York sushi restaurant of dreams. (Here’s a video of the conveyer belt in action.)
Electronic music throbs as the cat-heads turn and the screen flashes with cute animations… What a vibe! (All photos Joey Wong)
At SushiDelic, even the dishes come in bright colors and shapes. The menu puts creative spins on sushi, such as a sushi parfait (made from raw fish and seasonal vegetables, but decorated like a layered dessert), and a decadent assortment of “Delic rolls.”
We had the sushi tower that included a sashimi assortment (salmon, tuna, scallop, hamachi) and a sampling of California, veggie, eel and wagyu rolls.
Watch my SushiDelic video on @lacarmina Instagram for footage of the NY restaurant (you’ve got to see the adorable pastel kitties in motion).
Sebastian Masuda’s restaurant serves drinks as well. I adored the yuzu mimosa (juice from my fav Japanese citrus fruit with Prosecco).
Aren’t the lipstick lights and vinyl record place settings fabulous?
Dine at SushiDelic for a playful sushi extravaganza that brings a taste of Harajuku to New York City.
Then, I got closer to the edge… I’m standing 100 stories above New York City! Be sure to watch our Insta reel about the Edge NYC experience.
This thrilling NYC observation point is Edge, located at 30 Hudson Yards. (You can see the sky deck jutting out from the top of the skyscraper).
The infamous Vessel is still closed due to jumpers… thankfully photographer Joey Wong and I shot inside the beehive in 2021 before it shut. (See our Vessel NY images here.)
This time, we were psyched to get to the top of Edge. It stands out from New York’s other observation decks because of its outdoor sky deck, which is the highest in the Western hemisphere (100 floors up).
From outside, these 360 degree views are the definition of cinematic. (You can go inside as well, for panoramic views of the Statue of Liberty, Manhattan, and New Jersey).
Edge has several V-shaped suspension points edged by glass, which are the perfect photo spots. (It’s one of the most Instagrammable viewpoints in the city — here’s my reel about it).
Come in the late afternoon and stay for sunset to see the light and shadows shift over the tall buildings.
Walk all around the Edge platform to see famous New York landmarks and skyscrapers over the horizon.
Thrill-seekers can scale and lean out over the skyscraper as well. You can also walk over a glass floor area and look down at the ant-like action below.
So much fun to take trippy photos while leaning on these angled glass walls. (Are you afraid of heights?)
You can book timed tickets to Edge at Hudson Yards online. We recommend staying until nightfall so you can see the twinkling lights over New York, New York.
For another type of New York magic… enter the INTERverse at Inter_IAM, an immersive / digital art museum in SoHo! Guests interact with two floors of high-tech generative exhibits, which respond to your movements and shift as you take part in them.
Inter_IAM lets you enter various rooms filled with multimedia works — such as this infinitely mirrored one. Please watch our video of the journey so that you can see the artwork in motion.
We received 3D glasses, which you can put on to enhance the INTERverse in prismatic ways. (It felt like dancing in another dimension with aliens!)
Loved the wide variety of imaginative, sensory spaces, which made for interesting portraits. Some of the exhibits even emanated heat!
Put the 3D glasses over your camera or phone lens for a filter effect.
Have you ever been to an immersive art experience like New York’s Inter_IAM?
The space disco vibes were immaculate.
How many of me can you handle at one time? Explore the beautiful, digital participatory art at Inter_IAM in NYC (and see our video of the museum visit for a preview).
Speaking of the devil… Did you know New York has a devilish tiki bar, Paradise Lost? Descend into an East Village tropical hellscape inspired by Milton’s saga of the fallen Lucifer!
Watch our Paradise Lost video for a sense of the vibe: you can drink fiery rum cocktails out of Baphomet’s head (or sip tasty mocktails), snack on international bites, hail Satan at the goat head altar, spot sigils in the bathroom… This “hell on Earth” is my type of New York speakeasy!
Finally, as a Seinfeld obsessive, I made my rounds of New York locations associated with the 90s TV show. “Look to the cookie, Elaine…” I had a black-and-white cookie at Culture Espresso, a NY snack featured in one of their episodes (and it was spectacular).
And I went to my old stomping grounds at Morningside Heights / Columbia University to shoot Tom’s Restaurant. You may recognize it as the exterior of the diner where Jerry Seinfeld hangs with George Costanza, Kramer, and Elaine Benes.
Address: 2880 Broadway, New York, NY 10025, United States
I went here ages ago and ordered a big salad, of course (there are Seinfeld-themed menu items). The restaurant interior doesn’t look like the set on the television series, but the outside of the American diner is exactly the same.
Take a look at my IG video of New York Seinfeld food spots to see Tom’s and other spots.
“No soup for you…” I also dared to step into the lair of the Soup Nazi at his “Original Soup Kitchen!”
Address: 259A W 55th St, New York, NY 10019, United States
Known as The Original SoupMan in the 1990s, this soup restaurant was the domain of Ali “Al” Yeganeh. The hardcore Soup Nazi character is based after him!
You can order jambalaya (Newman’s favorite), mulligatawny, and other hearty favorites of the Seinfeld gang. (That is, if you behave — or it’s “no soup for you!”)
Walking around and trying street food / cheap eats is my fav thing to do in NYC. Joey Wong took a big bite out of the Bear Donut, while I tried my first ever pistachio latte at Maman Cafe.
So many excellent bakeries, bagel shops, and of course — pizza. (I’m partial to Joe’s Pizza, and also had an excellent mushroom New York slice at Andiamo Pizzeria).
We’re also fans of Los Tacos, Joe’s Steam Rice Roll, and other affordable snacks.
I also returned to St Mark’s Place, the seminal Goth punk neighborhood. Ah, memories of Search & Destroy and eating at Kenka with my spooky friends over the years!
For more alternative, Gothic and offbeat NYC tips, browse the New York category of my blog, and see my NYC videos on @LaCarmina Insta. I’m already as excited at this pink cat at the idea of returning soon!
LA CARMINA
