Mexican taco stand becomes the first in the world to receive a coveted Michelin star – as chef dishes his cooking secrets

Tacos El Califa de León in Mexico City has been awarded a Michelin star, making it the only taco stand in the world to receive the coveted award from the French food guide.

Without making much fuss about the incredible honor, the small restaurant’s chef, Arturo Rivera Martínez, stood over his grill Wednesday to sear meat for a horde of hungry customers, as he has done for two decades.

When asked how he felt about receiving the Michelin star, Rivera Martínez said “está chido… está padre,” meaning, “It’s neat, it’s cool.”

Although Michelin representatives presented him with his well-deserved white chef’s jacket with long sleeves on Wednesday, he did not put it on. Not out of disrespect, but simply because his cooking area is small – 3 by 3 meters – and extremely hot.

Diners at the stand can only order tacos, and the meat inside comes from a cow rib, loin or fore shank.

‘The secret is the simplicity of our taco. It just has a tortilla, red or green sauce, and that’s it. That, and the quality of the meat,” says Rivera Martínez.

Alberto Muñoz, a customer for eight years, said much the same thing and increased the quality of the meat the taco stand uses.

It is not surprising that owner Mario Hernández Alonso does not want to reveal where he buys his meat.

‘I’ve never been disappointed. And now I will recommend it with even more reason, now that it has a star,” Muñoz said.

Muñoz’s son, Alan, who was waiting for a beef taco with his father, said this was “a historic day for Mexican cuisine, and we are witnesses to it.”

An overhead view of the small taco stand. Customers line the side wall putting salsa on their tacos while the Michelin-starred chef continues to serve food

And unlike other Michelin-star chefs who sometimes provide appropriate wine pairings for their delectable dishes, Rivera Martínez said “a coke” goes best with his tacos.

El Califa de León is the only taco stand among the sixteen restaurants in Mexico that received one star, as well as two eateries that received two stars. Most of them are fine dining restaurants that serve expensive seafood dishes.

However, the prices at the taco stand are a lot more affordable, with a huge taco costing almost $5. Customers say the tacos there are the best, if not the cheapest, in town.

El Califa de León has been around since 1968 and has been doing the same things that made it so successful since the beginning.

Thousands of times a day, Rivera Martínez takes a fresh, thinly sliced ​​tenderloin from a pile and places it on the 680-degree steel grill.

He then sprinkles a pinch of salt over the meat and squeezes half a lime over it before grabbing a soft piece of freshly rolled tortilla dough to warm it on the grill.

Less than a minute later – he won’t say exactly how long because ‘that’s a secret’ – he turns the meat over, turns the tortilla over and places it on the plate for the waiting customer.

Mario Hernández Alonso, the father of Rivera Martínez, the current owner of Tacos El Califa de León, inherited the company from his father. He does not want to reveal where he buys his meat, which customers are so enthusiastic about

A customer gives a thumbs up while eating a taco straight from Rivera Martínez’s grill. The taco stand is the first to ever receive a Michelin star from the French food guide

This time-tested process that has earned El Califa de León a Michelin star is a symbol of how beneficial their resistance to change has been.

And going forward, Hernández Alonso said he will continue to do what works.

One possible way to expand the stand came after the coronavirus pandemic, as lawmakers allowed restaurants in Mexico City to open indoor, street-side seating areas.

But El Califa de León doesn’t even have a sidewalk for customers to eat because of all the street vendors, so customers now face each other between stands and plastic mannequins.

When asked if he would like to see room made for a street-side seating area, Hernández Alonso responded with the attitude of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

“As the saying goes, why fix or change something that’s fine? You don’t have to fix anything,” he said, gesturing to the street vendors. “It’s the way God has ordered things, and you have to deal with it.”