Review: Oyamel (DC)

This past weekend I had the pleasure of eating at one of Jose Andres’ restaurants, Oyamel, in DC. Jose Andres is a James Beard award winning chef from Spain who is credited with advancing the tapas (small plate) movement in the US. I’ve eaten at some of his other restaurants before in Las Vegas and DC, but Oyamel far surpassed the others.

First off, I absolutely loved the decor and feeling of the Oyamel. It was warm and friendly with bold colors. There were orange flowers covering the ceiling and intricate Oaxacan carved animals on display. I wish I had taken a picture of the peacock hanging off the side wall- really beautiful.

We ordered:

1. Blood Orange and Chile Pequin Mimosa: I absolutely love blood oranges and this was no disappointment; sweet but not too sweet; spicy but not too spicy.
2. Ceviche de atun pacifico: I didn’t try this but my friend was raving about it
3. Papas al mole: I absolutely love love love mole sauce. I expected this to come out as potatoes with a mole sauce, not french fries, but was pleasantly surprised by the combination.
4. Nopal asado con salsa molcajete: This is not the first time I’ve eaten cactus, though definitely in this grilled preparation. I found this one to be a little slimy (with that raw okra-ish consistency) but still enjoyed the salsa on top.
5. Pescado Mexicano taco: Just perfect. A super fresh corn tortilla with a cilantro “pesto” sauce that was refreshing and full of citrus flavors.
6. Guacamole: anything made tableside is delightful, so I was definitely happy about this.
7. A fried egg over thin bread dish with a tomato sauce (can’t find the name): delish!

Overall, I really really love tapas and have never really done tapas at brunch before. This was a great change and a place I would love to return to.

Rating: 4 out of 5

(but primarily because I think I should have ordered a few other things that would have suited me better)