The Hidden Grill

Last Thursday, I was looking for someplace new to eat while the cleaning lady was at the apartment.  I found a restaurant that looked interesting, and which received good reviews on Google Maps.  It's called "Comal Oculto" (Hidden Grill), and it's located in the pleasant neighborhood of San Miguel Chapultepec which is tucked away next to Chapultepec Park.

I took the subway to the nearest stop and walked the rest of the way.  I had read that it was a small restaurant and that you eat at a communal table.  However, I did not realize just how small it was.  There is a kitchen and one long table, seating about fourteen people, on the street.

The place seems to be quite popular with a mixed clientele of young, trendy Mexicans and tourists.  There was a line of people waiting for a seat at the communal table, but since I was a party of one, I didn't have to wait that long for a single chair to be available.  There was a group of six young women from the U.S. that waited and waited and were finally seated around the time that I had finished my meal.  

The menu is very limited, and it mainly consists of "street food"... items that you would normally find in food stalls along the street or in a market.  Once they are out of something, there is no more.  I ordered an "agua fresca", fruit flavored water.  Their "agua" of the day was made with "tunas", (no, not fish, but the fruit of the prickly pear cactus).  It was delicious and refreshing.  I wanted another glass, but they were out.

I ordered a "tlacoyo", something that you usually see at street stalls, not on restaurant menus.  It is a patty made of corn dough, filled with beans, and cooked on a grill.  I also ordered a "sope", a disc of fried corn meal with the edges pinched up to hold toppings.  Although these are very ordinary dishes, the presentation was rather fancy, with bean sprouts (I think) and other greens as a garnish.

"Tlacoyo" to the left, "sope" to the right

The "tlacoyo" was good, although, the ones I have made at home are better.  The "sope" was really tasty, and I ordered another one.  Since they didn't have any more "agua" I ordered "café de olla" (coffee prepared in a clay pot and flavored with "piloncillo"... Mexican brown sugar... and cinamon).  This was served cold, the first time I ever had iced "café de olla".  It was very good. 

The food was good, and the staff was very friendly.  The price was economical by U.S. standards (the equivalent of 12 U.S. dollars), but more expensive than it would be at a street or market stall.  However, I probably won't return since it is a bit out of the way from where I live.  Also, being jammed together at a communal table was not that comfortable.  Although there was a roof over the table, the slanting afternoon sun was beating down on me.  Nevertheless, it was an interesting and different experience.