Following a Chef's Recommendation: Choza, a Thai Hideaway in Roma Norte

We found out about Choza through Víctor Toriz Sánchez the chef at Gaba, who told us it was one of his favorite restaurants in Mexico City. You can read about our night with Victor Here.

When a chef whose food you admire recommends somewhere, you tend to pay attention. I was determined to go.

I've spent a good deal of time working with Thai food, including Thai cookbooks and plenty of recipe testing, so I was particularly interested to see what Tyler Henry was doing with the cuisine. I suppose that made me feel reasonably qualified to be a little judgey.

Choza is tucked away at Monterrey 194, next door to Hank's Pizza. Finding the entrance is part of the experience.

We saw quite a few people standing on the sidewalk, staring at their phones and trying to work out where the restaurant was. After being lost for 5 minutes, we decided to be a little smarter. We went into Hank's and asked, and one of the waiters kindly walked us over to the unmarked black door and rang the bell for us. We got our names down first while several other groups continued looking rather bewildered on the corner.

We arrived at six, which turned out to be rather optimistic. We were given a 7:30 table, so we did what any sensible people would do and settled in at Hank's for a glass of wine and some pizza.

I'm glad we did. Hank's pizza was excellent. Thin, crisp New York-style crust, with a tomato sauce that was deeply flavored rather than watery. As a New Yorker, I hesitate to say this, but sometimes New York pizza can be overloaded with sauce and cheese and end up soggy. Hank's gets it right. It’s a cool little place with great pizza and well worth a visit independently.

Both Hank's and Choza serve natural wines. Thankfully, Hank's offers wine by the glass, while Choza serves bottles only. We had a very nice sparkling white at Choza, not too sweet, which was just right while we waited.

At 7:30 we returned and were shown upstairs to the listening lounge, where you can have a drink and choose from a couple of small dishes while you wait for your table on the covered, open-air terrace above.

There are plenty of carefully selected artisan mezcals to choose from. There's a wood-burning fire in the corner, where much of the cooking happens.

The atmosphere is quite something. A DJ was spinning vinyl when we visited, playing a mix of rather unusual jungle sounds and jazz. The whole place has a very particular sense of cool. Perhaps a little too cool for me, or perhaps I've simply reached the age where I'm no longer entirely sure what cool is. Either way, I did end up liking it. The food won me over. Choza is casual, theatrical while trying not to be, and clearly a place with personality, whether a little contrived or not.

The food, though, is the reason to come.

We started downstairs with the Chiang Mai sausage, Sai Ua, a northern Thai herb sausage. I know just how much work goes into getting one right. I spent many hours developing my own version, including the less glamorous business of filling the casings by hand. His version was solid. Actually, very tasty!

Once we were seated upstairs, we ordered the Som Tam, Green Papaya & Green Mango Salad while we waited for the fish. It was fresh, spicy and really delicious. I actually liked that it had both both and mango. It has a lovely balance of sharp, sweet and heat, with plenty of texture.

Then came the whole fried fish.

This was the dish I was most excited about, and it didn't disappoint. Beautifully fried, with crisp skin and tender flesh. It was sticky, sweet, spicy, crunchy and just yummy. The fish was served with greens and herbs and a green sauce that had a more Mexican character, with a creamy mellowness that worked wonderfully with the fish. I haven't established exactly what goes into it, but I'd happily eat it again.

The fish is generous, and the menu warns that it takes at least 35 minutes to prepare. It is worth the wait. There were only two of us, so we managed about half of it. Lucky for us, they had takeaway containers on hand.

What I particularly liked was the level of heat. Properly spicy, certainly, but not nuclear. The flavors were still there, and the chili didn't overwhelm everything else.

Choza began as a curry delivery project during the pandemic, before developing into the restaurant and listening bar it is today. It's an unusual combination, but somehow it makes sense. Good food, fire, music and a room full of people who seem very happy to be there.

The American born cheff, Tyler Henry has spent time cooking and exploring food in some of the world's great food cities, including Chiang Mai, Lima, Istanbul, Oaxaca. His cooking draws on those experiences, but the Thai influence is particularly evident.

I'd go back, definitely, but next time with a group. There were too many things on the menu that I wanted to try and not enough people at the table. I'd also arrive earlier. Some dishes had already sold out by the time we ordered.

The whole fried fish alone would bring me back.

About the chef: Tyler Henry

Originally from Washington, DC, then New York, Tyler Henry took an unconventional route into cooking. After studying finance, he decided at 24 that he wanted to work in a kitchen and approached his favorite restaurant to learn the trade.

His culinary journey has taken him through New Orleans, New York, Lima, Istanbul, Chiang Mai and Mexico. He eventually settled in Mexico City, where he began developing the food that would become Choza.

During the pandemic, he started making curry pastes and curry kits by hand from his apartment, selling them to friends and customers. That project grew into Choza.

He also collaborated with longtime friend and business partner Hank O'Donnell on Hank's Pizza next door, bringing a New York-style slice shop to Roma Norte.

Location: Monterrey 194, Roma Norte

Saturdays & Sundays: Regular food and rooftop service (typically around 3:00 PM – 9:00 PM). Mondays: "Lunes Listening Lounge" featuring full-album vinyl play sessions and Thai-inspired menus.

Reservations & Access: Walk-in only, no traditional digital presence or phone number, and a second-floor waiting area/lounge where you can grab a drink while you wait.

You can follow updates on Choza's Instagram.