Pujol: In Search of Mole Madre

We came to Pujol because Noah had been wanting to go for years, and there was one thing he was particularly determined to try: the famous mole madre.

Pujol is one of those restaurants that has fundamentally changed the way Mexican food is viewed internationally. Chef Enrique Olvera takes ingredients, techniques and dishes deeply rooted in Mexican cooking and strips them back, reworks them and presents them in ways that can be surprising without losing their connection to where they came from. Pujol has now held two Michelin stars since Mexico's first Michelin Guide selection in 2024.

We were there for my birthday, so we settled in for a long lunch and the tasting menu. There were all sorts of things appearing at the table: lobster and sea snail with Yucatecan lime, beet with buckwheat and chaya, Mayan octopus, tamal, fish, Wagyu and beautifully considered little combinations of Mexican ingredients that I probably wouldn't have thought to put together myself.

But the course Noah had been waiting for was the mole madre.

And this isn't simply a mole that they make and serve. It is a living mole. The original batch has been continually refreshed with new mole for more than a decade, with the kitchen adding fresh batches and adjusting the ingredients with the seasons. It evolves over time, rather like a sourdough starter, except considerably more delicious.

What I particularly loved was the sheer audacity of it. An entire course devoted to mole. No meat hiding underneath it, no elaborate construction trying to distract you from it. Just mole, served with tortillas. And it works.

The whole lunch was a lovely, leisurely experience. Pujol is spread across a series of rooms and spaces, with a piano playing and a wonderful sense of occasion without feeling stuffy. It is the sort of lunch where you look at the time and realize you've been sitting there for hours.

And then, completely unexpectedly, Pujol started another obsession.

I went into the ladies' room, smelled the hand soap and became so enamored with it that I actually stopped to look at the bottle to find out what it was.

Xinú.

And that, as they say, is another story.

Good to know

Pujol

Tennyson 133, Polanco, Miguel Hidalgo, CDMX 11570.

Reservations: Book months in advance. Pujol is one of Mexico City's most sought-after restaurants, so don't leave this one until the last minute.

Chef: Enrique Olvera

Style: Contemporary Mexican

Michelin: Two Michelin stars

Experience: Tasting menu with a choice of dishes throughout the meal, including the famous mole madre.

Price: Our tasting menu was $3,595 MXN per person, VAT included.

My tip: If you're going for the first time, go hungry and give yourself plenty of time. This is a long, leisurely lunch, not a quick meal.

And if you're a hand-soap obsessive: Don't skip the ladies' room.