When Enrique Olvera first told his high school friends he wanted to be a chef, they gave him a hard time. Though they loved his food, cooking was seen as something people did only out of necessity or as a hobby, not something taken seriously.
Many people in the U.S. had the same perception of Mexican cuisine. At the time, it had a reputation as cheap street food rather than the kind of food you’d serve at a fine dining restaurant.
That was until Olvera came on the scene.
Olvera moved back to Mexico City after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America in New York City to open his first restaurant, Pujol. He wanted to do something creative, but also true to himself.
Recognizing the rich array of ingredients and dishes Mexico had to offer the world, he felt he could help preserve that culture by re-imagining classic dishes of the past for the future. In doing so, he not only made a name for himself, but for Mexican cuisine.
As one of the most well renowned Mexican chefs, Olvera now has restaurants all over the world. His latest venture, a backdoor taqueria in Los Angeles, serves variations on Mexican street food inspired by fresh California produce.
Join us as we travel with Olvera from Mexico to the U.S. to explore the local inspiration behind his dishes in the finale of our Todos Los Tacos reboot. Along the way, we’ll also uncover what it takes to help run world-class restaurants with Pujol Chef Jesús Durón and Head Chef Jesus ”Chuy” Cervantes.
This year, we teamed up with taco journalist Mando Rayo to cover one of the most important celebrations of Mexican culture: Día de los Muertos. He traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico, to participate in the festivities and capture the details for this feature.
Feel the excitement of cheering on the USA with the American Outlaws.
On the first episode of our new season of Todos Los Tacos, we explore the diverse offerings of the New York taco scene.
