Fish Taco at Tacoteca: Photo by Jason Nockels
Opinion:
I lived in Mexico for a year during the pandemic, residing in Mérida, in the Yucatan state, which is well-known for its Panuchos and Cochinita Pibil, as well as tacos, like everywhere else in Mexico.
Despite my best efforts, a year was not long enough to become an authority on Mexican cuisine. I would take any opportunity to travel to Mexico City, where I believe the culinary scene to be among the best I have ever encountered.
I consider myself fortunate to have eaten at the World Top 50 restaurants Pujol and Quintonil, which are ranked 5 and 9 in 2022, respectively. Although both of these establishments, which are renowned for elevating traditional Mexican cuisine, were fantastic, I have been left wanting ever since.
I realised, upon my return to New Zealand, just how much about Mexican cuisine we had gotten wrong. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t mind the whitewashed interpretation of Mexican food.
You may have even seen the TikTok meme “White People Taco Night” from The Try Guys, which accurately captures my childhood Mexican food experience in New Zealand. But occasionally I long for the times when I used to stroll to the neighbourhood taqueria for some straightforward, real tacos. Finally, Auckland has a cure for this persistent craving.
Tacoteca, which opened on July 17, is the most authentic Mexican restaurant I have discovered in Auckland so far, and it is situated in City Works Depot, conveniently near where I work.
A straightforward menu focused on the tortilla, the main ingredient in almost every Mexican dish. In Mexico, tortillas are an integral part of a meal, if not directly, then most definitely in some modified form, such as corn chips.
I used to joke that everything in Mexican cuisine is a taco - just tortillas and stuff, always. Although I’m joking, it actually does make the meal, and after trying the tacos from Tacoteca, you will not want to go back to the store-bought flour tortillas stuffed with fried chicken and mayo at faux Mexican restaurants - not that there is anything wrong with those when the occasion calls for them.
Thanks to the owners, Edmundo Farrera and Chef Jean Brito, both Mexican natives who now reside in New Zealand, you can make your own exploration of the duality between both yellow and blue corn tortillas. They have unquestionably done the right thing for Auckland’s Mexican community by importing a corn tortilla roller to make the real thing.
Another thing I miss about Mexico is going to the market’s tortillería to buy a kilo of tortillas for only 20 pesos, or about $2 in New Zealand Dollars. I can’t wait until the day when I can pick up 1kg of authentic corn tortillas from Tacoteca and have a real taco night at home, even though I will have to accept a more New Zealand price point.
Along with two of my Mexican friends who reside in Auckland, I went to Tacoteca. They are a great source of information about Mexican cuisine, and I enjoy hearing about their experiences with food growing up in Mexico. Like me, they are both foodies, so we ordered almost everything on the menu. As the food started to arrive, I could see that they were both experiencing nostalgia.
We began this menu with guacamole and a margarita, just like I would on a good night out in Mexico. I know it sounds cliche, but trust me, it’s the best course of action.
They have a nice selection of margaritas; I had the Malinche, which Edmundo created himself. It had a good kick and was a good pairing with the guacamole to get things started.
Considering that Mexico is known for being a major producer of avocados, I would have thought it would be difficult to make the same quality of guacamole here, but Tacoteca has proven me wrong. The guacamole itself was unquestionably just as good as anything I would have had back in Mexico. It was off to a great start, especially with the homemade corn chips made from their own tortillas.
Then came the tacos, which were outstanding. Sadly, the Pork Al Pastor, which is always a favourite of mine back in Mexico, was sold out when I went, but there is always next time.
Nothing we ordered from the menu disappointed us; we ordered the Lamb Barbacoa, Beef Suadero, Fish, Smokey Cabbage, and Gringa. Although lamb may be common in central Mexico, it’s not a regular item on restaurant menus in the Yucatan, so it was a treat to try something new at Tacoteca that also makes reference to a New Zealand staple, lamb.
Even though I find nothing to fault, there are only two things that Tacoteca could have done to earn my favour more.
A taco shop in Mérida might layer two tortillas for each taco so that you could divide the filling between the two and essentially get an extra taco. I don’t know if that is typical throughout all of Mexico, but it is something I have grown accustomed to, and at Tacoteca, they were generous enough with the filling to make this work. For an additional tortilla, which would significantly increase value, I would be happy to pay a small premium.
The other thing I would have preferred was lime instead of lemon, but given that limes are like green gold, I can see why they had to make do. A bag of limes costs a few dollars in Mexico, but here, adding just one small lime to a meal would make it cost twice as much. So, I get it.
We worked our way through the majority of the menu: the gringa, which is a quesadilla-like dish made with a flour tortilla and was another standout favourite; and the queso fondue with chorizo, which was a nice additional snack to enjoy in between dishes.
The chilaquiles were perhaps the dish I was most eager to eat. This dish is one of my favourites, and this is the first time I have seen that dish on a menu outside of Mexico, where it’s a staple of every breakfast and brunch menu.
I believe that everyone has a favourite way to eat chilaquiles. Some people like theirs to be drowning in salsa, which causes the corn chips to become mushy, while others prefer their salsa to be on the lighter side to maintain the crunch. Some people also add eggs, chorizo, or other toppings that may vary by region.
But the biggest disagreement is over the type of salsa to use. You can choose from red, green, or divorced for those who are undecided. My personal favourite is green, and even though they were a little light on the salsa for my preference, I thought Tacoteca made excellent chilaquiles.
Finally, we made the choice to try the Leche Frita dessert. None of us, including my Mexican friends, had ever tried this dessert before. It’s difficult to put into words but think of gelatinous doughnut bites that you dip in dulce de leche, a sweet sauce made from caramelised milk that is essentially Latin America’s answer to Nutella, only not chocolate.
Although we had almost finished the entire menu and I am not a big dessert eater, it was a nice way to end the meal, and one serve was enough for four people to share because it’s not a heavy dessert.
Tacoteca is in City Works Depot and has a laid-back atmosphere where you can spend hours working your way through the menu and enjoy flavours that are authentically Mexican, straightforward but elevated beyond street food.
The drinks menu was interesting and had great wine options, which is not surprising since Edmundo also owns La Fuente in Snickle Lane, a wine and mezcal bar. His experience here definitely comes through in the menu, and I could see myself working my way through that menu next.
Tacoteca is seizing the chance to introduce Mexican cuisine to Auckland, and I anticipate that in the future, some Yucatecan favourites will appear on the menu.
I’m here for it. 5 out of 5.
Where to Find Tacoteca
City Works Depot, 1/90 Wellesley Street West, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
Jason Nockels is NZME’s GM Digital Revenue Products & Lifestyle. Jason juggle’s a life in New Zealand and Mexico, indulging his entrepreneurial side by developing property near the Yucatán Peninsula, while also drawing on his tourism marketing and tech start-up experience to take on NZME’s publishing lifestyle brands and digital products. Due to his inability to cook, he’s an avid restaurant-goer, a poor snowboarder, and an international citizen whenever the opportunity to travel arises.
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