VOA文化艺术2024--Taco Stand in Mexico City Gets Michelin Star

Taco Stand in Mexico City Gets Michelin Star

Mexico City's Tacos El Califa de León recently became the first Mexican taco stand to get a Michelin star - an award presented by the famous French restaurant guide.

Chef Arturo Rivera Martínez recently stood over a very hot grill¹ when Michelin representatives came to present him with one of the company's heavy white chef's coats. But Rivera Martinez did not put the jacket on.

In this very small, 3-meter by 3-meter business space, the heat makes the meat. And the heat is strong.

At El Califa de León there are only four things on the menu -- all of them tacos. The food business has been doing the same four things since opening in 1968.

"The secret is the simplicity² of our taco. It has only a tortilla, red or green sauce, and that's it. That, and the quality of the meat," said Rivera Martínez. He is also probably the only Michelin-starred chef who, when asked what drink should go with his food, answers "I like a Coke."

Other than perhaps one street food stand in Bangkok, Thailand, El Califa de León is probably the smallest restaurant ever to get a Michelin star. And half of the small space is taken up by a solid steel plate grill that is hotter than the salsa.

Thousands of times a day, Rivera Martínez gets a fresh, thinly sliced piece of beef and puts it on the hot steel grill.

The heat is one of the few secrets Rivera Martínez would share. The steel grill has to be heated to 360 Celsius³.

Asked how it felt to get a Michelin star, he said in classic Mexico City slang⁴, "it's neat, it's cool."

The prices at his stand are quite high by Mexican standards. A single taco costs nearly $5. But many customers are sure it is the best in the city.

"It's the quality of the meat," said Alberto Muñoz, who has been coming to the place for about eight years. "I have never been disappointed. And now I'll recommend it with even more reason, now that it has a star."

His son, Alan, who was waiting for a beef taco alongside⁵ his father, noted⁶ "this is a historic⁷ day for Mexican cuisine⁸, and we're witnesses to it."

It really is about not changing anything - the freshness of the tortillas, the menu, the design of the restaurant. Owner Mario Hernández Alonso will not even tell where he buys the stand's meat.

By law, following the coronavirus pandemic, Mexico City restaurants have been permitted to open up street-side seating areas. But El Califa de León does not even have a sidewalk where customers could eat because of all the street vendors¹⁰.

Asked if he would like them to make room for a street-side seating area, Hernández Alonso said pointing to the street vendors, "As the saying goes, why fix or change something that's alright? You shouldn't fix anything... It's the way God ordered things, and you have to deal with it."

Words in This Story

grill - n. a metal object or frame that is used to cook food over hot coals or a fire

tortilla - n. a round, thin Mexican bread

slang - n. an informal word or expression used in everyday situations

cuisine - n. a kind of cooking

vendor⁹ - n. a person who sells something (often on the street)

1 grill   

n.烤架，铁格子，烤肉；v.烧，烤，严加盘问

参考例句：

• Put it under the grill for a minute to brown the top.放在烤架下烤一分钟把上面烤成金黄色。
• I'll grill you some mutton.我来给你烤一些羊肉吃。

2 simplicity   

n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯

参考例句：

• She dressed with elegant simplicity.她穿着朴素高雅。
• The beauty of this plan is its simplicity.简明扼要是这个计划的一大特点。

3 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

4 slang   

n.俚语，行话；vt.使用俚语，辱骂；vi.辱骂

参考例句：

• The phrase is labelled as slang in the dictionary.这个短语在这本字典里被注为俚语。
• Slang often goes in and out of fashion quickly.俚语往往很快风行起来又很快不再风行了。

5 alongside   

adv.在旁边；prep.和...在一起，在...旁边

参考例句：

• There was a butcher's shop alongside the theatre.剧院旁边有一家肉店。
• Alongside of him stood his uncle.他的身旁站着他叔叔。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

8 cuisine   

n.烹调，烹饪法

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• This restaurant is renowned for its cuisine.这家餐馆以其精美的饭菜而闻名。

9 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。

10 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓