Modern Mexican at Oyamel

Whew - it was quite a weekend. The variety of things to do in this city never fails to amaze me, and this weekend included jaunts to the Japanese Street Festival, the new Newseum, The Lansburgh Theatre for a showing of the Reduced Shakespeare Company's "The Complete History of America (abridged)," and the National Zoo, where we got to see the Orangutan's on the O Line. With all this activity, I'm sorta surprised we even remembered to eat, and yet we somehow managed to sneak in a meal that I'm counting among one of the best in recent memory at Penn Quarter's lovely Mexican cocina, Oyamel.

I don't know how to explain it, but as Jason and I stepped into Oyamel on that balmy Saturday evening, I suddenly felt a little bit more alive. My bones virtually tingled, infused with the bright energy of the warm color scheme, the oversized butterfly mobiles, the cheerful bustle of the wait staff ushering plates of miniature tacos to tables of grateful patrons, many slightly overdressed in their sequin-y theater garb (there are several venues within stone's throw of the restaurant).

It soon became apparent that Oyamel's menu (made up of antojitos, or small plates) is a worthy match for its exciting atmosphere. We started our meal at cocktails - mine was sweet and coconut-y with rum, and it was called Horchata something, but I can't find it on the Oyamel's website. Jason had the restaurant's version of a margarita, which comes topped with "salt air" (which seemed to be a sort of salient foam), and which Jason later declared to be the "best margarita ever" (and, trust me, this guy knows his margaritas).

Properly buzzed (it doesn't take much these days), we moved on to the Ceviche Verde "El Bajio," a coolly verdant blend of yellowtail kingfish with avocado, tomatillo, green olives and jalapeño chiles. From there, I moved on to a charming plate of seared scallops, with pumpkin seed sauce, pumpkin seed oil and toasted pumpkin seeds. The toasty flavors of the pumpkin elements contrasted gorgeously with the sweet scallop meatiness. Jason, meanwhile, was similarly enraptured by a tureen of baked beans and chorizo.

To accompany our second round of drinks (margaritas for both of us this time), we each ordered two tacos a la carte. Jason chose the wildest offerings - Taco de Chapulines, stuff with sautéed grasshoppers, in a shallots, garlic and tequila sauce, and the Lengua Guisada taco - braised beef tongue with radishes and a sauce of roasted pasilla chili, tomatoes, onion and garlic. I got to try an errant grasshopper - it was salty with a highly concentrated, almost nutty, flavor, but not altogether unpleasant. The braised beef tongue mostly just tasted like beef, but slightly gamier than the more conventional cuts. I chose the Carnitas taco stuff with confit of baby pig with green tomatillo sauce, pork rinds, onions and cilantro, an agreeably zesty combination of ingredients. I also got the comparatively tame Pollo a la Parilla taco, with grilled marinated chicken breast with guacamole and grilled Cambray onions. I wasn't as wild about the Pollo a la Parilla, but perhaps it isn't really fair to compare it directly to the more exotic items.

We were simply too full to sample any of Oyamel's desserts, but I am intrigued by the hibiscus and margarita sorbets, served with a meringue froth, tequila “jello”, and fresh orange and lime. Maybe next time. Maybe soon.

Good to know:
Oyamel is located at 401 7th Street, NW, a hop, skip, and a jump from the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metro stop (green, yellow, or red lines) or the Archives/Navy Memorial Metro stop (green and yellow lines). Within easy walking distance of The Shakespeare Theater, Woolly Mammoth Theater, National Theatre, and Warehouse Theater.

Photo of grasshopper tacos by Flickr user Angela N. Photo of Oyamel exterior by Flickr user Sp3ctr3man.