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Rosetta

Mexico City

Imaginative Mexican cuisine with an eye on the future

On the Pass

Elena Reygadas

Origin story: Elena Reygadas was an English literature student before she became a chef – a profession she took an interest in by chance while working odd jobs following graduation. But after studying at the French Culinary Institute in New York and spending four seminal years working at Locanda Locatelli in London, she returned to her native Mexico City in 2010 set on opening her own restaurant.

Taste of Mexico: Reygadas’ cuisine has developed and changed over the years. Having started out with a soft spot for fresh pastas and Italian-influenced recipes, it became more Mexico-centric over time, as the chef researched deeply into her country’s culinary traditions. In recent years, the focus has shifted to vegetables, leading her to re-interpret traditional dishes in a new light.

Try this taco: Reygadas’ interpretation of the ubiquitous Mexican taco features not a corn tortilla, but instead savoy cabbage leaves. The traditional sauce, pipián, here is made from pistachio instead of pumpkin seeds, and is accompanied not by meat but by romeritos, an herb native to Mexico and often associated with Christmas festivities.

Further reading: Diners at Rosetta may also pick up one of Reygadas’ cuadernos, self-published notebooks about different aspects of gastronomy – from the influence of neo-liberalism on the modern diet to the role the milpa farming system plays in Mexico. Her work across different aspects of gastronomic culture is part of what earned her the title of The World’s Best Female Chef 2023.

If you like this, try: Since 2012, Rosetta expanded with a bakery next door, where Reygadas’ passion for bread and baking shines. The chef also leads several more casual outlets in Mexico City, including Lardo, Café Nin and Bella Aurora.

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