Discovering the Foods of the Mission: La Oaxaqueña Provides First-Rate Mexican Cuisine
Oliver Ubeda
Staff Writer
I might be the only Hispanic newbie in San Francisco that hadn’t been to the Mission to eat. So I took the great opportunity last week to go with my wife and kids to try some of the food that the Mission is so famous for. My father in-law is from Oaxaca (pronounced Wah-Ha-Ka), Mexico, so the first place my wife wanted to try was La Oaxaqueña Bakery and Restaurant. It is a small place on Mission St (between 16th and 17th streets) nicely decorated with pottery and paintings from Oaxaca. As a side note there is an alley right next to the restaurant that is covered in colorful murals worth checking out as well.
One aspect of Oaxacan food is characterized by the tlayuda, which is a large pizza-size very crunchy tortilla usually overlaid with bean puree and then topped with lettuce or cabbage, tomato, avocado, cotija cheese, quesillo (Oaxacan Cheese), and a choice of meats to put on top like chorizo, carne asada (grilled steak), chicken etc. It’s kind of a supersized tostada so to speak. It is large enough for two people to share as a meal or for 3-5 to share a taste. You can add a dollar to the $12 price for each meat you top it with. We ordered the tlayuda without any meat because we love it with the Oaxacan cheese. If you have never tried Oaxacan cheese I highly recommend it, it is one of my favorite cheeses. I can describe it as string cheese similar to mozzarella when melted but with more consistency and flavor and a very slight bitter aftertaste. The tlayuda we tried had a thicker fried tortilla and was topped with lettuce, tomato, avocado, cotija cheese and quesillo. I know the more traditional tlayuda is thinner and toasted instead of fried. It is usually lighter on the palate and the stomach than the one we had at this restaurant. 
We also ordered carne asada huaraches. Huarache is the term used for flip-flop style sandals in Mexico. The thick soft tortilla used in the dish is oval-shaped like a sandal and about the size of one, so the name of the dish comes from the tortilla used for it. The tortilla is overlaid with bean puree and topped with lettuce and in this case also Carne Asada. The huarache is not traditional of only Oaxacan food but if you enjoy Mexican food and never tried them they are really good.
Harry, the Spanish-speaking owner from India served us, and he was extremely hospitable and provided us excellent service. He first brought us multicolored tortilla chips and salsa and then our meal and later brought us Mole Negro to try as well as a taste of Champurrado and a serving of Oaxacan hot chocolate. Mole (pronounced moIeh) is basically a sauce that is used to make tamales, or cooked with different meats like chicken, turkey, beef, or used to cover enchiladas, or simply used as chip dip. It is said to have originated in Oaxaca and Puebla. We tried the Mole Negro (Dark Mole or Black Mole) as a chip dip and it was delicious. Mole sauce has a myriad of ingredients ground nuts like peanuts, walnuts and almonds, ground sesame seeds, two or more different chiles, bread, green tomatoes, red tomatoes, onions, garlic etc. The different Moles are named based on their color or place of origin. Mole Negro has Mexican chocolate added to it to give it is dark color and chocolate taste. The sauce is thick, about medium spicy but it also has a sweetness to it that takes you by surprise if you never had it.
The champurrado is a thick atole-style drink with chocolate that is served hot traditionally at the day of the dead (November 1st) and in Posadas (celebrations in December where people visit each other and share food). La Oaxaqueña’s champurrado has just the right amount of chocolate so you can enjoy the atole sweet flavor and thick consistency better. The Oxacan style hot chocolate was also hot, and very foamy at the top and with such richness, and strong flavor that it capped the meal really nicely. The difference is the Mexican chocolate used, probably a similar chocolate like the one used on the Dark Mole.
The food was very good overall– I really enjoyed the carne asada on the huaraches it was tender and moist not dry at all. I liked the tlayuda– the thicker tortilla is not what I was used to but it was tasty. I can tell you that if you are from Oaxaca or ever visited that La Oaxaqueña is not exactly as authentic but it’s the next best thing since we are in San Francisco. The meal we had cost about $25 and that price seemed average to me for a small restaurant San Francisco meal for two.
I learned from talking to Harry that around 6 p.m. there is a taco stand that they set up outside the restaurant and it closes when the restaurant closes. The restaurant can stay open until 2 a.m. on weekdays but may stay open later; depending on the crowd it can stay open as late as 3:30 a.m. On the weekend it can stay open as late as 4 a.m. So if you want a midnight Oaxacan snack or meal or just a taco it’s a good place to go that it’s open very late. I would call ahead to see how late they will be open since that depends on how busy it gets.
As extensive and eclectic as the food is in San Francisco, I think La Oaxaqueña maybe one of only two places to serve Oaxacan food in the city. It is not your average Mexican food and if you want to challenge your palate and explore a very distinct taste stop by La Oaxaqueña. If you want to know more about Oaxacan food and culture you should google Guelaguetza. Next week I will continue my mini tour of the Mission telling you about my experience at Pancho Villa Taqueria Mexican Restaurant, stay tuned.
Monday-Sunday, 6 a.m. – 2 a.m.
2128 Mission St, San Francisco, CA
Oliver Ubeda is a first-year pharmacy student.
This article appeared in the April 21, 2011 issue of Synapse.
