This amazing TINY restaurant is at the corner of Calle Reforma and Gomez Farias, across the street from Conzatti Park. It has six tables and seating for about 20 people. How do you say it? XAOK = Sha-Oh-K. The K is soft, barely the hard consonant we know in English.
Chef Uriel Garcia works the kitchen and the dining room with two staff members who assist in serving and cooking. Why do we love it? Everything is delicious and artfully presented. The food is innovative, fresh, and there are many vegetarian, gluten-free, and vegan options. There is no compromise on quality.
He came up with the name XAOK as a derivative of Oaxaca. An anagram, so to speak.
XAOK has been open for four months. While its a newbie on the restaurant scene, Uriel has deep experience in food preparation. He went to university in Oaxaca for four years to study culinary arts, then worked as a chef in Rodolfo Castellanos’ award-winning kitchen at Origen for six years before opening XAOK. No wonder each dish is special!
This is a must-visit foodie destination for residents and travelers alike. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, you will revel in the taste sensations and appreciate the value of this extraordinary food.
BTW, the sourdough bread here is as good as anything I’ve had in San Francisco, where I lived, ate, and reveled in the sourdough bread culture. It’s crustiness is sublime. Its soft center, pocked with fermented air pockets, is tangy and exactly what sourdough bread should taste and look like. It comes from Sagrado Filemon at the corner of Allende and Porfirio Diaz across the street from Gourmand Deli.
