If you’re not that enthralled with Oaxacan food and want to be able to choose from a broad variety of mainly familiar cuisine (i.e. standard American and Canadian restaurant fare) served in a comfortable but basic Bohemian environment, La Jícara should be on your restaurant list. The “eatery,” located in downtown Oaxaca (the UNESCO World Heritage Site in south central Mexico), fashions itself as a restaurant, a bookstore promoting books by independent publishing houses, a gallery, and free space for the advancement of culture.
Ambiance and Crowd at La Jícara Oaxacan Restaurant
La Jícara is frequented by the Oaxaca Birkenstock crowd, expat residents of all ages yearning for something from the late 60s, imbibers looking for a broad selection of both craft beer and quality mezcal both at rock bottom prices, and anyone interested in its mix of films and live entertainment both consistent with the restaurant’s theme.
Wooden tables and chairs are set in a quasi-garden setting with a non-functional (at least on three consecutive visits) fountain towards the back, and overhead vines that could use some manicuring. Music is jazzy, no surprise, and the wait staff is attentive. Adjoining rooms serve as the bookstore, gallery, bar, and space for apparently other projects on the go.
The Menu at La Jícara Does it All, Though Light on The Cuisine of Oaxaca and The Food of Mexico in General
Saturday at La Jícara is “invited chef day” when friends of the restaurant share their best dishes and family recipes. The menu is otherwise diverse in a non-Mexican sense, covering all the bases for those wanting a comida or cena in the northern genre. It offers a selection of six salads and seven pastas as well as a half-dozen fish and seafood alternatives, chicken and beef, and appetizers.
A survey of the menu certainly reveals a scarcity of traditionally Mexican ingredients (yes, the word tamarind appears once, as does chile guajillo). To prove the point, the appetizer array includes Spanish omelet, humus, and bagel with cream cheese and salmon (presumably smoked).
But the food, while essentially not Mexican and devoid of the usual Oaxacan choices, is tasty, fresh, safe for unaccustomed gastro-intestinal tracts, and presented reasonably well. On a recent outing, I had the curry chicken. While the curry spices were pre-mixed as would be expected, the flavor was agreeable, enhanced with pecan, cream, purple onion and parsley. Accompaniments of salad and rice were appropriate and well portioned. My wife’s spinach salad was similarly a healthy serving (salads can be ordered either appetizer or main course size), and included a selection of toasted seeds and fresh mushrooms. On the same visit one friend ordered pasta a la Napolitano with a hint of pesto, appropriately al dente, and the other traveled light with a pair of tostadas topped with lentil humus, julienned carrot, cream, parmesan and yes, to be fair, typically-Mexican tinga (in this case lightly seasoned shredded chicken combined with sautéed tomato and chopped assorted vegetables).
When to Try Oaxaca’s La Jícara
The La Jícara blogspot lists the schedule for movies, live music and other events. It is wise to consult it in order to determine the time of day or evening which best meets the dining experience that you seek. Personally, I find mid- to late afternoon lunches pleasing. Alternatively, try an evening when there’s an event so you can enjoy drinks and dinner within the context of a more upbeat ambiance.
Location and Hours of Restaurante La Jícara in Oaxaca
La Jícara
Porfirio Díaz 1105
Oaxaca Centro
Monday and Tuesday from 1 - 9 p.m.
Wednesday through Saturday from 1 - 11 p.m.
Alvin Starkman - Alvin Starkman runs Casa Machaya Oaxaca Bed & Breakfast. He is a paid contributing writer for Mexico Today (http://www.mexicotoday.org).
