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Rosetta

Mexico City

Imaginative Mexican cuisine with an eye on the future

On the Pass

Elena Reygadas

Pastry Chef

Karla Otañez

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 determined to open 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, her food became more Mexico-centric over time, as the chef extensively researched her country’s culinary traditions. In recent years, the focus has shifted to re-interpreting traditional dishes in a new light.

Try this taco: Reygadas’ interpretation of the ubiquitous Mexican taco comprises savoy cabbage leaves rather than a corn tortilla. The traditional sauce, pipián, is made from pistachio instead of pumpkin seeds and is accompanied by romeritos, a herb native to Mexico and often associated with Christmas festivities, rather than meat.

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 partly what earned her the title of The World’s Best Female Chef 2023.

If you like this, try: In 2012, Rosetta expanded with a bakery next door – Panadería Rosetta – 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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