Parque Quetzalcóatl

Back in February, I had the amazing opportunity to visit Mexico City on a girls' trip.
Check out are my favorite highlights from the trip below.

Parque Quetzalcóatl - This park is an architectural project by Javier Senosiain. It's still in development but you can tour the grounds through a private tour. My favorite parts of the space were the residential complex, greenhouse and the vegetable gardens. 



The main structure of the residential complex is Quetzalcóatl, an Aztec serpent deity. You will also find all sorts of Serpent structures scattered throughout the space.




The greenhouse felt super magical with the multi-colored stained glass. There is a walk inside that spirals up to the top entrance, where you can slide down. :)




Teotihuacán Archaelogical Complex - I'm a bit of a history geek, so this complex was on top of my list. We did a guided morning tour. Once at the site, a certified tour guide from the site took us around while our tour guide translated for him. Most interestingly, I learnt that the pyramids were built by a civilization predating the Mayans and Aztecs known as Teotihuacán. They were a female-dominated society and the pyramids are actually temples.


The pyramid of the Sun was super impressive up close and much larger than the pyramid of the Moon (shown below)



If you look up close into the grout between the stones, you'll notice all the grout has black dots in them. Our guide told us that was to showcase reconstruction versus the original structure. Very little of the original structure is left, and most of what we saw on the site was a reconstruction.



Masala y Maíz - Serving dishes with Indian, African and Mexican cuisine influences. Our entire table was super impressed by the shrimp dish, Camarones pa’pelar. The grilled shrimp is stuff with vanilla and morita chiles, and was so savory and juicy. It boggled our minds that vanilla dish could be savory, since vanilla is usually associated with being sweet. 



Madre Cocina Mexicana at Coyoacan Market - Serving delicious Chilaquiles Rellenos. My friends and I ordered the dish with different stuffings and salsa. I got mine with Red Salsa and Papas. The owner was super friendly and gave us recommendations as we looked through the menu.



Quintonil - now considered the 3rd best restaurant by the World's 50 best restaurants list, my dining experience here was the best experience ever. I had many friends recommend us to check it out. Initially, I was quite apprehensive as my friends mentioned they incorporate insects into their cuisine. However I had a fantastic experience and now highly recommend the restaurant to everyone. Each course felt carefully through out and curated. Our server took time to explain each course to us, and we even got to see the fresh, local ingredients used for the meal. 



I was super impressed by the chef's attention to detail. Like the fact they make their own in-house garum, which is ancient Roman fish sauce recipe. I also thought the way they incorporated local insects to their cuisine was very tasteful and delicious. I'm forever grateful to the Mariachi band that kept me up at night, so that I was able to snag the last-minute reservations to Quintonil! 😝

Overall, Mexico City was such a vibrant and fun city to visit. There was so many things to see and do, and I can definitely see myself coming back to visit in the future. This post would be endless if I managed to list all my favorite moments of the trip. I'm going to end this post with my favorite destinations.

Shopping: 

Goodbye Folk Vintage - a multi-level thrift store, where they also rework pieces for sale. I got a cool reworked Ralph Lauren shirt. 

Proyecto Rufina - airy gorgeous linen and cotton clothing. They also sell ceramics.

Museums:

Museo Nacional de Antropología - We went during one of the free evenings. The museum is massive and impressive. I was really impressed with their Aztec exhibit.

National Art Museum - We also went during one of the free days, and it's a beautifully stunning building in the historic center.

Frida Kahlo Museum - Art lovers, this museum is a must. I recommend to get your tickets ahead of time. I enjoyed how the museum curated Frida Kahlo's life. The blue house was beautiful in person, and you could really feel how Frida Kahlo lived her life in Casa Azul.

More Food: 

Panadería Rosetta - Pastry shop serving some interesting pastries! My friend enjoyed the Rol de Guayaba, while I liked the blueberry focaccia. They also sell coffee and other goods to take home!

Tacos Los Condes -While everyone has their own favorite tacos recommendations, this one was my favorite. My favorite tacos were the chicken tacos - very juicy and tender. The salsas were ace and they offered a variety of fresh fruit juices. Definitely a gem in the neighborhood I stayed in.

Churreria El Moro Centro - Great place to grab churros and chocolate on the go - need I say more?

Until next time, adiós!