[imagesource:ksl5tv/x]

Arturo Rivera Martínez is likely the only Michelin-starred chef who will suggest that you have a Coke with your meal, but then again, he also owns the only Michelin-starred taco stand in the world.

Arturo got the coveted star from the French dining guide by doing exactly the same thing he’s been doing for 20 years: searing meat.

Michelin representatives presented him with one of the company’s heavy, full-sleeved, pristine white chef’s jackets on Wednesday, although the chef didn’t put it on as his three-metre by three-metre taco stand is scorching hot.

At Mexico City’s Tacos El Califa de León, there are only four things on the menu, all tacos (all of which came from a cow’s rib), loin or foreshank.

“The secret is the simplicity of our taco. It has only a tortilla, red or green sauce, and that’s it. That, and the quality of the meat.”

It’s actually more complicated than that. El Califa de León is the only taco stand among the 16 Mexican restaurants given one star, as well as two eateries that got two stars. Almost all the rest are posh eateries.

In fact, other than perhaps one street food stand in Bangkok, Thailand, El Califa de León is probably the smallest restaurant ever to get a Michelin star: Half of the 9.29 square-metre space is taken up by a solid steel plate grill that’s hotter than the salsa.

The other half is packed with standing customers clutching plastic plates and ladling salsa, and the female assistant who rolls out the rounds of tortilla dough constantly.

In a way, El Califa de León is a tribute to resistance to change. It got there by doing exactly the same four things it has been doing since 1968.

The heat is one of the few secrets Rivera Martínez would share. The steel grill has to be heated to an astounding 360 Celsius. Asked how it felt to get a Michelin star, he said in classic Mexico City slang, “está chido … está padre,” or “It’s neat, it’s cool.”

Tacos El Califa de León in Mexico City has made history as the first taco stand to earn a Michelin star. pic.twitter.com/NyAGlnTFRj

— 1440 (@Join1440) May 17, 2024

The prices are quite high by Mexican standards. A single, generous but not huge taco costs nearly $5. But many customers are convinced it’s the best, if not the cheapest, in the city.

“It’s the quality of the meat,” said Alberto Muñoz, who has been coming here for about eight years. “I have never been disappointed. And now I’ll come with even more reason, now that it has a Michelin star.”

Muñoz’s son, Alan, who was waiting for a beef taco alongside his father, noted “This is a historic day for Mexican cuisine, and we’re witnesses to it.”

It really is about not changing anything — the freshness of the tortillas, the menu, the layout of the restaurant. Owner Mario Hernández Alonso won’t even reveal where he buys his meat.

Times have changed, though. The most loyal customer base for El Califa de León originally came from politicians of the old ruling PRI party, whose headquarters is about five blocks away. But the party lost the presidency in 2018 and has gone into a steady decline, and now it’s rare to see anyone in a suit here.

And Hernández Alonso noted that his father Juan, who founded the business, never bothered to trademark the Califa name and so a well-funded, sleek taco chain has opened about 15 airy restaurants in upscale neighbourhoods under the name. Hernández Alonso has been toying with the idea of getting the business on social media, but that’s up to his grandkids.

By law, following the coronavirus pandemic, Mexico City restaurants have been allowed to open up street-side canopied seating areas. But El Califa de León doesn’t even have a sidewalk for customers to eat on because of all the street vendors, so customers now stand cheek-to-jowl with display stands and plastic mannequins.