"At Maíz, Juan Carlos Negrete ensures his menu is a taco-free zone to prove how expansive Mexican food truly is. The chef’s tlacoyos, tetelas, and tostadas all demonstrate how vital corn is to the cuisine, while his hibiscus sope comes from Maíz’s days as a Summer Hill market stall (the flower, slow-cooked and braised like al pastor, was originally served with condiments from fellow market vendors, Drunken Sailor’s pineapple jam and Chinese chile oil by Mama Liu, but now the chef makes equivalents). The vegan sope nicely fits Maíz’s location in Newtown, a suburb long associated with meat-free dining. Negrete joins a surge of Mexican-born chefs celebrating their heritage (and reclaiming the cuisine from the questionable tacos that once passed in pubs and food courts), like tamale queen Rosa Cienfuegos, and Manuel Díaz, who mixes bush foods with his salsas at Nativo." - Lee Tran Lam
