Oyamel - Review - Hudson Yards - New York - The Infatuation
"Oyamel, which replaced Spanish Diner, is a generally pleasant post-work move in Hudson Yards. That’s thanks to warm chips and smoky salsa, molcajetes of lime-forward guacamole, and margaritas that are reasonably priced for the area. The Mexican restaurant from José Andrés has plenty of space to house your whole team (and then some), with a long, stretching dining room and buzzy bar area where people in blazers shout over clinking shakers of mezcal. video credit: Carlo Mantuano Oyamel's tacos are well-stuffed with meat—highlights include the carnitas, suadero, and fried fish—and topped with crisp chicharron or bright chile arbol mayo. You’re best off sticking to those, and some margaritas here. Many of the small plates lack seasoning, like a skimpy scallop and octopus ceviche, or a shrimp aguachile that needs a quadruple amount of lime juice. Don’t even get us started on the queso fundido, which has whey pooling at the bottom of the skillet. Still, Oyamel is a good, relatively affordable after-work option in Hudson Yards—a neighborhood that desperately needs more of those. Food Rundown Margaritas All of the options on the cocktail menu are good, but it’s hard to beat the Salt Air margarita with its salty cloud resting on the drink. Salt rim, you’ve been bested. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano Guacamole Just go ahead and order it. If you don’t, they might bring it anyway (this happened to us once). It’s a solid guac that comes in a lovely molcajete with always-warm chips. photo credit: Nitzan Keynan Queso Fundido The saddest of queso fundidos we’ve ever encountered. A couple of minutes after you pull the Oaxaca cheese out of the skillet, a substantial amount of whey starts to seep out, making the whole thing soggy. Big skip. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano Ceviches & Aguachiles Don’t waste your time with this section of the menu. They’re either bland, suffering from a lack of citrus, or come with a paltry amount of seafood. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano Tacos You’re in good hands with the tacos here. Carnitas, suadero, and fried fish are all delicious and substantial—which they should be for $7 a pop. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano Barbacoa A decent, large-format entree if you’re sticking around for dinner and have a group. The lamb is easily shredded and is the undoubted highlight. It comes with rice in barbacoa broth that could’ve used some extra seasoning, and some dry tortillas for taco making. But you’re really better off just ordering an extra taco or two. photo credit: Carlo Mantuano" - Carlo Mantuano
