Stephanie B.
Yelp
Zandunga is a really cool restaurant specializing in the cuisine of the isthmus in Oaxaca. While it was almost 9PM, we were early for the area and quickly got a table on a weeknight. The restaurant was so charming - it was long and narrow with white walls and Tehuana tops for women decorating the walls. The tables and chairs were wood, and the lighting was soft. The service was warm and friendly. Fortunately for us, they also spoke English.
We definitely ordered too much food because we were starved and a little spent emotionally and physically. DM ordered a Margarita Zandunga (85 pesos or $4.25), which is the classic cocktail made with mezcal in lieu of tequila. I ordered a Cocktail of the Day (85 pesos or $4.25), which was a mezcal martini with mezcal and gin. Both cocktails were fantastic - perfectly made and with excellent liquor.
Before our dinner began, the snack of the house is tortillas al horno served with browned fish and two kinds of salsa - rosa and verde - as well as pickled onions. The tortillas al horno are made in the Oaxacan version of a pizza oven designed for this purpose. The tortillas are more like papadums than the classic version, but they are so good. The super fresh salsas were a zing of freshness with the minced fish that was reminiscent of pate. It was very good.
For dinner, we had the Platon de Verduras (130 pesos or $6.50) and the Bontana Zandunga (450 pesos or $21). The Platon de Verduras was a generous plate of mixed grilled vegetables, including mushrooms, green beans, beets, broccoli, squash, onions, red bell peppers and cabbage. A plate of veggies was most welcome. The plato de bontanas was delicious albeit a bit too much for the two of us. It had two garnachas, which are two silver dollar corn tortillas topped with black beans, ground beef, cheese and salsa rojo. They were served with pickled cabbage. There were two molotes, which are sort of like empanadas, which were filled with pork and chicken and were topped with queso fresco, rema, salsa, and cilantro. These two things were both awesome. The corn base and or exterior were super fresh and tender, and the meat was plentiful, well-seasoned and tender. There was pico de gallo made with minced jalapenos, chopped tomato and dried shrimp - great on the tortillas al horno. Surprisingly, the shrimp did not have an odd flavor - they just tasted like sweet little shrimp. There was also carne horneada, which was basically shredded beef in a tomato and spice sauce, but it was a little tough. In the end, it did not matter because we also had a tamale with the same meat as well as olives and raisins. There was plenty of masa left, so I had some with the additional meat. Then there were two totopos or fried plantains served with crema and fresh cheese. The plantain was sweet on the inside and crunchy on the outside. While delicious, I was getting pretty full. Instead, I had the cheese with the rest of the salsa rojo, which was a great combination of creamy, salty and spicy.
The service was fantastic and the house water was filtered, flavored with cucumber and totally safe. I highly recommend this restaurant.