Playa Del Carmen and Tulum Mexico Real Estate | A Mole Quest Through The Streets of Playa del Carmen

A Mole Quest Through The Streets of Playa del Carmen

Born and raised in Montreal, I was introduced to Mexican cuisine at a very young age by my Mexican mother. Even though all my family members were all huge fans of any possible traditional Mexican dish, I was at that time "the picky one". However, there was this one dish that I would without hesitation (and still do, along with so many other delicious Mexican authentic dishes) savor every single bite and wish that my mom would prepare for me as often as possible. My maternal grandfather was from Puebla, and this is probably why my mother would also crave and appreciate enchiladas de mole as much as I did.

I remember introducing mole to one of my friends from Quebec when we were little, and when I asked him if he liked it, he told me he wasn't sure... he didn't know if he either liked it or not, as it was a taste that he had never experienced before. Mole sauce not only has a very particular (amazing) taste, it is also a complex and long process to make from scratch. Depending on the type of mole and depending on the region or taste of the person making mole, you will find from 20 to 30 different ingredients. The ingredients go from several kind of chiles to fruits, nuts, bread, cloves, seeds, tomatoes and my personal favorite ingredient: chocolate, only to name a few!

"One of the legends out there says that the mole poblano was created by nuns in the convent of Santa Rosa, Puebla, in the early Colonial period. When the nuns heard that the archbishop was coming to visit, they entered into a panic as they were poor and they didn't have enough resources to make a proper dinner, fit for an archbishop. The nuns prayed, and then decided to bring together everything they had in their kitchen: including different kind of chiles, spices, old pieces of bread, nuts, and a little chocolate. They killed an old turkey, cooked it and put the sauce on top; the archbishop loved it. When the nun was asked the name of the dish, she replied, "I made a mole." Mole was the ancient word for mix; now this word mostly refers to the dish, and is rarely used to signify other kinds of mixes in Spanish."
-Wikipedia

Loving the fact that "mole" was possibly an ancient word for mix, it only sounds plausible to me as it is used in other Spanish words like guacamole.

Various states of Mexico claim to be the origin of mole, like Puebla or Oaxaca. However, it is in Playa del Carmen, where I permanently live, that I decided to start a quest to find small hidden gems where I would find authentic, delightful and most importantly, handmade-from-scratch mole.

El Rincon Veracruzano

This amazing place is located off the beaten path, on Avenida 125 at the corner of Calle 36. The owners are a charming couple; Francisco and his wife Josefina worked for many years in the same hotel together, until life decided it was time for them to open their very own restaurant. Nothing in life comes easy - they both work (Francisco waits the tables, and Josefina is the artist in the kitchen) 7 days a week since they opened more than a year ago, in order to serve their clientele a truly authentic taste from Veracruz, but also to create several dishes made of... mole poblano!

Picada with mole

Chicken with mole and rice

Tampiqueña (Cecina served with fries, guacamole, fried plantains, fried beans, salad and folded tortilla with mole sauce)

Enchiladas de mole

Josefina prepares the mole overnight after they close the restaurant because she says that the strong smell of the combined frying chiles is very hard to endure. She uses 25 different ingredients, including several fruits, to make her own very unique and delightful mole.

The hard work pays off, as this hidden gem takes a very special place in my heart. The handmade tortillas, the variety of dishes that are made with mole, the very unique and special touch that Josefina personally puts in her recipes and in every single dish, really won my heart. You can even buy your own kilo or half kilo of mole sauce to bring home, or even some handmade tortillas to prepare your very own enchiladas de mole in the comfort of your home. Do yourself a favor and dare to leave the downtown Playa area to discover, taste and enjoy this wonderful authentic restaurant. Visit their website or their facebook page to find out more about them and look at their complete and inviting full menu.

Doña Aurelia

This lovely restaurant is located in Playacar, near the Pakal entrance. The gourmet restaurant has cozy family style with a menu inspired by authentic family recipes. The dishes presented by Doña Aurelia are the product of a careful selection of her best homemade recipes, and dishes from Mexican states that stand out for their culinary arts and in many cases ancestral recipes. The first restaurant opened by Doña Aurelia is located in Monterrey, where it is having great success. Here in Playa del Carmen, Doña Aurelia opened its doors 3 years ago.

Roberto, the Executive Chef, prepared for us his famous mole: 5 hours of thorough preparation and cooking, made of exactly, in his case, 20 ingredients. Unlike Josefina at the Rincon Veracruzano, Roberto only uses one fruit in his entire mole recipe: banana.

What fascinates me the most about mole, is that even when the ingredients differs from one person's recipe to another, the abundant deliciousness of its essence never changes.

Chicken breast in mole sauce with rice

Enchiladas de Mole

Not only does Chef Roberto prepare his exquisite mole recipe for several different items on the Doña Aurelia's menu, but he also prepares a mean green mole dish you cannot miss! The extensive menu of Doña Aurelia also features various dishes inspired by numerous states around Mexico. If you're a fan of food from northern Mexico, for example, you might want to make a breakfast stop and try the Huevos con Machaca... yum! If you're curious about all the different specialties of Doña Aurelia's menu and want to experience a culinary trip around Mexico by tasting authentic homemade recipes, you can start by checking out their website and facebook page, but also make sure to make the stop by and enjoy a delightful experience for yourself!

Pik Nik

Pik Nik is a cozy Mexican eatery located on 10th Avenue between Calle 24 and Calle 26 in the downtown area, known for its delicious enchiladas where you can choose your own sauce, filling and type of tortilla. Louis, the owner of Pik Nik, first opened in the Cancun area 3 years ago. After a great response from his Cancun clientele, he decided to open another Pik Nik restaurant here in Playa del Carmen a year ago. Alex, a young chef from Chiapas inspired by his mother and grandmother's family recipes, offers several amazing traditional dishes, and of course some of them include... mole!

Enchiladas de mole with rice and beans

Chef Alex uses exactly 20 different ingredients to prepare this mole sauce, a sauce that has a more reddish color this time due to specific fruits that he chose to incorporate into his recipe. Sumptuous and enticing, this slightly different mole sauce is not only available with enchiladas but also in breakfast dishes like chilaquiles and eggs dipped in mole!

Fresh mint lemonade

Being in the downtown area, Pik Nik is an easy walk for tourists and locals craving great mole and traditional homemade Mexican cuisine. Visit their facebook page to find out more about them and about their many exquisite specialties! And don't miss out on the opportunity to try this place that was awarded the 2016 Certificate of Excellence by TripAdvisor.

Whether you have already tried mole before or if you're just learning about it, you now have 3 hidden gems in Playa del Carmen to track down and try it. (And of course, I'll keep searching for more.) Feel free to tell us your favorite spots and maybe get the chance to see them in our next food blog!