The food scene in Mexico City is a vibrant fusion of authentic Mexican flavors, textures, and aromas that captivate food lovers worldwide. In this article, we spotlight eatwith host José Ángel, a passionate local chef known for his creative twist on Mexico City’s local cuisine.
Through his social dining experiences, José Ángel invites guests to taste the true essence of Mexico, blending tradition with innovation in every dish.
Meet local host Jose Angel before joining him at his table in Mexico City
How did you get into cooking? Social dining and hosting in Mexico
As a kid, I remember watching my mom in the kitchen. Like a hummingbird, she used to fly quickly from pot to pot adding ingredients and filling her soul with the scented steam rising from the stove. That was my first connection with cooking, a magical scene that later turned into curiosity, then exploration and finally into sharing.
In cooking, I like to see an act of love that turns matter into memories and feelings, and that is what I like to put on the table, nothing less than a piece of my heart. I’m also a writer, a storyteller who uses words to talk about health and food, so sharing my cooking with others gives me the chance to come full circle doing what I love.
When and why did you start hosting local events in Mexico through with eatwith?
I started in 2013 when I was writing an article about new experiences for travelers and I found eatwith. I came back home and told my partner Luis about it and then hosting became a beautiful project of love. We like to open our house and turn strangers into friends by making them feel at home. We believe that this good energy, seeing each other as equals and friends sitting around the table together, is something that the world really needs.
What or who is your foodie inspiration and why?
For me, a foodie is a person who loves to eat and here in Mexico City, there are foodies on every corner treating street food like an exquisite dish. I enjoy watching people make a ceremony out of the act of putting salsa on a taco or using a tortilla as an edible utensil with skills that only a food-lover might have. So I’m inspired by anyone who sees food as a gift of life.
What is your favorite cuisine and why?
My favorite cuisine is Mexican, which is pretty obvious I guess, but the reason why I love it is that I know that it comes from a mix of different cultures and heritages. Every region of Mexico has something to bring to the table, thanks to the diverse different territories. There’s always an element of ritual and celebration that turns food and the act of eating into an offering to life, to here and now.
What to expect from José Ángel's home-cooked dinners in Mexico City
What are you most excited about when hosting your home-cooked dinner in Mexico City? What can guests expect from your event?
When hosting an eatwith experience, and now I’m speaking for my partner and myself, we always get nervous and excited because we believe that every experience will bring us a new friend, someone with a story to tell and a heart open to be amazed and amused by the food we serve.
Guests can expect a warm welcome, a home scented with chocolate, chili, and flowers, and a table that appears before you like a shrine dedicated to love. Then we’ll pour Mezcal in your cup and stories in your ear, and every dish will be served and explained from the heart because all of our recipes come from family traditions and memories.
Luis will style the table differently every time using flowers and leaves from our garden that he cultivated with his grandma, as well as artisanal ceramics from our travels to Oaxaca and all around Mexico. José will be making magic in the kitchen turning everyday food into a poem about the streets of Mexico City. By the end of the experience, you’ll have a full stomach and a bit of Mexico in your system.
What do you hope guests take away from their social dining experiences with eatwith?
I want people to take back a piece of Mexico in their hearts and to open their palate to new horizons. I want people to feel like they have a home and a friend in Mexico to go back to, where they can be full again within the embrace of our food.
What do you enjoy most about hosting social dining experiences with eatwith?
Our favorite part about hosting with eatwith is that we can have a voice and presence all around the world, and this gives us the opportunity to share the things we have to offer with many people. Eatwith makes it easy for hosts and guests to connect with each other.
If you’re traveling to Mexico City, be sure to check out all of José Ángel’s Eatwith experiences here!
