Komal, a counter in the bustling Mercado La Paloma, comes from husband-and-wife team chef Fátima Juárez and Conrado Rivera, who previously worked together at Michelin-starred Holbox. The menu centers on corn nixtamalized on-site, spotlighted in dishes that draw on Indigenous Mexican cuisine and Juárez’s upbringing in Oaxaca and Mexico City. Through cheese-laced quesadillas de huitlacoche and purple-tinged tortillas, Juarez takes diners on a journey through her own memories — from a pan de calabaza family recipe to a tribute to her favorite childhood taquero — while honoring the deep ties corn has to Mexican cuisine and culture.
A group lunch that allows you to order a handful of dishes from across the entire menu while keeping spending in check (the most expensive dish on the menu is $12).
The food court setup of Mercado La Paloma makes it easy to order dishes from a few stands and assemble your own meal. Head to the adjacent Oaxacalifornia for cucumber or watermelon aguas frescas, or Holbox to add on an uni-topped tostada and battered fish taco.