Review: Pasillo de Humo

Tell us about your first impressions when you arrived.
Pasillo de Humo is located upstairs in Mercado Parian, a food hall in the heart of Condesa. The name refers to the passageway in the markets of Oaxaca where dried beef tasajo is hung and smoke-dried. Spacious and lined with smooth wood, it feels like a full-service restaurant even though you're essentially in an upscale cafeteria.

What was the crowd like?
Couples checking out the scene, local architects, designers, and food bloggers.

What should we be drinking?
Traditional hot or cold chocolate (made with water, not milk) is the drink to get here, but there's coffee and agua frescas as well.

Main event: the food. Give us the lowdown—especially what not to miss.
The menu is all about antojitos (small snacks based on corn masa) that translate the flavors and smells of Oaxaca, the culinary darling of Mexico. Order plantain croquettes dunked into red mole, traditional crispy flatbread tlayudas with stringy Oaxacan cheese and grilled beef, a few of the impeccable mole dishes, and pan de yema to go with the hot chocolate.

And how were the front-of-house folks?
Snappy on their feet.

What’s the real-real on why we’re coming here?
To check out the ongoing food hall trend from a Mexican perspective.