This Mexican taqueria is the first to receive a Michelin star

(CNN) — A small taco stand in Mexico with just four options on its menu has earned a star from the prestigious Michelin guide.

Taquería El Califa de León, located in Mexico City’s San Rafael neighborhood, was one of the establishments that received one or two stars in The first Michelin guide Mexico, which went public earlier this week, becoming the first Mexican taco stand to earn this distinction.

Chef Arturo Rivera Martinez, who has been serving customers at Taquería El Califa in Leon for at least two decades, greeted the chef’s famous white Filipino on Wednesday while serving up his famous tacos.

Taquería El Califa de León is the first Mexican taco stand to receive a Michelin star. (Credit: Fernando Llano/AP).

“The secret is the simplicity of our tacos,” Rivera Martinez said. News agency. “It just has tortillas, red or green salsa, and that’s it. “That and the quality of the meat.”

Taquería El Califa de León, which is only about 3 meters wide, has been around for more than 50 years and is famous for its Gaonera taco, apparently named after Mexican bullfighter Rodolfo Gaona.

“This taco joint may not have a lot of space, just for a small group of diners, but its creation, the gaunira taco, is exceptional,” the Michelin Guide website says.

A diner enjoys one of the famous tacos at a Mexico City restaurant. (Photo credit: Silvana Flores/AFP/Getty Images)

“Thinly sliced ​​beef fillet is prepared to order, seasoned only with salt and a squeeze of lemon.”

“Meanwhile, the second cook prepares premium cornflakes. The resulting mixture is elemental and pure.”

When asked what drink he would recommend to diners to pair with their “exceptional” tacos, Rivera Martinez told reporters: “I love Coca-Cola.”

In addition to the aforementioned Gaonera taco, customers can choose three other meat-filled types, including the steak filling (sliced ​​beef), which is served on a plastic plate for about 85 pesos (US$5).

“With meat and tortillas of this calibre, a duo of homemade sauces is not necessary,” says the Michelin Guide.

“The secret is the simplicity of our tacos,” Chef Rivera Martinez told reporters Wednesday. (Photo credit: Silvana Flores/AFP/Getty Images)

Restaurant Quintonil, by chefs Jorge Vallejo and Alejandra Flores, with two stars, and Rosetta, by chef Elena Reygadas, with one star, were other establishments included in the first Michelin rating for Mexico.

Focusing on Mexico City, Oaxaca, Baja California, Los Cabos and Nuevo León, Michelin Guide inspectors scoured the country in search of the best culinary experiences.

“What a joy it is to honor the uniqueness of Mexico City’s Mexican food scene,” Gwendal Poulenic, international director of the Michelin Guide, said in a statement.

“This first and very promising selection is an example of how the country showcases its regions, with their cultures and traditions as distinctive as they are.”

In 2016, Chef Chan Hon Ming’s stall in Singapore became the first street food establishment to be recognized by the Distinguished Guide.