El Beso, from Mexico City to Piedmont, inviting you to discover the depth of Mexican gastronomic culture.
The story
Since the late 1980s, Turin has gradually built up its cosmopolitan gastronomic scene, with the first restaurants offering cuisines from around the world opening their doors. Since then, the story has become increasingly complex: Asian, South American, Middle Eastern, and African restaurants. Today, many cuisines are represented in different nuances, but as far as Mexican cuisine is concerned, for a long time, the offerings did not stray from the imported Tex-Mex tradition, the result of a simplification process consisting of melted cheese, standardized sauces, domesticated spices, and a reassuring repetition of a few iconic dishes.
A starting point, not a destination, which has long occupied the space and misunderstanding of Mexican cuisine in the imagination of many. When El Beso arrived nine years ago, it was a difficult revolution: “At first it was hard work,” say the owners, “they told us that our cuisine wasn't Mexican because we didn't make Tex-Mex dishes.” This was an uncomfortable statement for Tony to accept, as she was born and raised in Mexico and carries the flavors of this wonderful land in her heart.
The cuisine
El Beso has abandoned the shortcuts of “commercial” Mexican cuisine, bringing it to light in its most complex and contemporary form. In fact, Mexican cuisine was recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, well before Italian cuisine, thanks to its ancestral techniques, the biodiversity of its native ingredients, and the community rituals that revolve around food. It is a living, rich heritage with a strong identity. That's why we can't be satisfied with domesticated and always identical versions of chili con carne, fajitas, and burritos.
Mexican cuisine is a mosaic of regional flavors that vary greatly from area to area. In the north, the cuisine features meat and robust flavors, with influences linked to sheep farming. In the center, the cradle of tradition, iconic dishes such as mole poblano, with spices and chocolate, are born. The long coastlines reflect the freshness of the sea, with aguachile and ceviche as emblematic dishes. On the Yucatán Peninsula, the cuisine is enriched by Mayan and Caribbean influences, with traditional dishes such as cochinita pibil. These ancient traditions inspire El Beso in its refined reinterpretations of historical recipes. At the head of the kitchen brigade is Maria Antonietta Giron Caballero, known as Tony, a journalist and daughter of restaurateurs, alongside her husband Andrea Angiono, a barman. They met in London and after seven years in Spain they moved to Mexico for another five. The first El Beso opened in Mexico City, but closed during Covid. At the same time, its Turin counterpart was born in 2016. El Beso's philosophy is to offer a careful reinterpretation that honors its origins while embracing modernity.
Each dish is the result of a search for original ingredients and quality raw materials, often imported directly from Mexico or selected from the best local producers. Mexican cuisine, they tell us, essentially revolves around corn, sauces, lime, and chili peppers (which are always available in their home, explains Andrea), to which are added avocado and cactus, boiled or grilled. The menu ranges from tacos, antojitos (appetizers), molcajetes (mortar-made products) to the “signature” section with primeros platos and platos fuertes, such as mole, sope, and ceviche, which is not only Peruvian but also crosses over into Mexico without corn and sweet potatoes, with the same intense flavor of lime and coriander. Andrea and Tony present the menu and immediately we find ourselves immersed in a new world, the journey has already begun. She is grit, energy, Latin fire; she talks, gestures and seems to dance. He combines calmness and Savoyard savoir faire, but with a warmth in his welcome that is certainly permeated by the years he spent in South America.
The tasting
We are served Paloma, Mexico's most popular drink made with tequila, lime, and grapefruit soda, then the table is filled with colors and the party begins. “And the mezcal hasn't even arrived yet!” Tony urges with his infectious smile. Each dish tells a story of tradition: Tacos de Canasta, served in a wicker basket, are one of Mexico City's most beloved and distinctive street foods. They are cooked in advance and stored in a large basket lined with cotton cloths to keep them warm: the steam and hot oil poured over the corn and wheat tortillas make the tacos “sweat,” giving them their unique softness and flavor. The classic filling of beans with chorizo and onion is the ultimate comfort food.
The same intensity comes from the guacamole with arrachera, veal diaphragm, which you dip corn tortillas into. Another must-try is the taco Campechano (campechanear means “to mix”), the most famous in Mexico, which, we are told, is used to overcome a hangover after a night of heavy drinking. Also very special is the Quesabirria, a hybrid dish that combines birria (a traditional meat stew) with quesadilla (tortilla with melted cheese). It is a traditional dish that has recently become a gastronomic phenomenon, whose iconic element is the consommé: the meat cooking broth, filtered and served in a separate cup. The crispy tacos filled with shredded meat and melted cheese are dipped in the hot broth before each bite, making for an extremely succulent experience.
From street food, we move on to fine dining with an elegant Tiradito, Mexican carpaccio of veal tenderloin with drops of habanero mayonnaise, avocado, and macha sauce, an excellent example, balanced and intense at the same time, of the restaurant's potential in the direction of high-level cuisine. The flavors of the coast are also intriguing, such as Pulpo Enamorado: a homemade blue corn tostada, golden and crispy, with tender octopus enriched (of course) with onion, lime, chili peppers, and mayonnaise. Another popular seafood dish is Aguachile, considered a more intense variation of the classic ceviche, made with raw shrimp, whose name literally means “chili water”: El Beso's version features shrimp cooked with orange, avocado, cucumber, radish, and onion, served, as per tradition, with a tostada spread with mayonnaise.
We finish with the Caffè Caraquillo, a cold version of coffee with a twist that is much loved in Mexico, made with Licor 43 (a sweet Spanish liqueur with notes of vanilla and citrus), ice, and a strong espresso. At El Beso, mixology is a true extension of the restaurant's culinary philosophy. The cocktail menu ranges from traditional to more contemporary versions of the great classics. In the “Cocteles de Autor” section, you can savor the creativity of Fernando Andrés Rodríguez Pinzón, the Mexican bartender, with interesting mixes, including non-alcoholic ones: refreshing Micheladas, great Mexican classics such as Margaritas, and original creations. Alternatively, there is a selection of bottled beers imported directly from Mexico and a wine list featuring only Mexican wines.
We finish our dinner chatting with Tony and Andrea, overwhelmed by their passion, the flavors, and their stories. For them, El Beso is “the magic of offering people the chance to travel, live experiences, fall in love, and be happy for a moment”, a spell that, as far as we are concerned, has been perfectly cast. Encountering another gastronomic culture is always difficult; you have to abandon your previous patterns and habits in order to enter a new world and understand its flavors and textures. For Tony, it was challenging when he arrived in Italy to confront the “clean” and simple flavors of the Mediterranean diet. For the first time, he says, he tasted the pure flavor of fish and experienced the velvety texture of risotto. But the secret to touching people's hearts is always love. “If you cook with love, you convey it. If a tear falls while cooking, everyone cries. So, the first thing to do in the kitchen is to turn on the music.”
This intense and vibrant approach to life and emotions shines through in the flavors of the dishes. “In Mexico, they enhance everything and eat a lot,” says Tony, bursting with energy, and teaches us one of the typical verbs of his land: “me quiero enchilar,” which literally means “I want to feel the burn of chili peppers.” It encapsulates that desire to push beyond the limit for the pure pleasure of flavor and the resulting rush of endorphins. It is a phrase that symbolically encapsulates the fiery soul of Mexico, where the passion for life is palpable, even in flavors.
In the future, El Beso would like to focus even more on tradition: the first tasting menu, dedicated to corn, is coming soon. “Fine dining is a nice goal, but the real goal is to remain Mexican”, even if “it would be nice to be mentioned by Michelin” (where, we remind you, there are still no stars for Mexican restaurants in Italy). The refined atmosphere, attentive service, and high-quality cuisine lay the foundations for achieving these goals. El Beso is a conscious invitation to travel, digging beneath the surface to reveal the depth and authenticity of one of the world's most fascinating culinary cultures. This project chooses the more complex path of recounting authentic Mexico, its gastronomic language, and tradition not as nostalgia, but as living matter. And you leave with a new perspective, a new wealth of flavors, and a new richness. The very meaning of travel.
EL BESO
Address: Via Bernardino Galliari 22, Torino - Italy
Phone: 01119715606
Website: https://elbesotorino.eatbu.com/
