Inside the Kitchen: Seven Questions with Isabel Coss

My grandma’s turkey mole, which also has plantains, almonds, and ancho chiles; served with rice. Or a bowl of white pozole with fresh oregano and onions on top, plus spicy sauce on my tostadas.

I grew up with a very constrained diet. I couldn’t eat many things because I was training to be a ballerina. My food was literally weighed on a scale until I was 13 or 14. Then I rebelled. Part of my rebellion was starting to try street food in Mexico. I remember the first time I had a pambazo torta filled with chorizo and potatoes. It gets dipped in red guajillo sauce and gets griddled, so the outside gets a little crispy, then it’s filled with lettuce and crema. I thought, ‘Wow, I love this. Food is my passion.’

That’s changed for me in the last five years. It’s a restaurant that takes care of its people; it’s bringing innovative ideas; it’s connected with its neighborhood and its environment; it makes sense where it is; it doesn’t matter the cuisine, but it respects the seasons around it and the people responsible for the food; it’s a meal that feels inspiring; it’s creative and delicious food in a welcoming space.

I want to make restaurants that last a long time and become institutions.

I want to go to Yucatán, Mexico, since I’ve never been. That’s where cochinita pibil is from. The food there is so exciting, fresh, and beautiful. It reminds me of a lot of Philippine cuisine.

Cooking gives me discipline, creativity, family and friends, pleasure, and challenges, so it keeps me inspired.

I truly love seafood: poke bowls and sushi are my comforts.