The story
Gabriela Ruiz Lugo grew up in Comalcalco, a town in Tabasco known for its cacao. She learned to cook over comales from a young age, and that foundation now drives the kitchen at Carmela y Sal. The restaurant describes her as a “cocinera de historias y memorias” – a cook of stories and memories. Born from that personal history, the menu is presented as a Concierto comestible (an edible concert), with a sequence of Preludio, Interludio, Clímax, and Outro.
Rather than a rigid tasting format, the dishes at Carmela y Sal invite diners to compose their own meal from a broad, playful selection. The cooking is firmly Mexican, but it travels across regions and techniques. A salad of jícamas with creole basil pesto, pistachios, and green grapes opens a section of lighter plates. The “Tostadas de mentiras” (lie tostadas) are actually made of coconut, served with a wink. The mole rosa – a pink mole poured over folded tortillas filled with hibiscus picadillo – is topped with pine nuts, rhubarb, and fried camote.
Ingredients from Tabasco appear throughout. The smoked cheese from Tenosique – brought from the chef’s uncle “Tío Rodo” – is served with roasted peppers and honey. The short rib is braised and bathed in chirmol, a smoky, gently spicy salsa, and paired with plantain purée and pickled onions. Another standout: lamb confit, raised on orange peels, served with grilled pineapple and tatemada salsa. The kitchen also plays with texture, as in the “Esquite a manera de risotto,” corn kernels in a double cream from Comalcalco with epazote, chili, and lime.
This confident, ingredient-driven approach earned Carmela y Sal a Michelin Recommended distinction in 2026 – a recognition that matches the ambition of a chef who has quietly become one of Mexico’s most compelling new talents.
Recognition
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