A Mexican culinary pioneer in SoHo revels in its signature dishes

SOHO -- Located on Grand Street, Papatzul has been bringing the authentic taste and vibrant spirit of Mexico City to SoHo for the last 20 years.

"The reason for opening Papatzul was because at the time, there was hardly any good Mexican restaurants," said founder Thierry Amezcua. "We really were the pioneers of the beginning of the Mexican restaurant scene, which now is amazing. There's so many places, you have one opening every month."

Many of the dishes on Papatzul's menu are of Amezcua's own creations with authentic Mexican flavors.

One signature dish you can order is the chiles en nogada which, according to Amezcua, has an interesting story.

"The chiles en nogada was created by nuns in 1821 in Puebla, and it was to celebrate Mexican independence. It's basically a stuffed poblano pepper with ground beef," Amezcua said. "It has the colors of the flag. So, the green from the chile poblano, and then white is done because there's a walnut sauce that covers the chile, and then it's garnished with pomegranate so that's the red color."

Customers can also order the salmon tikin xic, which is served with sweet plantains, avocado and grilled onions. Another seafood option is the aguachile, which Amezcua describes as a ceviche that's "swimming in sauce."

If you're looking for meat-based dishes, Amezcua recommends the enchiladas san marquenas, which is braised beef flavored with poblano tomatillo sauce and roasted onions.

In the end, Amezcua wants customers to walk away with an unforgettable impression of Papatzul.

"When you go into the kitchen or you go into a restaurant, it's a labor of love," he said.

"Knowing that people are going to enjoy the food and creating a fun experience and fun atmosphere is great. When you feel that, it feels good. We're making people happy, and that's great, that's a fantastic thing."