The last time I wrote about my concha taste test, some of you recommended Matisse as a good next stop. I hadn’t known, but the Condesa cafe is reknowned for its conchas — they’re highlighted pretty much anytime anyone writes about Matisse, on TripAdvisor, Chilango, Twitter and Four Square.
Last month I was finally able to go for breakfast. Matisse is a charming, cozy spot set in an art deco building on Amsterdam. Tables lie scattered about the house, tucked into nooks and small rooms. We dined on the patio next to several men in business suits.
The waiter delivered the sweet bread on a simple white platter. The vanilla concha embarrassed all the other pieces with its girth, which is exactly how I like them. (You show that puny oreja, concha!)
When I picked the concha up, though, it was heavy. Like fruit-cake heavy. Took a bite and it tasted almost as dense as it felt — chewy, doughy. And it shouted of butter. I love butter, but I wanted something light and fluffy. This was the concha equivalent of a guajolota.
I was planning to eat a real breakfast at Matisse, so I couldn’t fill up on the concha roll. So I only ate half. And then I enjoyed my eggs with nopal and orange juice.
Here’s my rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, the latter being the best):
Appearance: 3
While big and plump, the roll didn’t have a defined sugared crust. It looked like one smooth cap, instead of having pretty stripes, or even lumpy spots.
Taste: 3
As I mentioned, too dense.
Overall: 3
I loved Matisse’s ambience, and I’d definitely go back for breakfast. Just not specifically for the conchas. To all the Matisse-lovers, I’m sorry I don’t agree with you. I am willing to go back and try again… but later, after Rosca de Reyes season is over.
Here’s a quick wrap-up of the concha taste test so far:
Leaders: Bondy, DaSilva and Cafe El Popular.
Other conchas tried: Maque, Sak’s, Snob Bistro, Pastelería Gran Via, Panadería Elizondo, Casa de Pan, Sanborn’s, bike-riding pandulce guy, various other street conchas.
Next on the list: Panadería at Centro Comercial Las Lilas, a recommendation from a woman I met recently. She was kind enough to tell her friends about my quest and they told her: “Before, the best conchas were at Bondy. Now they’re at this place.” You can see why I might be excited by this news.
I’ll also be trying out Pastelería Suiza in Condesa, which I hear has amazing conchas. I tried to go there once but missed my window — the conchas weren’t coming out of the oven for another hour. I’ll also be trying all of the leaders again, just for calibration purposes.
Victoria Challalncin
You make me realize I need to rethink my “concha consciousness!”
norma
I would love the recipe.
Armando Piña
Hey Mija,
Don’t they have the Panaderia El Globo where your at? There’s a documentary about this very old bakery in Mejico and a movie where people worked at that bakery. the movie is in B & W and don’t remember the name. could have been done in the 40’s and 50’s. let us know.
Lesley
Hi Armando: They do have El Globo here, but I’ve been disappointed with their quality. Everything looks fabulous, but whenever I buy something it never tastes as good. I don’t think I’ve tried the conchas there — just doughnuts, garibaldis and their rolls. There’s one just a few blocks from my house.
Don Cuevas
El Cardenal, Calle Palmas, Centro.
Saludos,
Don Cuevas
Lesley
Hi DC: I already went there… forgot to put it on the list. It’s in the top five, but I’m not sure it beats the other three. I may have to do another taste test to find out.
Nora
Glad to see you continue the concha quest. I had a quick trip for a christening in November and I was able to try DaSilva, Bondy, Elizondo and one random place. DaSilva and Bondy were amazing! Back in the states, I think of those conchas often. Nothing here compares. Thanks for the tips, I look forward to trying Cafe El Popular on my next visit.
sweetlife
good luck on your quest, conchas here are well, you lived in texas..yesterday I walked into HEB and saw conchas, really?
take care
sweetlife
theshopwindow
Hi! Try Maque’s chocholate concha! In my opinion, the best!
Michelle
i love conchas and being in california really gives us lots of options. the best have been in anaheim, near disneyland and a tiny shop in a strip mall. they are light, airy, soft and just the right amount of sweet. ay que rico! good luck in your search. 🙂
veronica
Para conchas las del Giornale, las mejores.
And of course las conchas de feria. In some comunities when they have celebrations (religious celebrations over all) you can see bread stalls, some of them make conchas, and they add walnuts to the mixture, its different and tastes real good.
Lesley
Giornale? No lo conozco. Dónde queda? Detalles, por favor! 🙂 Me encantaría ir a una feria pero nunca sé dónde van a estar. Si conoces alguna, tal vez me puedes avisar?