FoodWaterShoes

Tackling a tasty taco is an easy endeavor if you find yourself in, say, Mexico City or Tijuana. You can even find impressive options in cities like Los Angeles and New York City stateside, but you won’t accidentally bump into the best taco of your life in Copenhagen… that is unless someone points you in the direction of Hija de Sanchez.

One doesn’t expect to find a chef alum of Copenhagen’s famous Noma restaurant (which topped The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list not once, but four times) behind a taco stand, but then again you don’t expect to sidle up to a taqueria in Denmark. Instead of opening a jacket required restaurant Rosio Sanchez, Noma’s former pastry chef, decided to dive head first into taco territory. It’s not surprising when you consider that Sanchez is a first generation Mexican-American who grew up on the Southside of Chicago eating tacos de lengua. What is surprising is that she decided to open her ode to the humble approachable taco in Copenhagen. Denmark isn’t typically known for its Mexican cuisine nor is it likely you’ll encounter grab and go grub in the happiest country in the world. In fact, one of the most common dishes you’ll find in cities like Copenhagen is smørrebrød (open faced sandwiches) …and even then you’re likely to see Danes wielding a knife and fork.

Hija de Sanchez’s settings (both at the original location in Torvehallerne Market which opened in June 2015, and its Kødbyen outpost which opened its doors in April of 2016) are casual, but the tacos at both spots are elevated to the pinnacle of great cuisine without the wallet busting pain of your typical high end restaurant. All of the corn Sanchez and her team use is Mexican and her pastry prowess shines through given the delicate flavor in each tortilla. The Al Pastor is a standout because its juicy spit roasted marinated pork marries perfectly with the sweet tang of pineapple, onion and cilantro. The Barbacoa made with beer braised beef, pickled red onions, and cilantro also holds its own. In terms of uniqueness, its hard to beat the El Paul which consists of crispy fish skin, gooseberry salsa, onion, cilantro and avocado. The offerings vary daily depending on availability.

In addition to tacos, Hija de Sanchez also offers quesadillas, homemade chips and guacamole as well as salsas in quirky variations like gooseberry. On a hot day, paletas (sweet Mexican treats that are similar to ice pops) in unique flavors like avocado and hibiscus can cool you down. Sanchez’s knack for crafting well prepared reasonably priced Mexican food over in Scandinavia has been well received. Who knows, perhaps in a few years taking a taqueria pilgrimage to Copenhagen just might become de rigueur.

Hija de Sanchez
Original Location in Torvehallerne Market: Frederiksborggade 21
Copenhagen, Denmark
Hours: *Open Seasonally April Through October* Monday – Thursday 12:00pm to 7:00pm, Friday 12:00pm to 8:00pm
Saturday 12:00pm to 6:00pm and Sunday 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Kødbyen Location: Slagterboderne 8
Copenhagen, Denmark
Hours: Open Year Round Monday – Thursday 11:00am to 8:00pm, Friday and Saturday 11:00am to 10:00pm and Sunday 11:00am to 6:00pm
Phone: +45 31185203
Email: info@hijadesanchez.dk
Pricing (All in Danish Krone) – Tacos DKK 37.00 to 42.00 each, sides DKK 15.00 t0 85.00,
beers are DKK 45.00 and non-alcoholic beverages are approximately 35.00 per drink.