You never know quite what you're going to find in the busy back alleys of Shimokitazawa. It has music bars and shisha pipe dens, old-school yakitori, the latest in craft beer, tofu doughnuts and bohemian barista coffee. So why not artisan tortillas and mole sauces from the far south of Mexico?
Abrazo a la Oaxaquena — which translates much like "Hugs in the Oaxaca Style," though it's called Abrazo for short — is a perfect addition to this eclectic, casual, artsy neighborhood. Open since December, it's a small, welcoming place with no pretensions or attitude but bucketloads of enthusiasm. Plus a serious infatuation with the distinctive cuisine of the region it is named after.
With its cheerful blue paintwork inside and out, Mexican flag fluttering in the breeze and a head-high cactus standing sentry by the door, Abrazo certainly looks the part. But it's not the Day of the Dead knickknacks on the walls and counter that let you know you've come to the right place: It is the warm aromas emanating from the griddle in the open kitchen. You've arrived in tortilla territory.