Best of the World with Antoni Porowski

Now this is a castle.

This bougie joint was built in 1785 as a summer

residence for European nobility,

on sacred land shaped by thousands of years of history.

The colonizing aristocrats eventually got the boot,

and now it's a museum that celebrates this country's rich,

and sometimes complicated, cultural heritage.

And it sits in the middle of one of the largest

urban parks in the world, right here in Mexico City.

El Gran Silencio]

I mean, I'm standing on the balcony of a castle,

centuries old fully surrounded by skyscrapers,

and it's endless.

I mean, look at this place.

Mexico City, let's go.

This is unreal.

What makes something the best?

Is it the view?

Wow.

You said don't look down and that was the first thing

that I did.

Is it the stay?

Oh, it's so romantic.

Or is it a meal so good it makes you want to cry.

Oh, that was so beautiful that, like, warmed my soul.

Every year National Geographic names its Best of the world.

Must see destinations that rise above the rest.

-This is the most biodiverse place in the whole world.

-And you're part of that story. -Absolutely.

Now they've given me the best job in the world.

I just saw my reflection.

I'm crushing it.

To explore places to stay.

Restaurants, sights and experiences.

That's a thing, I'm in the head.

In Paris,

Mexico City,

London and my hometown.

You're a New York treasure.

I'm on a quest to find the best.

Because for me, the best is more than just hype.

This is like a beautiful representation of cultures.

It's food, but it's also a history of the people.

It's the sights, the sounds.

It's showtime.

The flavors.

-You can only taste this in Mexico.

And it's almost always the people.

It's made with a lot of love.

Why the Statue of Liberty?

She’s so New York.

I came to this country for freedom.

Unreal.

Best I've ever had in my life.

I'm Antoni Porowski, and this is

Best of the World.

Mexico City,

thrilling, electrifying, and home to almost

23 million people.

Built on what was once the capital of the Aztec empire.

It's like weirdly unexpected, but familiar.

Now it's the largest city in North America,

spread across 570 square miles and founded over

700 years ago.

I've never actually been here,

but it's definitely very European,

except the streets are twice as wide.

Mexico City is split into 16 large boroughs,

made up of nearly 2,000 smaller neighborhoods, or colonias.

It's so vast and has so much to offer that you could

spend a whole lifetime exploring.

But you gotta start somewhere,

so I've handpicked six experiences that capture

its global spirit and ancient roots.

First off I'm following my stomach to a place where

Mexican tradition is being revamped.

In the upscale colonia "Roma Norte".

A historic district with a modern pulse,

and an insane food scene.

A few months ago I was on a trip with my best friend.

We were on the Mexican coast and she texted me one morning

and she was like,

"You need to get your butt here immediately

because I'm having like the best pastries i've

ever tried in my life."

We found out that they all came from this place called

Rosetta and so I had to come to the source.

This place is popping.

A good line is a good sign.

This isn't just a stop for a quick croissant.

Rosetta bakery is a bread and pastry nirvana whether

you're a local or a gringo like me.

That's it. What a beauty.

And there's a star attraction, Rosetta's signature delicacy,

the guava roll.

Buttery pastry, guava jam, cream cheese...

Aah.

...All in this perfect swirl.

It's a hard yes from me.

-Thank you so much. -You’re welcome.

Okay, let's go.

This is perfection.

The guava's not too sweet.

This is so nice.

Perfectly crispy, great lamination.

A little tangy.

I just saw my reflection.

I'm crushing it.

The best food is always messy.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The only thing more exciting about this wonderful pastry

that I just completely demolished,

is the fact that the chef who created this has a restaurant

that's right down the block and I think it's about time

I go meet her.

I mean, it's her fault I got food all over my face.

This leafy little number is one of the world's best restaurants.

Ho, ho, wow.

This is epic.

There's something so palatial and whimsical about it.

Chef Elena, so nice to meet you.

Nice to meet you too.

This is one of the most beautiful dining room

spaces i've ever stepped into, and it's homey.

-It's homey. I always wanted it to be homey.

Rosetta is the flagship restaurant of

chef Elena Reygadas.

It won a Michelin star in 2024,

the first year the inspectors showed up in Mexico.

And has repeatedly made it into the world's

"Top 50 best" restaurants.

If you're a traditional Mexican dish and you need a

21st century glow up, Elena's got you covered.

I'm just really excited to get to know what you're all about.

-Let's go to the kitchen. -Yes!

Today, Elena is taking on a classic, tamales.

And creating a brand new dish to add to her menu.

You are in the best time of Mexico because it's

a rainy season.

Okay.

-And the corn now it's really at its best.

It looks juicy.

Exactly. Look, if you see all this like--

-It just popped. -Yes I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

No, don't apologize.

Tamales, corn parcels so good,

the Aztecs offered them to the gods.

Today they're the ultimate comfort food.

Sweet or savory?

Your choice.

Can I just say, I love that we're making tamales.

A very homey food.

It is homey.

-And you're serving it in a Michelin star restaurant.

Like, that's so cool.

-I really like making humble food as luxurious as

food that is, in theory, luxury.

Yeah, of course.

-It feels beautiful when something that you love,

other people love it.

-Uh huh. -I think the most beautiful

thing about cooking is to, to share.

Yeah.

After working in New York and London,

Elena could have opened a restaurant anywhere

in the world...

...but she followed her heart back home.

I always loved Mexico but until I was

there in London--

Yeah.

-...I realized how amazing Mexico is.

-It's like you have to leave home to realize

that you should be home. You know?

-Yes. -Yeah.

Here, processed corn flour is

public enemy numero uno.

Elena uses fresh corn.

And a special ingredient to add a little

extra sumthin’ sumthin’.

And it's a very special fungus.

And what's the flavor that adds?

-It gives, like, an earthy flavor.

Okay, yeah.

-It's super, super prized. -Okay.

-Some people call it the truffle of Mexico.

I mean, you see it like this, it's a mushroom.

-It's a mushroom, yes. -You know?

If you want a little Mexican mushroom "magic,"

you've come to the right place.

'Huitlacoche' might just be the best kept secret since mezcal.

Elena blends it with onion and chiles,

along with an aromatic herb, called 'Epazote' giving diners

a different kind of 'buzz.'

Now, we’re going to make our steamer.

It's so different but it reminds me of

making cabbage rolls,

like Polish cabbage rolls and it's like the layering,

sealing the pot, putting all the elements in.

Ah.

Well I didn’t know you had a Polish background.