Willow Glen Resident
Business
Photograph by Vicki Thompson
Owner Jupiph Diaz opened Juquilita Restaurant at the former location of Maria Encarnacion Mexican Restaurant on W. Alma Ave. The eatery specializes in traditional Oaxacan cuisine.
Oaxacan cuisine served at Juquilita
By Mayra Flores De Marcotte
Food sizzles in the kitchen, and the aroma of its ingredients seep out into the cozy new Willow Glen restaurant.
The bright yellow walls, a color chosen for its association to good fortune, reflect the natural sunlight coming in from the storefront.
At first glance, Juquilita, a Mexican restaurant specializing in traditional cuisine from the southern state of Oaxaca, gets lost in the construction and renovation surrounding the area.
But walk inside and everything falls into place.
"There are no other restaurants in the Bay Area which dedicate an entire menu to authentic Oaxacan dishes," says owner Judiph Diaz. "Here, all our food is real, and we don't stray from our traditional recipes."
Oaxacan food is much more exotic than the rest of Mexican cuisine because of its location and high population of indigenous people, she says.
Most restaurants, Diaz says, sprinkle their menus with a plate or two, typically the Oaxacan mole, a dark, rich mole made of six different dried chiles and 15 indigenous spices.
"They're afraid to try something new," she says. "With food, you need curiosity in order to discover and enjoy new things."
Oaxacan food tempts would-be gourmands to take a chance. Here, pumpkinseed, various indigenous squash and even grasshoppers are part of the list of basic ingredients, all fresh and imported every two weeks to the restaurant.
"When you come in, it's like eating a home-cooked meal," Diaz says.
To facilitate this curiosity, she says new customers can try samples and "tastes" of each item on the menu before they order. All they have to do is ask.
"I just want people to leave happy," she says. "Sometimes people order based on pictures in a menu. Here, you can also taste what you're ordering before you make sure you will like it. And when you come in the next time, you can try something new."
The pleasure of eating good food stems from growing up in her mother's Oaxacan restaurant.
"I love the kitchen," Diaz says. "From the more complex entrees to the desserts, I love making them all."
Her mother taught her how to cook at age 12. All the dishes served at Juquilita are recipes handed down from her family.
At the age of 15, Diaz immigrated to the United States to work as a day laborer in the fields of Gilroy.
She went to school at Escuela Popular Accelerated Family Learning Center for Training and Careers, a charter school in San Jose, and years later, met her husband, Gabriel Hernandes, and moved to San Jose. She went to work as a personal assistant in San Jose, but always knew it was not her career of choice.
"It's always been a dream of ours to open our own restaurant," she says.
Hernandes has worked in the restaurant business for 16 years.
"We wanted to have our own place and work for ourselves and not anyone else," she says.
In February, the couple purchased Maria Encarnacion Restaurant, a Mexican restaurant that wasn't able to stay afloat.
"They had the same thing that everyone else does," Diaz says. "Here we have a variety of dishes and everything is fresh and natural and good for you."
Juquilita Restaurant is located at 577 W. Alma Ave., near Lelong Street. For more information, call 408.280.6385.
A grand opening celebration is planned for mid-August with a buffet table for all to stop by and sample.
Starting Aug. 4, restaurant hours will be 7 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. A new menu including eight different moles will also be added. Catering services are available.
