At West Hollywood’s Conservatory, a beautiful and high-end restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard right where Irv’s Burgers long resided, Guadalajara-raised chef, Victor Muñoz is conducting an ongoing experiment in mole evolution.
His trials are focused on the traditional mole negro he first prepared on September 16, 2021, which he calls his “madre mole,” with ensuing efforts to turn it into an ever-morphing sauce he sustains and continually changes through the introduction of new ingredients, notably the seasonal fruits, vegetables, and nuts brought to the restaurant by partner farms.
Muñoz’s goal is to consistently imbue greater complexity to the mole, while still maintaining the essence that makes it irrefutably a mole, with all the sensations that provoke nostalgia for the dish in those who were raised on it.
“Mole is something I grew up eating,” he tells L.A. TACO. “It’s a sauce that I feel represents the complexity of Mexican cuisine itself.”
