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It’s not every day the Mexican ambassador comes for lunch in Glenorchy.
However, Alfredo Perez Bravo and his wife made the journey to the head of the lake recently to present Mexican restaurant Casa Jaguar with the official seal of approval from his home country.
The restaurant, in Mull St beside the Glenorchy Hall, has become the first and only restaurant in the South Island to receive Sello M certification — and only the second in New Zealand.
Owners Gab Ruiz and Gaby De La Rosa say it is an endorsement of what started less than three years ago with a taco stall.
Sello M is awarded by the Mexican government to restaurants that satisfy the stringent requirements of the Mexican Academy of Gastronomy for authentic Mexican cuisine.
As Mexican cuisine “booms” around the world, it recognises restaurants that remain faithful to the country’s culinary traditions, Ruiz says.
The pair applied for the certification last year, submitting documentation about the restaurant and its food and undergoing an interview.
“To have Mexico formally recognise what we’re doing, and to have the Mexican ambassador travel all the way to Glenorchy to present it, feels quite extraordinary,” Ruiz says.
“It’s a big milestone for a small business like us, because we’re just two years into this journey.”
That journey began at the Latin Kiwi Integration Festival in Queenstown in 2024, where they ran a taco stall.
Their success that day inspired them to take their food on the road; based from a kitchen in Industrial Pl, they began operating a food truck at the likes of the Remarkables Market and Country Lane.
Two summers ago, they tried their luck in Glenorchy, serving customers from a roadside stall two days a week.
Strong support from visitors and the community prompted them to open Casa Jaguar in the long-vacant former The GYC cafe building.
They commuted from Queenstown for two months before moving to the township in December.
They have lived in the Wakatipu for six years, with Ruiz working as a head chef at Queenstown eateries.
Opening their own restaurant was ultimately a natural extension of their passion for food, Ruiz says.
“I’ve always wanted to cook for friends and family — it’s just a love for what I do, and for the food and the culture, that made us venture into opening our own restaurant.”
They have transformed the restaurant’s interior, painting it in vibrant pink, yellow and orange reminiscent of San Miguel de Allende, the historic Mexican city renowned for its colourful colonial buildings.
They’ve also decorated it with items they brought back from a visit to their home country last year.
They love the idea that visitors to Glenorchy can experience its spectacular mountain and lake scenery, “then finish their day with an amazing food experience as well”.
Ruiz says the community has “really welcoming, really supportive and responsive”, and helped sustain the restaurant during the shoulder seasons.
