Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo: New Veg-Friendly Mexican Restaurant “Sor Ynez” Just Opened in Kensington!
Just in Time for Cinco de Mayo: New Veg-Friendly Mexican Restaurant “Sor Ynez” Just Opened in Kensington!
Sor Ynéz, a new Mexican restaurant from Sojourn Philly, celebrating indigenous Mexican ingredients, with a focus on a modern
and sustainable future, is now open with a limited menu – for take-out and delivery only to start – and will be followed by indoor and outdoor all-day dining.
Sor Ynéz, Sojourn Philly’s fourth concept in Philadelphia, opens in the burgeoning neighborhood of West Kensington. Executive Chef Alex Tellez has created thoughtful and vibrant Mexican dishes celebrating traditional ingredients and methods, served on handsome plate ware from contemporary Mexican designers and artisans, in a 50-seat dining room reminiscent of Mexico City’s once decadent Casonas, whose histories are recorded in the layers of plaster finishes. The restaurant is currently open with a limited menu Wednesday through Friday, 3pm-8pm, Saturday noon-8pm and Sunday noon to 5pm for take-out and delivery only via sorynez.com – with indoor and outdoor dining to follow.
“Sor Ynéz is inspired by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, a Mexican nun, scholar and feminist from the 1600’s,” said Jill Weber, Co-Owner of Sojourn Philly and Sor Ynéz. “She was an iconoclast of her time, self-taught in Greek, Latin and Nahuatl (the language of the Aztec) and spurned the needless constraints placed on women in the 17 th century. Ynez remains an icon in modern Mexico and epitomizes the merging of modern and
traditional.”
Sor Ynéz, Café Ynez’s sister restaurant, blends the modern and traditional of Mexican cuisine, with many dishes highlighting indigenous plant-based ingredients. Executive Chef Alexis Tellez, a Mexico City native and The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill
College for Culinary Arts graduate, has created a menu that focuses on authentic ingredients and dishes inspired by Aztec cuisine. Menu highlights include:
● Tlacoyo – Inspired by the staple dish found in any of Mexico City’s tianguis, Sor Ynéz’s tlacoyo is made from blue corn masa, stuffed with black beans, seared on the plancha till crispy and gooey in the inside from the beans, garnished with salsa verde, nopales and queso fresco.
● Pozole – Our vegetarian (can be vegan!) pozole is made from hominy corn and roasted mushrooms, served with tostadas, avocado, radishes, crema, and Mexican oregano. Pozole features in daily Mexican cuisine and is important for the holidays and large family / friend events.
● Sikil Pak – Is a thick, hummus-like dip made from pepitas, tomatoes, habaneros, and citrus, and garnished with pomegranate seeds. Served with our house chips and crudité for the perfect dipping. Sikil Pak is inspired by Yucatan’s cuisine.
● Alt Pastor – Our alt pastor is vegan. Cauliflower – marinated with dried chiles and spices – is cooked on the trompo, cut and served traditionally on tortillas with pineapple.
The bar program will be Mezcal-heavy with a focus on Mexican wines, curated by owner and vinologist Jill Weber. Cocktails will feature fresh pressed juices such as guava, mango, tamarind, hibiscus, and more. Guests will soon be able to sit at the terrazzo and brass bar, designed by Taller Lu’um and Steven Daily Studio, and enjoy cocktails such as Juana ($11) composed with tequila, lime, orange liqueur, and charred corn, and Frida ($13) mezcal, rye, lemon, hibiscus-cinnamon simple syrup. While we eagerly await bar service in Philadelphia, cocktails and Mexican beers, Corona, Modelo Negra, and Tecate, are available now to-go.
Sor Ynez’s interior, designed by internationally renowned artist, Miguel Antonio Horn, is inspired by the rich legacy of craft and historic artisans that define today’s contemporary design. The restaurant’s design elements and furnishings from light fixtures to chairs to plate ware were made by Mexican artisans and celebrate each raw material’s inherit beauty. Highlights include “Silas and Banca C” Tzalam and hand woven paper chord chairs and bar stools by La Metropolitana, distressed plaster and lime washed wall by XOXO Plaster, traditional enamelware sourced from Utilitario Mexicano and Bar Industrial, bathroom floor to ceiling floral wallpaper made from vinyl tablecloths, and more.
The restaurant’s centerpiece will be a Huichol Sor Ynez, serving as an ofrenda inside the restaurant. Ofrendas are small altars depicting patron saints or the Virgen de Guadalupe where people leave candles, flowers and other offerings. “We worked with Taller Lu’um and the artisans of Wixárika to create an ofrenda of Sor Juana made from the intricate craft of traditional beadwork. Wixárika, also known as Huichol beadwork, is a traditional craft used in ornament of object and textiles. The 5’ tall ofrenda to Sor Juana is decorated with symbols and patterns that frame the image of a phoenix rising behind Sor Juana” said Horn.
A mercado featuring traditional Mexican wares from local Mexican artisans and makers will be added in the coming months for guests to peruse and purchase, both in-person and online.
Sor Ynéz is located at 1800 N. American Street in Kensington, adjacent to the new NextFab location in the building that houses the Neon Museum of Philadelphia.
