T'zunun Restaurant

Pleasant Hill, CA. Tzunun exploded on the dining scene in 2022 and quickly became a foodie destination in Northern California for its vibrant cocktails and visionary dishes inspired by the less-well known regions of Mexico. Its young chef and owner, Jesus Wence, focuses on sustainability and modern Mexican cuisine. His family owns the popular Wence’s restaurant and they hail from the Mexican state of Michoacan. I sat on the rustic covered deck outside which still felt like an upscale space. Service was flawless, Angel and his team were all professional and genuinely friendly. The wild mushroom tacos were perfectly seasoned, deftly put together so each ingredient shined: the thick, soft house made blue corn tortilla had melted mild cheese on it so the moist mushrooms didn’t make it fall apart, and the julienned deep fried crispy leeks added a touch of salt and oniony flavor. I could eat those every day. Oh, the blue corn is gluten-free non-GMO heirloom corn imported from farmers in Mexico whose families have farmed for generations. I also tried the Mexican street corn ribs and the house made potato chips (they were out of yucca chips) with organic salsa roja. I’d have to say I like my Mexican street corn homemade because I shamelessly slather on more mayonnaise and Tajin. Since you have to eat these with your hands you might not want to order these on a date. But this is a family restaurant (fur babies and children enjoyed the deck with their loved ones today) and eating with one’s hands is a delight for the young at heart. The corn ribs had wonderful flavor. The potato chips were generous in portion but not salted so the salsa roja came to the rescue. It was very good. You can confidently bring your foodie friends to Tzunun for a fresh culinary adventure. Highly recommended.

If I wanted to have a bad time I’d eat here. First, I’m a celiac and I got glutened here after telling the waiter we had gluten-allergies. I assumed they’d be good because someone from Find Me Gluten-free said yes to this place but apparently they’d cross contaminate your food. Our waiter seemed like he didn’t like us or something? The flan definitely was cut with some kind of thickening agent which made it bland and the strawberry made it taste like puke. My duck tacos had more bone on it. The tortillas were hard and crusty on the sides. It took them around 25 minutes plus hesitation to give us the tacos. I mean if you’re scared your patrons can’t pay or tip, I guess they might as well go somewhere else. I have a suggestion! Copita Taqueria, Xica, Tacos Oscar, Picante, Tacos Orgasima, etc. — they won’t cross contaminate your food and they have better service. Plus, it’s not bland and full of duck bone or rubbery like their steak tacos. Total waste of my time.