With her 2022 James Beard award for Best Chef: Texas in hand, chef Iliana de la Vega is taking a well-deserved step back from the delightful Oaxacan and regional Mexican restaurant she founded as a food truck many years ago. She recently passed the toque to her daughter Ana Torrealba at this South Austin gem. For that reason, we’re wondering if it’s the younger generation that added a recent touch of Asian whimsy to the menu, evidenced by a starter special of succulent pork, subtly flavored, in a steamed bao bun wrap. Savory with a satisfying springiness, it can become a permanent entry as far as we’re concerned. Mexican classics are of course still the dominant feature, such as the potato-stuffed blue corn taco, fried to a crunch and served with vibrant fresh green salsa, and the empanadas de huitlacoche, which showcase the sweet/earthy flavor of that remarkable fungus. A pipián special, starring a fan of sliced chicken showered with roasted pumpkin seeds, was subtly nutty, but the show stopper on our recent visit was chamorro al pibil, a slow-cooked hunk of pork shank, tender from a long marinade in orange juice and achiote. The accompanying blue corn tortillas are unparalleled in the city. Desserts change daily—we were as much taken with the pink peppercorn meringue flowers decorating our bowl of arroz con leche (rice pudding) as with the dish itself. The ground floor space is simple and bright. We can’t wait to see the next generation’s vision take hold.