Labo Fermento

You won’t find another restaurant in Oaxaca quite like this one. Chef-owner Joseph Gilbert and his team are obsessed with fermentation and go to great lengths to make their own kimchi, shoyu, miso and more. Asian flavors course through the menu in the form of plucky pork wontons glossed in chili oil, Chinese barbecue pork buns and soothing dashi. One can’t-miss item is the fried chicken that’s marinated in shoyu, garlic and ginger and comes with a clever lemon aioli made with sardine stock. This is the kind of food best for sharing in a space that’s sunny, breezy and high-energy thanks to an open-roof and an edgy playlist.
A shop in the front sells many of their sauces already bottled, as well as specialty teas and ceramics made by local artisans.