There are now almost as many Drag Race spinoffs as there are letters in the name of season 10 contestant Kalorie Karbdashian-Williams.
But actor and entrepreneur Óscar Madrazo has helped ensure that Drag Race México stands out. Sitting alongside former Drag Race franchise contestant Lolita Banana and Queen of the Universe competitor Taiga Brava (Valentina in the first season), Madrazo is the third regular judge on the show, whose second season launched June 22.
Madrazo made his name when at age 19 he founded a modelling agency, Contempo Models, which has become one of the biggest in Latin America. He’s been a judge on Mexico’s Next Top Model and in 2022 played the presenter in the Netflix film Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths.
While Madrazo met RuPaul in the ’90s, a lot has happened in the interim that has ultimately led to Madrazo’s appointment as a judge on Drag Race México. While in New York City recently, Madrazo incidentally ran into Ru again. “He told me that he loves the Mexican version of the show,” says Madrazo. “He’s very humble and very nice and very present.”
Though Valentina has been replaced by Taiga Brava, Madrazo has promised it will be a “mind-blowing” show. He would know. He recently produced Drags Icónicas, a travelling show starring the finalists from the first season of DRM.
Despite his many projects, Madrazo still manages to devote plenty of time to travel and loves discovering gems in his two hometowns, Mexico City and New York City. Pink Ticket Travel chatted with him about what he loves about Mexico and beyond.
What’s new in your life since season one of Drag Race México aired?
Well, at Christmas time I was filming season two in Bogotá, Colombia. I was living there for a month and a half. It’s fun, Bogotá. It was super sunny, super bright and nice. They’ve opened this gay bar that I didn’t know from previous visits—Chiquita (Cra. 12a #79-25, Chapinero, Bogotá), which is super fun. Having friends there, and knowing the crew, and being with Lolita Banana, I had a great time.
What neighbourhood of Mexico City do you live in?
Polanco. There are three major cool neighbourhoods in Mexico City. One is Polanco, which is more high end. The other one is Condesa, which started more of the trendy hipster movement years and years ago. So that brought a lot of tourism. Roma, which is next to it, is an older old neighbourhood with great houses and great architecture. Tons of restaurants and cafés have opened there.
And now there’s a new popular neighbourhood, Colonia Juárez. I actually went this past Sunday with my kids, my son and daughter, to explore it. It’s amazing.
What did you like about Juárez?
I felt I was somewhere else in the world. We went to a new place, a coffee shop called El Minutito (Londres 28, Juárez, Ciudad de México). You can’t sit. It’s like the Italian way where you just stand up at the bar. It’s a place to grab a coffee, or later in the afternoon an aperitivo, a Negroni or something like that. It’s very cute. There are people standing out in the street and hanging out, and you hear music inside from the DJ.
Polanco is known for its walkability and gastronomy. What’s your favourite restaurant there?
There are so many. We have some of the best chefs in the world. There’s Pujol (Tennyson 133, Polanco, Ciudad de México), which is a great restaurant. It’s very difficult to get a reservation, and it’s a worldwide crowd. It’s from this chef, Enrique Olvera.
A very peculiar place that I like is Ticuchi (Petrarca 254, Polanco, Ciudad de México). It’s from the same chef, Enrique Olvera. The restaurant is like a cenote but flipped upside down. You’re having tapas under the cenote, and they have very particular, very peculiar music. There are just these crazy gastronomic tapas and fabulous drinks.
Outside of Mexico City, is there a city or place in Mexico that you think should get more attention?
San Miguel de Allende is very popular, but it changes all the time. They have more vineyards and restaurants now. There’s an amazing hotel, La Valise San Miguel (Jesús 17, Zona Centro, San Miguel de Allende). My favourite restaurants are Bovine (Canal 16, Zona Centro, San Miguel de Allende) and Quince (Cuna de Allende 15, Zona Centro, San Miguel de Allende).
What’s your favourite place to visit outside of Mexico?
Paris is my favourite place, always. I love being in Paris. But I also love exotic places. I love Marrakech. I love Bangkok. They have similarities, I would say, with Mexico City.
What is it about Marrakech that reminds you of Mexico City?
It’s a very crowded place, like Mumbai, which I also love. It’s a crowded place with plazas and a lot of people. It’s noisy. There’s traffic, but it’s exotic and extravagant. The culture is very defined and unique. I love going to the markets to see people, like real people, and to get lost in the culture.
Is there a particular restaurant or hotel in Paris that you love?
I love the classics, and I also love to explore. For lunch, I love the terrace at the Hotel Costes (7 Rue de Castiglione, Paris). Also Girafe (1 Pl. du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, Paris). At night, I love the Hotel Ritz (15 Pl. Vendôme, Paris). And La Tour d’Argent (15 Quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris, France). But in Paris, you can just go out and walk in the street and find any bistro, any cool bistro. My favourite memories of Paris are from the ’90s when I attended the best fashion shows of the era ever. Those were the times when John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld and Dior presented at Versailles and the Grand Palais. I also loved visiting the Rodin sculpture garden with Linda, Naomi, Cindy, Christy, Claudia and Kate.
You were the first openly gay man in Mexico to have children via a surrogate. As a single dad, did you face any challenges travelling with your two children when they were younger?
No, I didn’t. It’s very exciting to travel with them since they’re very curious and they love to travel and explore. Now, they basically control the whole trip—they get so much influence and information from TikTok and its algorithm. [Madrazo’s children, twins, are now 19.] So I just said, “You guys plan the trip.” They do all the lists and everything, then they divide them by areas and by what to do during the day and at night. It’s very exciting to see them in a country they have never been to. But some TikTok-recommended places have big lines, and I’m like, “No, I’m not going to do those lines.” I don’t want to stand in line for one hour to have a coffee.
But I am glad that they like it, because I think travelling is one of the most beautiful experiences that we can have in our lives, and the best way to spend our money.
What’s one thing you can never travel without?
You’re going to laugh about this. So, I always eat spicy food, because I’m from Mexico. So when I go to other places, sometimes I really need hot sauce. Sometimes I take hot sauce with me. Not to somewhere like Bangkok—places where they do spicy food. But in Dubai, for example. Some places are complicated for getting your hot stuff.
So you’ve got hot sauce in your bag, swag. You’re Beyoncé.
Exactly.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
