Vast, mad city. Food is unspeakably vile - bland with a streak of nasty.
I wasn't in Yucatan and the 'real' Mexican food (street vendors, cantinas etc) was fucking, fucking shit. The smell of the rancid oil absolutely everything's cooked in was enough to make me gag. It's a massively sad day for me when the only non-shit food supplier is a steakhouse. Enchiladas con Mole: "I've shat more appetising meals".
I had a 150 mile taxi trip when I was over there and part of the deal was that the drivers stopped and sorted out lunch for me. I had a bottle of beer and a couple of smokes while they scoffed the vilest looking crap I've ever seen. I found myself really wanting to enjoy Mexico but apart from the big hotels I thought it was pretty ropey. I'd probably go there for a holiday but I'd stick to one of the tourist resorts and loaf on the beach all day.
Very much so. You must be eating in some odd places then. When I was working out there we found quite a range of things to eat.
Would I be wrong to conclude that you just don't like Mexican food? I have been watching a series (on Food Network) called "Diners, Drive Ins and Dives" which is all about decent but off the beaten track American diners etc etc (as per the title). Apart from the enormous portions, that even a lump like me could not contemplate eating [1], the food looks pretty good. A decent proportion of it is Mexican (no shock there) but it's certainly made me wonder what good Mexican nosh is like and where to find it in London. Any recommendations - including what not to touch (no doubt from Sweller) - from anyone? [1] no wonder there is something of an obesity problem in the States! I can't begin to contemplate how people eat such huge quantities.
There was a decent Mexican restaurant just around the corner from where I lived in Cardiff. http://www.lashavanas.co.uk/food.php still trading it seems. A good place to go with veggies as they had plenty of variety. I've no idea how authentic it is: most of the food seemed to be spicy versions of familiar foods, like steaks & burgers. There again, I imagine it would be difficult to tie down what is Mexican food as they have had influences from so many cultures. yell.com says there are 7 Mexican restaurants in N.London - look them up on Tripadvisor or that website darsy uses which tells you how many cockroaches are found in the kitchen. and just in case the portions are lacking in calories, lots of it is laced with fructose syrup and tastes awfully sweet.
Like strange grey, green or orange coloured things that looked like small naan and were made of maize flour? We ate at a load of places off the main roads as we had a Spanish speaker on the team and some evenings one or two of the locals would turn out.
I suppose it depends upon how choosy you are. I've eaten some strange dishes over the course of my life in areas well off the beaten track. Mexico included. It may not be what you're used too, but it's different. As long as you don't get the shits, then it's not that bad.
Whereas, everything I tried was as bland as a magnolia Barratt home. ....but also tasted of shit. Bland poo, from a nicely brought up home in Pooshire.
Our guess was it must be a regional thing and Mexico City specialised in the bland shit. It could explain why everyone wants to leave the place.
I'll try anything [1] - I'm not one of those people who has to eat familiar things. However, the Mexican food available in Mexico DF was a shock. Imagine if everything, absolutely everything, tasted of beige but smelt as if it has been excavated from bag lady's pants. I was the only one who didn't but I have a fairly hardy constitution when it comes to food poisoning - I went to an English boarding school and spent a lot of time eating in various Stalinist countries. [1] ..except, of course, Morris Dancing and incest.
Mexican food is characterized by tomatoes and chile, lime and chile, or sour orange, garlic and achiote (in the Yucatan.) The complementary carbohydrates are beans and rice, It's actually far more homogeneous than most places. The outside influences are mainly Spanish, French and American. You won't find many pizza places, or Chinese or Thai restaurants. When Americans think of Mexican food, they think mostly of appetizers - tacos, burritos, tostadas, tamales, and enchiladas, but there are many unique Mexican dishes though, that can be delicious. Huachinango Vera Cruz (snapper in a tomato sauce,) al mojo de ajo (garlic style,) gazpacho (cold soup,) the list goes on. It's absurd to say an entire nation's cuisine is horrible, but I tend to agree that Mexican restaurants leave a lot to be desired. I'm not fond of most Spanish restaurants, either. I know of only 3 or 4 good places in Tijuana (a city of more than a million people,) and it shouldn't be that hard to find good food. Practice.
des in all probability sticking around for another two months *Yes* Whatever the farmers and the nice supermarkets say, it goes on. Illegally, maybe, but it goes on everywhere.
des in all probability sticking around for another two months Contrary to what you might think, it wasn't interpreted as such.
