Best Mexican Food In Bangkok

[dantilley]

Thanks, think I'll check it out.

[onethailand]

Not a fan of Bourbon Street myself - any American place that can't make a decent burger can't be all that good... but maybe I'll join you two for BS, I suppose I can give them one more chance.

[bkkjames]

J Chandler & I are Bourbon Street last night. They were on top of their game. They do a roaring trade in expat residents.

Hey Dotcom: I see that you and JFC are joined at the hips when it comes to dining out, therefore why not write a book on the subject, blog or whatever.

Furthermore, can you post your photos so we can spread them out to all restaurants in BKK so they can be ready for when you two walk in.

BOT, Coyotes is good in my opinion.

[jfchandler]

BOT, Coyotes is good in my opinion.

Easy to see you have more money than sense...or taste in food....

But then again, I already knew that....

PS - Good margaritas, though....

[Jimmyd]

J Chandler & I are Bourbon Street last night. They were on top of their game. They do a roaring trade in expat residents.

Roasted on a spit, may I assume?

[bkkjames]

BOT, Coyotes is good in my opinion.

Easy to see you have more money than sense...or taste in food....

But then again, I already knew that....

PS - Good margaritas, though....

Well there JFC, true I don't mind paying for decent food but then again, I did say Coyotes was good, didnt say it was great.

Yes we definately have a differenc of opinion when it comes to food. I believe you shouldn't expect cham-pain on a beer budget and you apparently do.

Do us all a favor and provide us with your list of fav restaurants so we can judge your fine, well-refined sense of culinary excellence.

[Soi224]

Guess if we are limited to BKK, then can deal with Coyotes. They do seem to put in some real effort. Sunrise and Bourbon Street are abysmal, at best.

I get too depressed about it all to venture to the rest. Better off sticking to some of the Italian restaurants, where some real chefs are in charge.

I do stop in at Mike's when I am in Pattaya. Simple, nice Tex-Mex, for Thailand at least.

[dotcom]

Yes we should write a restaurant review so all you guys can say what idiots we are.

PASS

[JohnBKKK]

Watched a documentary on real Mexican food last night. What became clear is that a lot of ingredients are simply not available here. One may be able to obtain them through some sources, but would have to charge prices for the end result that would have some people certainly get their knickers in a twist.

We are not a Mexican restaurant, hel_l; we are not a restaurant but a Bistro and offer besides our authentic European specialities a small selection of US and Mexican items that can be made authentic or very close to.

I noticed one thing, our Burritos are spot on to the original thing and so are our re-fried Beans and Salsa - the original Salsa I made was even more original, being hot/spicy but than customers were not too happy with the heat including one critic here so I had to tone it down making it "less original".

Since we are producers of sausages it would be easy for us to make original Mexican Chorizo sausages in fact we did, but when they were offered to customers they started huffing and puffing with tears and sweat rolling down their faces - so I make the mild Spanish version instead and offer our own hot-sauce made with Habaneras to spice things up as far as heat is concerned, that way both sides can be happy.

If you want 100% absolutely authentic Mexican food, well Mexico would be the place to have it but most here would not be able to eat it just as most would not be able to eat real Isaan food in Thailand.

May be the critics should give those who try to run a Tex=Mex Restaurant here in LOS a brake and look at the whole picture and ask themselves - was the food good for the price ( being realistic and not comparing prices of food with imported ingredients to prices of the local noodle stand) ? Did I enjoy the evening in a good atmosphere? Was the service up to standards that can be expected from a restaurant of that price level? (some people here expect service similar to that of the Bamboo Bar at the Oriental in a place that charges 70.00 baht for a beer) this is Thailand and the class of people working as waiters/waitresses are not aspiring actresses or students but have been harvesting rice before venturing to Bangkok or Phuket or ... to earn easier money. Staff is one of the biggest headaches for any restaurateur here and I would not want to be in the shoes of the chap running one of the Tex-Mex chain restaurants here as far as sorting out staff is concerned. Especially since loyalty is unknown here and if they are offered a job for a few Baht more they are gone without an hours notice and leave you in a mess

Edited October 3, 2008 by JohnBKKK

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Watched a documentary on real Mexican food last night. What became clear is that a lot of ingredients are simply not available here. One may be able to obtain them through some sources, but would have to charge prices for the end result that would have some people certainly get their knickers in a twist.

Some excellent points John, but I wouldn't expect a native European to be able to reproduce authentic Mexican food anyway.

I think you've made an excellent effort at Bistro to offer some Mexican and Spanish influenced dishes.

Now leave it up to the Americans to locate and source the substitute ingredients to open a Thai-Mexican-American fusion restaurant.

There are numerous threads here about the quality of Mexican fare available in Thailand, and, apparently, there is even a decent Mexican restaurant in Chiang Mai. It will take me a few years to get my concept off the ground, but the planning is already underway.

[bkkjames]

Looking at what appears to be a pent up demand for authentic mexican, why doesn't some aspiring entrepreneur mosy on down to the country himself and bring back a couple authentic mexican cooks and open a business?

We have every other nationality here cooking up home grown dishes, why not Mexican? In lieu of te Kill ya, we can get em hooked on lao white (cow).

[JohnBKKK]

well, I leave it up to our american friends here to come up with the perfect Tex-Mex place but allow me one probably controversial question;

What is it with the Obsession about Tex-Mex food here??

I must say that the occasional Tex Mex suits me fine, but in all, it is neither a refined nor delicate cuisine but actually pretty simular to Thai food where there is no main actor on stage like the meat or fish, but where the star is hidden behind lots and lots of Extra's i.E. spices. Classic European cuisine aims at enhancing the flavor of the meat or fish by carefully selecting herbs and spices. I find much more reason to be enthusiastic about Euro cuisine than any other. No Euro Chef would even in his worst nightmare think about covering a delicate Dover Sole in chilly and cumin but chooses a light fish stock with a few capers and lemon juice with a dash of white wine and good butter to enhace the flavor ad introduce the superstar up front. Beef which has a robust flavor is equally the Super star in a Goulash even though some stronger spices are used but combine to enhancee the flavor and not cover it. Thai, Mexican, Indian food is more like the Mike Thyson of food .. wallop... it hits you with spices. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but certainly not a style of food to be absolutely obsessed with ... now hit me

Edited October 3, 2008 by JohnBKKK

[bkkjames]

well, I leave it up to our american friends here to come up with the perfect Tex-Mex place but allow me one probably controversial question;

What is it with the Obsession about Tex-Mex food here??

I must say that the occasional Tex Mex suits me fine, but in all, it is neither a refined nor delicate cuisine but actually pretty simular to Thai food where there is no main actor on stage like the meat or fish, but where the star is hidden behind lots and lots of Extra's i.E. spices. Classic European cuisine aims at enhancing the flavor of the meat or fish by carefully selecting herbs and spices. I find much more reason to be enthusiastic about Euro cuisine than any other. No Euro Chef would even in his worst nightmare think about covering a delicate Dover Sole in chilly and cumin but chooses a light fish stock with a few capers and lemon juice with a dash of white wine and good butter to enhace the flavor ad introduce the superstar up front. Beef which has a robust flavor is equally the Super star in a Goulash even though some stronger spices are used but combine to enhancee the flavor and not cover it. Thai, Mexican, Indian food is more like the Mike Thyson of food .. wallop... it hits you with spices. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but certainly not a style of food to be absolutely obsessed with ... now hit me

Well John I disagree (please note JFC), Tex Mex food is a bit like having sex without a condom, feels really good going in but tends to burn afterwards, and thats what makes it exciting... so I am told.

[SBACM]

Oh Yeah,, Now you are talking If People can only try Alberto or Robertos they would have seen the light!!!

3 roll tacos w/guacamole

CarneAsada Burritto or a Machaca.........Heaven

WHAT A DEPRESSING SUBJECT!!

I am from San Diego, the first thing I do when I land is find a Albertos Mexican joint and get a Carne Asada Burrito. There is no mexican food in Thailand unless you make it yourself. Taco Bell does not qualify as mexcian food, you don't find ground beef in mexican food. You want the best mexican food in Thailand? do like one of the contributers said and dream about it. Or do what I do and make it yourself, it may not be great but it wont be worse.

Thanks for letting me vent about my one true food passion.

[Genghis]

Mixed review for Mamacita:

I ordered from Mamacita on ChefsXP the other night. The beef tacos were quite nice. Little steak strips, rather than ground beef. Very light on the cheese, though, and too many onions.

The burritos were horrible. They weren't even burritos. They were basically soft tacos wrapped up. Only had meat, lettuce and tomato. The meat wasn't very good, either. Both the beef and chicken were of the shredded variety, and quite tough and stringy. Extremely poor.

The 'set' comes with a minute amount of rice and refried beans.

Overall definitely not worth it. I'm not one of the guys who thinks Sunrise is the second coming of Christ, but it is definitely vastly superior to Mamacita.

[jfchandler]

I agree with the prior poster... The food at Mamacita's is marginal for my tastes...

But...the owner makes a fresh margarita litre pitcher that is to die for... including using freshly squeezed limes for the juice.

I had just part of the litre pitcher, and it send me stumbling home.... Best margarita I've ever had (among MANY!!!!)...and everything else in BKK tastes like sugary s..t in comparison....

For the margarita there... I can put up with the food....or.... instead... just order chips and salsa to go with their marg.... The salsa there is pretty good...though not spicy...

[JohnBKKK]

Well John I disagree (please note JFC), Tex Mex food is a bit like having sex without a condom, feels really good going in but tends to burn afterwards, and thats what makes it exciting... so I am told.

That's a good one James .. but I beg to disagree - my Burritos, which, as I have seen on the docu last night are actually as original as possible have 2 very powerful main characters .. the charcoal grilled chicken and the Chorizo which will stand out on stage even with alot of extras, but any less powerful character like for example fish would disappear behind the extras, and while we are at it, this is why its more like sex with a condom ... in the middle you wonder what am I doing here? so I am told ...

Edited October 3, 2008 by JohnBKKK

[pampal]

Do any of the mexican restaurants in Bangkok offer Lengua or Cabeza?

I have been to most and have not seen these items on the menu.

[Uros]

Or horchatas or liquados for that matter?

[JohnBKKK]

Do any of the mexican restaurants in Bangkok offer Lengua or Cabeza?

I have been to most and have not seen these items on the menu.

wishful thinking and not only as far as Mexican food is concerned

Lengua - Ox tounge - big flavor but very long prep time and a very limited market here even though its besides the tail the biggest flavor you can get from an Ox - Ox tounge takes hours of slow cooking until tender but than ... ohhhhhh served in a red wine sauce or thinly sliced with a cumberland sauce .....

Cabeza - I would think the chances of finding this prepare traditionally are about as good as finding a Hawaiian Luau - but even without the pit cooking, again a limited market and long prep time without being sure how many takers

When I make fromage de tete and my kitchen staff sees the whole pig head they do not look very happy .. I can imagine them when being presented by a whole Ox head ..

I'd only prepare the tounge (french style) if I had a pre booking of a group of at least 6 to make it worth while - if you have a group you may want to talk to the chef of one of the Mexican places and ask if he'd be willing to prepare either if you pre book,

Edited October 4, 2008 by JohnBKKK

[DP25]

well, I leave it up to our american friends here to come up with the perfect Tex-Mex place but allow me one probably controversial question;

What is it with the Obsession about Tex-Mex food here??

I must say that the occasional Tex Mex suits me fine, but in all, it is neither a refined nor delicate cuisine but actually pretty simular to Thai food where there is no main actor on stage like the meat or fish, but where the star is hidden behind lots and lots of Extra's i.E. spices. Classic European cuisine aims at enhancing the flavor of the meat or fish by carefully selecting herbs and spices. I find much more reason to be enthusiastic about Euro cuisine than any other. No Euro Chef would even in his worst nightmare think about covering a delicate Dover Sole in chilly and cumin but chooses a light fish stock with a few capers and lemon juice with a dash of white wine and good butter to enhace the flavor ad introduce the superstar up front. Beef which has a robust flavor is equally the Super star in a Goulash even though some stronger spices are used but combine to enhancee the flavor and not cover it. Thai, Mexican, Indian food is more like the Mike Thyson of food .. wallop... it hits you with spices. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but certainly not a style of food to be absolutely obsessed with ... now hit me

Good Mexican food is able to satisfy in a way that no other cuisine on earth is able to. The huge variety of starches, sauces, meats, cheese, and spices leave one feeling fulfilled as no other meal is capable of. So far truly good Mexican is not available in Thailand as far as I know, I don't think it's available at all outside Mexico and the Southwest US. Hence there will be an endless search by Americans for Mexican food, as well as endless debate about which restaurant is 'good enough' to hold you over until your next time back in LA or Austin or Cabo.

I frankly don't understand the obsession with European cuisine. I mean if someone is paying for me I'll eat it, but...

[Ulysses G.]

Yesterday, I had a great lunch At Miguel's Mexican in Chiang Mai. Tamales, mexican rice, beans and guacamole and almost as good as Mission Street in San Francisco. .

[JR Texas]

Yesterday, I had a great lunch At Miguel's Mexican in Chiang Mai. Tamales, mexican rice, beans and guacamole and almost as good as Mission Street in San Francisco. .

Let me state that I have never eaten at Miguel's........tamales........really? I am looking forward to trying Miguel's, but the OP restricted the question to Bangkok (maybe so that we would not talk about Miguel's.....ha ha ha).

Here is my two cents worth:

The OP’s question assumes that there is a place in Bangkok that serves good Mexican food. I think this is a false assumption.

IMHO, there is no good Mexican food in Bangkok because of two reasons: 1) lack of authentic, fresh ingredients, and 2) lack of culinary skills.

The above factors are challenges to entrepreneurs who want to put delicious Mexican food on the plate in Thailand—Tex-Mex or California style.

Many posters assume there is Tex-Mex food in Bangkok. Again, I think this is a false assumption. There is no Tex-Mex food in Bangkok. I should know because I grew up eating it in Texas.

Original Tex-Mex has a lot of oil and cheese in it (California style has less of both) and is not particularly hot. The heat often comes from a side dish known as hot sauce (some people outside of Texas call it salsa).

Tex-Mex food is aromatic and flavorful; the combination of spices and cooking techniques leads to its characteristic smell and taste.

Maybe some day an entrepreneur will open a real Mexican food restaurant in Bangkok—hopefully modeled after Joe T. Garcias or El Fenix in Texas.

[JohnBKKK]

The huge variety of starches, sauces, meats, cheese, and spices leave one feeling fulfilled as no other meal is capable of I frankly don't understand the obsession with European cuisine. I mean if someone is paying for me I'll eat it, but...

See what I mean with Obsession about Mexican food !!! this poor chap wouldn't even eat any European food or for that matter any US American food (based 100% on European food) unless someone buys it for him - he either has a lot of generous friends is very overweight from eating huge amounts of cheese with his Mexican food every day or is awfully slim

Can't be into Thai or Chinese food either since they are even further away from the starches and cheese that make him feel sooooo good with Mexican food and the worse part is that he misses out on some of the worlds best quisine by not eating French, Italian, Spanish, German, Greek .... food unless someone else pays for it

Edited October 5, 2008 by JohnBKKK

[DP25]

See what I mean with Obsession about Mexican food !!! this poor chap wouldn't even eat any European food or for that matter any US American food (based 100% on European food) unless someone buys it for him - he either has a lot of generous friends is very overweight from eating huge amounts of cheese with his Mexican food every day or is awfully slim

Can't be into Thai or Chinese food either since they are even further away from the starches and cheese that make him feel sooooo good with Mexican food and the worse part is that he misses out on some of the worlds best quisine by not eating French, Italian, Spanish, German, Greek .... food unless someone else pays for it

What the heck is your problem? You asked a question about why people are obsessed with Mexican food and I answered. I don't go in to your Eurogourmet threads and talk bad about the boring white people food that you like. Although those threads are amusing because of your constant bickering and fighting with your customers.

[JohnBKKK]

What the heck is your problem? You asked a question about why people are obsessed with Mexican food and I answered. I don't go in to your Eurogourmet threads and talk bad about the boring white people food that you like. Although those threads are amusing because of your constant bickering and fighting with your customers.

hmmm guess no sense of humor either .... ok than .. when you make statements like above "boring white people food" and that only Mexican food is fullfilling and good you must expect some responses and can not be upset when someone response.... I said that I personally do enjoy the occasional Mexican well TexMex food but that I do not understand the obsession with it and what you call "bickering" in my thread was only with 1 particular chap

Now for your understanding, nowhere have I said that Mexican or TexMex is bad food but when you make a statement that its the "ONLY GOOD FOOD" you have to expect an answer and you yourself made the statement that "you only eat Eurpean food if someone else pays for it" leaving yourself wide open there

Now take it easy and have a Taco

Edited October 5, 2008 by JohnBKKK

[dotcom]

Yesterday, I had a great lunch At Miguel's Mexican in Chiang Mai. Tamales, mexican rice, beans and guacamole and almost as good as Mission Street in San Francisco. .

Let me state that I have never eaten at Miguel's........tamales........really? I am looking forward to trying Miguel's, but the OP restricted the question to Bangkok (maybe so that we would not talk about Miguel's.....ha ha ha).

Here is my two cents worth:

The OP’s question assumes that there is a place in Bangkok that serves good Mexican food. I think this is a false assumption.

IMHO, there is no good Mexican food in Bangkok because of two reasons: 1) lack of authentic, fresh ingredients, and 2) lack of culinary skills.

The above factors are challenges to entrepreneurs who want to put delicious Mexican food on the plate in Thailand—Tex-Mex or California style.

Many posters assume there is Tex-Mex food in Bangkok. Again, I think this is a false assumption. There is no Tex-Mex food in Bangkok. I should know because I grew up eating it in Texas.

Original Tex-Mex has a lot of oil and cheese in it (California style has less of both) and is not particularly hot. The heat often comes from a side dish known as hot sauce (some people outside of Texas call it salsa).

Tex-Mex food is aromatic and flavorful; the combination of spices and cooking techniques leads to its characteristic smell and taste.

Maybe some day an entrepreneur will open a real Mexican food restaurant in Bangkok—hopefully modeled after Joe T. Garcias or El Fenix in Texas.

And this is exactly why the last thread got closed down.

JR thanks for your non suggestion.

We will muddle along.

Tell us what province you live in & how many restuarants serve tacos?

[gunnyd]

Being from Arizona and knowing what real Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Cali-Mex are supposed to taste, I can honestly say that every Mexican joint in Bangkok serves GOD AWFUL food. Sunrise for instance, I tried on TV recommendation, got a burrito and it had Chinese fried rice instead of Mexican rice, the tortilla was like a huge egg roll wrap, their Quesadillas are bathed in grease, and the tacos had cabbage for lettuce. Coyote, dry flavorless crap again with the egg roll tortillas. Bourbon Street, marginal at best I would rather have Taco Bell. Silver Dollar,

I gave up on finding decent Western food in Bangers a while ago.

I just cook it myself or order from one of the big fast food chains. They really need Carl's Jr./The Green Burrito here. That is decent Mexican fast food. If there's no Menudo, tripe, tongue, brains, intestines, skin, or anything else that would gross out most farangs, it's not real Mexican. I prefer Tex-Mex myself, and all the restaurants I have visited here have been found greatly lacking.

[jfchandler]

Last time I checked, the Green Burrito (American Mexican fast food) shops in the U.S. that the prior poster mentions and claims to like weren't exactly teeming with their selection of tripe, menudo, intestines and innard stuff he claims constitute real Mexican food.

I lived in Southern California all my life, and have been eating Mexican food, and with Mexicans, since I was a kid... Sure, there's a place for weekend menudo.... But most Mexicans I know are quite happy to eat regular chicken, pork and beef in their meals... ala... carnitas or carne asada, etc etc...

And, I'm not sure why you are trash talking Sunrise Tacos above... They use regular flour tortillas for their burritos...no egg roll wrappers in sight.

Frankly, it really doesn't matter whether anyone thinks the Mexican food here is as good, or not, as what's back in the U.S. or Mexico. I (and many other TV folks) are not there... We're here here in Thailand, presumably by choice. So I'm quite happy to find anything in BKK that is halfway decent Mexican, as opposed to the really lousy stuff that some past places used to serve, or one particular current non-Mexican bistro that pretends to serve Mexican dishes that REALLY are not...

It may not be saying much.... but the truth is... as someone who has tried both, Sunrise Tacos is 100% better every day of the week than anything the Green Burrito shops in the U.S. serve. In all my years, I've never heard anyone cite Green Burrito as a standard for Mexican food.... Yikes...

[onethailand]

Being from Arizona and knowing what real Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Cali-Mex are supposed to taste, I can honestly say that every Mexican joint in Bangkok serves GOD AWFUL food. Sunrise for instance, I tried on TV recommendation, got a burrito and it had Chinese fried rice instead of Mexican rice, the tortilla was like a huge egg roll wrap, their Quesadillas are bathed in grease, and the tacos had cabbage for lettuce. Coyote, dry flavorless crap again with the egg roll tortillas. Bourbon Street, marginal at best I would rather have Taco Bell. Silver Dollar,

I'll assume you're joking... cabbage for lettuce? Their tortillas are fine, and their rice, while not exactly Mexican rice, is a long way from Chinese fried rice.

Carl's Jr has been and gone... sadly for me at least.