New Restaurant Sukhumvit 14 - Los Cabos

[sabaijai]

A band of roving gourmets will soon be on the job

[on-on]

A band of roving gourmets will soon be on the job

Heh. I'll be giving it the Tex-Mex taste test this week as a matter of fact. I'm certainly hoping it holds up. In Bangkok, Tacos & Salsa is my current favorite, though it's intentionally and proudly Mexican food and not Tex-Mex (as Jorge would happily remind anyone I'm sure). Still, Miguel's in Chiang Mai is the gold standard for Thailand currently in my opinion, so if it gets near that I'll be very happy. If not, well, as long as it's good! More options are always better and I always like to see Robb doing well with a restaurant. Nice guy. Trip report with pictures later this week.

Edited December 6, 2009 by on-on

[Ulysses G.]

Miguel's in Chiang Mai is the gold standard for Thailand currently in my opinion, so if it gets near that I'll be very happy.

Miguel's is excellent. I'm looking forward to trying these fairly new Mexican places in Bangkok.

[garvin123g]

Rob has been a friend for years!! Haven't seen him in a while but knew he was in the midst of opening his own place.. By the way, WITH the Blessings of Wes Carroll, (Great American Rib and also a long long term friend)

Glad to know he is getting it opened.. he searched a long time to find the right location and that Soi 14 is a good one... Ok so now I know where I will eat when I venture into Bangkok next week!!

Thanks to all for all this info!!

gb

[sabaijai]

#1 Tacos & Salsa

#2 Miguel's

#3 Sunrise

IMO of course and that's including all genres of Mexican cooking, whether Tex-Mex, authentic Mexican, Cal-Mex etc. I don't care where it hails from as long as it's good.

I doubt there's anyone on this forum who has actually eaten at every Mexican restaurant in Thailand yet. I'm working on it. I have yet to try Mamacita's, La Monita or Los Cabos in Bangkok.

[on-on]

Got drunk and forgot to take pictures. Overall I'd have to say the food was good by BKK standards. It's only a soft open, so Robb came by everyone's tables several times to check on things and make sure the staff are doing their jobs. He explained that they haven't had their official opening because they're still working the kinks out, basically, so you expect a few hiccups. I got one of their combo plates with a beef (steak) taco, what turned out to be a chile relleno and, I believe, a chicken tamale. The taco was a hardshell and was pretty good. The chile relleno was actually not bad either - hard to find those over here. Smaller than back home, but the flavor was pretty close. I've noticed pepper varieties from back home grown over here just taste different, so I don't think there's any way around that, but it was really good and the cheese and sauce was excellent. The chicken tamale was okay as well - at least I think it was a chicken tamale. Personally I'd never order a chicken tamale, but that's what the plate came with I guess. The beans were excellent as was the rice. The salsa in the chips and salsa is pico de gallo, not salsa, which is the irritating norm over here, but I'm guessing real Tex-Mex salsa is just prohibitively expensive or something, because almost no one serves it (and those who do serve pretty much ketchup with pico in it). My friend had the tortilla soup and said it was really good - it looked good too. The presentation on it was great.

Overall, it's too early for me to rate since it's still a soft open and I've only been once and tried one plate, but I'm definitely going back again. The atmosphere is excellent and the house and the patio are really nice. With the owner wandering around making sure things are good the attentiveness is at its best as well. I'll try to head back this weekend and get some pics, maybe try the fajitas. I noticed on the menu they had a burrito section, tacos, combo plates, fajitas, enchiladas, tamales and a bunch of other stuff as well as an appetizer section with nachos, chips and guacamole (that looked better than the salsa), tortilla soup, etc, and a Los Cabos specials section that had steaks and other fancy dishes.

EDIT: Inebriation has possibly clouded some details of my erstwhile review. I'll do better next time. Apologies!

Edited December 10, 2009 by on-on

[sabaijai]

What is 'real Tex-Mex salsa'? In San Antonio the norm is, in fact, pico de gallo, more commonly known in Mexico as salsa cruda or salsa casera.

[JR Texas]

What is 'real Tex-Mex salsa'? In San Antonio the norm is, in fact, pico de gallo, more commonly known in Mexico as salsa cruda or salsa casera.

This is very typical........some confusion over "salsa."

In most Westernized Tex-Mex places (not authentic Mexican mom and pop places), HOT SAUCE is presented at your table.

It is normally a bit chunky........like picante sauce. But virtually every Texan I know of calls it "HOT SAUCE."

Nobody says, "waiter......please give us some salsa casera or salsa cruda or pico de gallo or salsa roja."

You guys are starting to remind me of some very serious French chefs...........this is Tex-Mex........we just want good Mexican food and lots of it with nothing healthy on the plate.

And most of us don't speak Spanish.

[garvin123g]

Went by Wed evening with Mekong Kurt, Had a Great Snack and lots of beer!! Great atmosphere, Great food and the pricing was not to bad.. It is not a food stall / noodle shop price, but it ain't a noodle shop either 130B for Margarita's aint to bad..

Rob is a good guy and enjoyable host.. Check it ou it is worth a visit.

gb

[on-on]

This is very typical........some confusion over "salsa."

In most Westernized Tex-Mex places (not authentic Mexican mom and pop places), HOT SAUCE is presented at your table.

It is normally a bit chunky........like picante sauce. But virtually every Texan I know of calls it "HOT SAUCE."

Nobody says, "waiter......please give us some salsa casera or salsa cruda or pico de gallo or salsa roja."

You guys are starting to remind me of some very serious French chefs...........this is Tex-Mex........we just want good Mexican food and lots of it with nothing healthy on the plate.

And most of us don't speak Spanish.

In Houston we call it salsa - I ate a lot of it and still have it shipped in sometimes, heh. Also in Clear Lake, Galveston, Brazoria County, Pasadena, etc. If it's green we might say "green salsa" or, if we've been paying attention, salsa verde, but mostly we just say salsa. Hot Sauce is what yankees eat at Taco John's or what you buy at the store in bottles and cans I think. I'm assuming this hasn't changed in the last year or so since I've been back, of course, heh. I'm not claiming this is proper terminology and I'm sure some old school people and tourists say hot sauce, but no one I've ever met from back yonder in Texas says anything but salsa. hel_l, it's on every menu in the state I've ever seen as "chips & salsa" unless you're at a chain joint.

It's true, though, we mostly don't speak Spanish, though I think most people around my neck of the woods in my generation know enough Spanish to get beat up in Acuna if necessary, heh.

So, yeah, by Texas standards as far as I'm concerned, pico de gallo is pico de gallo (chopped up onions, jalapenos, tomatoes and cilantro and what not) and salsa is salsa (generally a soupy concoction full of tomatoes, jalapenos, cilantro and whatever the recipe calls for - can be anything since salsa just means salsa of course). The taquerias will often have the carrots and jalapenos and onions deal, but that's about the only other thing you'll see regularly and, honestly, I never learned the name, though google indicates it might be "escabeche." Also, I suppose some joints have jalapeno jelly which I admit to liking, but which I also consider pretty froofy and hate to admit to liking.

And, yes, just make sure it's not healthy. The pico's actually really good, by the way, I just prefer salsa and it's hard to come by here because, I assume, the tomatoes issue. Like I said, the guacamole looked really good I'm headed back this weekend for another round.

[MaxLee]

Can anybody brief me about, at which BTS Station this restaurant is close too? What are the prices for Tacos and Burritos there? I am in Samui for Internship at a hotel and I won't be coming back until February next year. That's the reason I ask now...

Edited December 12, 2009 by MaxLee

[on-on]

Can anybody brief me about, how at which BTS Station this restaurant is close too? What are the prices for Tacos and Burritos there? I am in Samui for Internship at a hotel and I won't be coming back until February next year. That's the reason I ask now...

Asok BTS station. Take exit 4 and soi 14 is right down by the bottom of the exit. As for prices, I can't really recall as everything in my hazy memory came as part of a plate. I think most plates were around THB 250-300, but don't quote me on that. I know some things were less than 200 and some things were more than 300, but the average tacos and burritos seemed to be in the middle of the range.

[SaigonDaze]

I ate there last night. Had the shredded beef taco/chicken enchilada combo plate (295B). Taco was good and the enchi wasn't bad either. Beans were quite tasty, but shredded cheese would have been better than the slab of cheese. Didn't care for the rice and the margarita was just OK. Hardly any customers (was there at 8pm).

Overall, it was good. Not the same as back home, but this is Thailand. And by those standards it was good. I'll be back.

[sabaijai]

What is 'real Tex-Mex salsa'? In San Antonio the norm is, in fact, pico de gallo, more commonly known in Mexico as salsa cruda or salsa casera.

This is very typical........some confusion over "salsa."

And most of us don't speak Spanish.

Sorry but no decent Tex-Mex restaurant would use bottled salsa even in Texas. And that type of salsa, bottled or not, is not typical at all for Tex-Mex in San Antonio, Austin or elsewhere in south Texas, where pico de gallo is the norm. Even gringos speak those words easily Not much harder than saying 'taco.'

Review of Joe T's from gayot.com:

For 70 years, the family of founder Joe T. Garcia has been serving diners from around the country. The hacienda-style restaurant compound occupies a full city block and includes party pavilions and outdoor dining areas as well as the main restaurant, a white clapboard structure decked out with autographed celebrity photos. When the weather is good, there is no finer place than the Fiesta Garden to sip margaritas, dip warm tortilla chips in house-made salsa and feast on authentic Tex-Mex food. Dinner choices are enchiladas or fajitas accompanied by beans, rice, guacamole, pico de gallo and flour or corn tortillas. At lunchtime, you can also get chilies rellenos, tamales, fajita salad, tortilla soup, chimichangas and flautas---but you can request those items at dinner, too. Expect very long lines on weekends.

Source: http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/joe-t-gar...6_15df9984.html

A few thousand more mentions of pico de gallo at Joe T Garcia's:

http://www.google.com.my/search?q=joe+t+ga...lient=firefox-a

[powderpuff]

Well Wilt Chamberlain & I went to Robb's new place tonight. What a lovely garden setting. We enjoyed the food. Prices are very mainstream. Food was similar to Tacos & Salsa. I am also a long time friend of Robb & I can highly recommend the new place about 10 meters inside Soi 14. Plenty of lighted parking. I predict a long & profitable future for this lovely rest. Best of Luck Robb. Hope I see Ann next time. Pictures & review coming.

[JR Texas]

The "hot sauce" that I posted from El Fenix is their signature sauce.........it is so good people want to buy it and take it home.

That is why they can sell it that way.......it is good.

They always serve FRESH hot sauce at the table. Most people call it hot sauce........the waiters know what you are talking about.

Having eaten Mexican food in Texas for at least 30 years, I can say with confidence that I never, not once, heard any Texan ask for pico de gallo or salsa.

Pico de gallo is served with many of the dishes though.......along with fresh hot sauce with chips......standard.

That is my experience.........not all experiences are the same.

[SpoliaOpima]

The "hot sauce" that I posted from El Fenix is their signature sauce.........it is so good people want to buy it and take it home.

That is why they can sell it that way.......it is good.

They always serve FRESH hot sauce at the table. Most people call it hot sauce........the waiters know what you are talking about.

Having eaten Mexican food in Texas for at least 30 years, I can say with confidence that I never, not once, heard any Texan ask for pico de gallo or salsa.

Pico de gallo is served with many of the dishes though.......along with fresh hot sauce with chips......standard.

That is my experience.........not all experiences are the same.

Guess you never really ate at Joe T's as claimed

In Texas, where I was born and raised, we have a saying 'All hat and no cowboy.' :D which means you talk big and got nothing to back it up. Where I come from only rednecks from DFW call it 'hot sauce.' Real Texans - the ones who don't have a need to put 'Texas' in their nick or a cowboy hat in their avatar - say 'salsa' not 'hot sauce.'

[jfchandler]

Here's my review and photos of Los Cabos... I'll stay out of the salsa debate...

[JR Texas]

Here's my review and photos of Los Cabos... I'll stay out of the salsa debate...

Thanks for the pictures.........I am surprised how nice it looks, particularly the outside area.

It reminded me a bit of Joe T. Garcias in Ft. Worth.......but needs to swimming pool to make it like that restuarant (oh.....I am not supposed to know that because I have never eaten at Joe T. Garcias )

Anyway, the enchilada, relleno, taco and refried beans look good to me, but not the rice. It looks like I place I need to visit.

Wonder what the hot sauce (aka. salsa) is like.

Good luck Rob!

[SaigonDaze]

Living in AZ for a few years, salsa came with your tortilla chips. Hot sauce either came in a bottle or in a little bowl like the salsa. I usually ask for hot sauce when my meal comes. Never have asked for Pico de gallo.

Edited December 15, 2009 by SaigonDaze

[powderpuff]

Any chance we can get back on topic? You guys do this to every Mexican Rest thread.

[hogheaven]

Any chance we can get back on topic? You guys do this to every Mexican Rest thread.

Thats because TEX MEX is just that / and Mex food is always better than what a Texaen could cook/ they just want to belive that adding TEX to things makes it taste better ....to white people.....it does not.....

Would you go to a TEX Irish place??? NO so why is TEX /MEX good.,,,,.Gest ....CAUSE

[jfchandler]

Does anyone posting here remember a restaurant in Suk Soi 14 called Los Cabos???

[JR Texas]

Living in AZ for a few years, salsa came with your tortilla chips. Hot sauce either came in a bottle or in a little bowl like the salsa. I usually ask for hot sauce when my meal comes. Never have asked for Pico de gallo.

Let's get past this........some people say "salsa" and some say "hot sauce."

Salsa is SPANISH. It basically means sauce.

Many people don't speak Spanish and they will often say "hot sauce" when talking about a spicy sauce or spicy salsa.

When you say "salsa" this is what many people think of: http://media.photobucket.com/image/salsa/raver64/salsa.jpg

I like that stuff.........but it is not what I think of when I ask for hot sauce. Hot sauce is "salsa picante."

Why do I think that? Because I grew up in north Texas eating mainly at El Fenix, one of the oldest (perhaps the first) Tex-Mex restaurants in Texas.

What do they call their salsa picante? HOT SAUCE!

So, you get used to calling that hot sauce and every person I know does.

BUT, there are many other places like Joe T. Garcias in Ft. Worth. If you walk inside and ask for hot sauce you get the same stuff that you get at El Fenix. BUT, if you purchase it, you purchase salsa:

Still, every person I know calls that hot sauce..........all the waiters know what you are talking about.

Now, understand that people have different experiences..........it makes sense that some people call it salsa and some people call it hot sauce.

What was the topic?

I'm curious what the rice tasted like and the hot sauce/salsa, and beef fajitas at Monita.

Oh.......for comparison purposes (please look at the rice), found a picture of rice, beans and enchilada and taco at El Fenix.......really good stuff:

And fajitas at Joe T. Garcias:

JOT_T_GARCIAS_FAJITAS.bmp

[SpoliaOpima]

Joe T Garcia's fajitas -- always served with PICO DE GALLO not 'hot sauce.' Check the menu next time you're there or online.

Get over it, Mexican food rookie A little Spanish won't hurt you none.

Yes let's get back to Los Cabos. For those who have a phobia about the Spanish tongue, that 'The Capes.' I look forward to trying the place very soon. Enjoyed reading jfchandler's review

Edited December 16, 2009 by SpoliaOpima

[SpoliaOpima]

Living in AZ for a few years, salsa came with your tortilla chips. Hot sauce either came in a bottle or in a little bowl like the salsa. I usually ask for hot sauce when my meal comes. Never have asked for Pico de gallo.

It's a Texas thang

[Groongthep]

Any chance we can get back on topic? You guys do this to every Mexican Rest thread.

Thats because TEX MEX is just that / and Mex food is always better than what a Texaen could cook/ they just want to belive that adding TEX to things makes it taste better ....to white people.....it does not.....

Would you go to a TEX Irish place??? NO so why is TEX /MEX good.,,,,.Gest ....CAUSE

You have no idea what you're talking about. Tex Mex is simply a style of mexican food invented by mexican americans who happen to live in Texas. It has nothing to do with white people. I've tried different styles of mexican food from many different states in both the US and Mexico and they can all be good if done right. You should try it before you knock it.

[zaphodbeeblebrox]

Tex Mex is simply a style of mexican food invented by mexican americans who happen to live in Texas. It has nothing to do with white people.

Not quite. Tex-Mex is the name given to Mexican-inspired cuisine prepared by people living in America (often Tejanos as well as Spanish or even Creole peoples) using ingredients available in North America. It started in Texas and the southwest U.S. and spread throughout the country. The name "Tex Mex" came from the Missouri Pacific Railroad (nicknamed the "Tex.Mex") Interestingly, the foremost expert on Tex-Mex is a white woman, Diana Kennedy, who in 1972, wrote the breakthrough cookbook, The Cuisines of Mexico. Tex-Mex is characterized by heavy use of cheese, beef, and beans, and the creation of the dish, fajitas.

[JR Texas]

Living in AZ for a few years, salsa came with your tortilla chips. Hot sauce either came in a bottle or in a little bowl like the salsa. I usually ask for hot sauce when my meal comes. Never have asked for Pico de gallo.

It's a Texas thang

Please stop your spamming.........you are coming across as an idiot.........and you are getting off topic.

[jfchandler]

YUMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wish you'd stop talking like that... Making me HUNGRY!!!!

Tex-Mex is characterized by heavy use of cheese, beef, and beans, and the creation of the dish, fajitas.