Groongthep Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 (edited) 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. These interesting little bits of information may be true but nonetheless I have eaten Mexican food in Texas more times than I can ever remember and everytime it was made and served by people of Mexican descent. I don't doubt that mexican restaurants run by whites may exist in Texas, but I personally have never been to one. I don't think I knew of anyone who would want to eat at a mexican place where the food was prepared by gavachos anyway. I don't count Taco Bell as being a mexican restaurant. By the way, everybody I knew in Texas who was familiar with the Missouri Pacific Railroad called it the MOPAC; never heard it called the TEX-MEX. There's even a major thoroughfare in Austin named after it. Edited December 17, 2009 by Groongthep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtbiketrails Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 I have been by Los Cabos a few times already. What I can say is that the salsas, sauces and the like were great. I usually douse my Mexican food with Tabasco, but I found I didnt need to use it as the sauce found there is already very good. The guacamole is also very tasty. There was talk in this thread that there should only be true mexican food there. Well, I dont know if Mexicans eat ribs, but I sure do! Maybe kickass ribs are not mexican food, but eating ribs and sipping beer outside with friends certainly works for me I had them last time I was there and thought they were great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 ye know..ye learn sumpin' new on thaivisa every day... when I wuz growin' up in So Cal during the 50s & 60s never saw a fajita...then, some time in the 70s the item appeared on restaurant menus that had recently opened...me an' my pals were always puzzled about the fajita bizniz as our old haunts never had fajitas on offer...not that we cared; we thought it was a gringo usurpation of the cuisine... now I'm informed that it is a tex-mex specialty...that answers a lot of questions, some of which I've pondered for over 30 years... btw, bottled salsa ain't all bad...I challenge anyone to blindfold test with La Victoria Salsa Ranchera (widely available in CA as one of a line of products) and the finest restaurant freshly made item...either in CA or TX... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphodbeeblebrox Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 btw, bottled salsa ain't all bad...I challenge anyone to blindfold test with La Victoria Salsa Ranchera (widely available in CA as one of a line of products) and the finest restaurant freshly made item...either in CA or TX...In the 60's and 60's La Victoria Salsa Ranchera was about as good as it got in the SoCal area. It was a good bottled salsa, and was excellent to cook with. By the 80's, you could buy fresh salsa or just about any line of Mexican food products in SoCal. But, alas, I had moved on to greener pastures by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zaphodbeeblebrox Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 (edited) By the way, everybody I knew in Texas who was familiar with the Missouri Pacific Railroad called it the MOPAC; never heard it called the TEX-MEX. There's even a major thoroughfare in Austin named after it.Don't suppose any of those people you talked to were alive in the 1920's, were they? The Tex-Mex railroad runs between Beaumont and Corpus Christi. It's been in operation for 130 years. The names MoPac and TexMex came from the abbreviations used in newspapers for train schedules. Corpus Christi, Rio Grande and Narrow Gauge Railroad Company: Construction began in 1875, project was headed by Col. Uriah Lott with financial help from Mifflin Kenedy and Richard King. Original branch spanned from Corpus Christi to San Diego and Eagle Pass. A branch line also developed from San Diego to Laredo and was completed in 1879. Lott sold the railroad and it later became known as the Texas-Mexican (Tex-Mex) railroad. A Short History of the Railroads in South Texas Edited December 17, 2009 by zaphodbeeblebrox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
powderpuff Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Utter chaos. Congratulations on <deleted>$$ing another thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 yeah...an' to add to the meltdown: 5 minute guacamole - nice ripe hass avocados, a few dollops of La Victoria Salsa Ranchera, squeeze of lemon et viola... (tutsi runs for cover as epithets and Los Cabos menus are hurled...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Texas Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 What is the name of the new restaurant on Sukhumvit 14? Los Cabos? Is it any good? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BackinBKK Posted December 18, 2009 Author Share Posted December 18, 2009 I agree with Dirtbiketrails..... I do love the guacamole and eating ribs while drinking some beer Al Fresco with friends always makes for a good time. Last night I had the crispy fish tacos which were really tasty, too bad I didn't have a decent camera with me. Here are a few pics from Los Cabos Facebook page which are making me hungry as I post! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Powerband Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 what are the prices like here? please warn me before i go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpoliaOpima Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 btw, bottled salsa ain't all bad...I challenge anyone to blindfold test with La Victoria Salsa Ranchera (widely available in CA as one of a line of products) and the finest restaurant freshly made item...either in CA or TX... I'd accept that challenge, gladly. I can tell the difference between tomato puree and fresh chopped tomatoes blindfolded. Also La Victoria Salsa Ranchera contains vinegar, like most bottled Mexican salsas and unlike fresh salsa. Worlds apart. But you're right bottled salsas can be OK, if that's all that's available. No respectable Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant would serve them IMO. I'm sure the salsas at Los Cabos will be fresh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 Figure about 300 baht per Mexican entree, and maybe 100 more if you're going to order Western instead ofl Mexican dinners. Add drinks, service charge and tax.... My two person bill in total was close to 1000 baht.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tutsiwarrior Posted December 19, 2009 Share Posted December 19, 2009 btw, bottled salsa ain't all bad...I challenge anyone to blindfold test with La Victoria Salsa Ranchera (widely available in CA as one of a line of products) and the finest restaurant freshly made item...either in CA or TX... I'd accept that challenge, gladly. I can tell the difference between tomato puree and fresh chopped tomatoes blindfolded. Also La Victoria Salsa Ranchera contains vinegar, like most bottled Mexican salsas and unlike fresh salsa. Worlds apart. But you're right bottled salsas can be OK, if that's all that's available. No respectable Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant would serve them IMO. I'm sure the salsas at Los Cabos will be fresh. most fresh salsa will contain either lime or lemon juice which serves the same purpose. meself I make me own these days as there is no salsa, bottled or otherwise, to be had...just toss all local ingredients in the blender an' pulse a few times...OK fer the scrambled eggs... home on the range in Suphanburi...does Los Cabos have a takeaway menu? Mebbe I'll get sum salsa to go next time I'm in BKK and compare with the homade variety... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 A couple of tidbits about Los Cabos, for those who are interested.... They are planning to link up with one or more of BKK's home meal delivery services....but hadn't put that into operation as yet. Maybe sometime after the new year.. When I was there the other day, I didn't ask, or see, if the restaurant had take-away capacity, i.e., paper/plastic boxes that would allow them to pack food, or even leftovers, to go.... I'm guessing they might, though.... As for their salsas, as I alluded in my review earlier in this thread, the salsas on offer there right now are a real weak point in their set-up.. The ones they are serving are pretty weak and uninspired. And they are seriously lacking anything with even a modest punch of spiciness.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on-on Posted December 20, 2009 Share Posted December 20, 2009 Had the fajitas and nachos when I went back, both beef. The nachos and fajitas are almost identical to the Great American Rib Company nachos and fajitas. The flavor's a bit different in the nachos since they don't use the GARC chili as a base the way GARC does, but the composition's otherwise the same. Definitely tasty enough and plenty of cheese and meat and what not on top. The fajitas come on what would be a sizzling metal platter back home, but what is simply a warm metal platter here. When you order fajitas on a sizzling plate back home you often need to downgrade your cooked preference by a degree (medium well to medium) so they can cook while you wait, but definitely order them as you want them to come out here, because the platter isn't cooking anything. They come with the little four ramekins of cheese, sour cream, beans and pico and the tortillas like at GARC and the platter is bedded with onions and red bell peppers. My issue with the beef already is my issue with the beef at almost every Mexican place in Thailand - it doesn't taste or look or smell grilled. I'm guessing grilling beef here must make it too tough, but it really dulls the flavor and the presentation when it's fried or boiled or baked or broiled or whatever instead of grilled over a flame. I had this same issue at Jorge's place, which I really like, but which also serves this kind of beef. Overall I definitely preferred the starving surfer plate (not sure of the exact name) with its chile relleno, enchilada and taco, but the nachos are much better than the chips and salsa (i.e. pico). For those complaining about the music, it was at a decent volume when I was there and one thing I definitely have to compliment them on is the atmosphere, which is fantastic. It's a beautiful house with a beautiful little patio. Everything from the neon green baby chair covers to the red napkins and the yellow walls of the house with the green shutters really looks nice. I'll be back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpoliaOpima Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 btw, bottled salsa ain't all bad...I challenge anyone to blindfold test with La Victoria Salsa Ranchera (widely available in CA as one of a line of products) and the finest restaurant freshly made item...either in CA or TX... I'd accept that challenge, gladly. I can tell the difference between tomato puree and fresh chopped tomatoes blindfolded. Also La Victoria Salsa Ranchera contains vinegar, like most bottled Mexican salsas and unlike fresh salsa. Worlds apart. But you're right bottled salsas can be OK, if that's all that's available. No respectable Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurant would serve them IMO. I'm sure the salsas at Los Cabos will be fresh. most fresh salsa will contain either lime or lemon juice which serves the same purpose. Vinegar and lime juice serve the same purpose the same way soy sauce and fish sauce serve the same purpose. Sure they're both salty but the taste is completely different. Again, worlds apart. Keep making your own, it's better than anything that comes in a bottle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Could I make a practical suggestion re various posters' debate here on salsas... To make this a more productive conversation and keep more in line with the topic of this thread.... How about you all encouraging the proprietor of Los Cabos to put some decent salsas on the table, and to give patrons a choice of some decent salsas to eat... What's on offer there now in the way of salsas is weak weak weak.... by whatever name you call them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Reading these comments, the poor salsas, the similarity to the Mexican food at GARC (which in my view is ersatz Mexican food), what's the big appeal of this new place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 Jing, I've only eaten at GARC in Bangkok, on Soi 36. And I've never eaten or even tried the Mexican food there.... But their BBQ, at least in BKK, is pretty good... Re Los Cabos, as I reviewed above, the Mexican food is so-so... The salsas in particular are pretty weak and useless... But the setting and atmosphere there is terrific... Lovely house, nicely decorated. Indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor patios, both downstairs and upstairs, are lovely. And the margaritas are not bad... So, IMHO, it's a great place to hang out, go for drinks, and have a snack... But they haven't even had their official opening yet... So I'm willing to give them some time, and a chance, to do better with their food and salsas... Right now, the Mexican food offerings are about on par with someplace like the chain restaurant El Torito. Not bad, OK to eat, but pretty pedestrian. Even if it stays as it is, it probably will go over well with the tourist crowd. But Mexican food afficionados in the know, if things stay as they are, will stick with Tacos and Salsa, and the very very good new addition in BKK/Ploenchit of La Monita Taqueria.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jingthing Posted December 23, 2009 Share Posted December 23, 2009 I agree the American food at GARC is mostly good. Their Mexican food is sub par. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
on-on Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 What's the big appeal of this new place? It's new and we're all Tex-Mex/Mexican/Cal-Mex fans in a city starved for decent entrees in that area, so we're all trying it out and reviewing it and then arguing about what makes a real salsa or taco and what's real Mexican and what's real Tex-Mex , etc, etc. You know, your typical Mexican food thread on Thai Visa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpoliaOpima Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 Could I make a practical suggestion re various posters' debate here on salsas...To make this a more productive conversation and keep more in line with the topic of this thread.... How about you all encouraging the proprietor of Los Cabos to put some decent salsas on the table, and to give patrons a choice of some decent salsas to eat... What's on offer there now in the way of salsas is weak weak weak.... by whatever name you call them. JF, why don't you take on the task? I haven't even eaten at Los Cabos yet, who knows I might love the salsas. So far I'm only going by your word. You have your own restaurant review thread, so I think the job belongs to you Personally I don't see the practicality in my counselling a proprietor on how to make proper salsas (which are dead easy) when there are already at least three Mexican restos in Bangkok who know what they're doing in that dept. That's not to slight Los Cabos. Obviously the management/owner(s) come from a professional restaurant background, so we can assume they intend for their salsas to taste the way they do. Also there seem to be plenty of folks, like those who like bottled salsas, who can't tell the difference or who actually prefer the tomato puree style of salsa. All power to 'em. Debating salsa lore is perfectly on topic, IMO, in any Mexican restaurant discussion. To draw an analogy from the sports world, if you're talking about the New Orleans Saints' season record, and someone says the problem is their flawed defense, it's valid for sport fans to debate what makes up a good defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted December 24, 2009 Share Posted December 24, 2009 SO, you raise some good points.... I'm not on any kind of mission re the salsas at Los Cabos.... But they were one of the more disappointing aspects of my meal there... so I noted that in my review... At least, disappointing for ME... I wish I could remember for sure, if it was Los Cabos or another Mexican place... I'm not sure... But to show you how it goes, the proprietor was explaining to me that upon opening, he'd had a much spicier salsa, and guests complained it was too hot, so he told me he had toned it down. Obviously, I would have rather he NOT done that.... (whichever restaurant that was...) But it does show a point... restauranteurs do tend to listen to the feedback they receive from their guests, particularly when they are just getting started, and make adjustments as they see fit. I'm just hoping enough patrons tell Los Cabos that they could do better than serving baby food for their salsas.... By way of contrast, the OTHER new place in town, La Monita Taqueria, has 5 or 6 of their own homemade salsas on hand, and the owner their happily trotted all of them out for me to sample and see which one I liked best. And all of them had their own distinct flavor, level of hotness and composition. Of course, they'd do the same for any patron there. At Las Cabos, when my partner and I asked for some extra salsa to accompany our order of chips, the wait staff didn't have a clue what to do with our request. For atmosphere, Los Cabos is the place. But for the food and salsas, right now, La Monita and Tacos and Salsa are much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpoliaOpima Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 (edited) I just tried La Monita and found the salsas bland, in terms of heat. So if Los Cabos is even blander, I think I may just steer clear. But I think you should provide the customer feedback since you seem to think it's salvagable Edited December 25, 2009 by SpoliaOpima Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted December 25, 2009 Share Posted December 25, 2009 S.O., I taste tested the other day all 5 or 6 of the different salsas available at La Monita... I also found it a bit strange that they were storing them in squeeze bottles, which I assume is for the reason that they're using them in the kitchen that way. La Monita had them, all fresh prepared, in a variety of levels of spiciness and consistency. I like my salsas quite hot...more than most anyone I know or who know me... Indeed, I think some of the hottest and best salsas to be found in BKK are the "John's" salsas at Sunrise Tacos... La Monita has one that I believe they call their "house salsa" that is more of the pureed dark red chili variety and has quite a good flavor and kick. They also had a chipotle salsa that, while not so hot, was quite flavorful and interesting... But I had to inquire and ask about them... They're not just putting them on the table or automatically offering them to customers... I would say the hottest salsa at T & S, whiich I like quite a bit and which they also don't normally offer to customers unless asked, is less hot than Sunrise's John's variety, and maybe only a bit hotter than the "House" variety at La Monita. All of the above, however, are far and away more spicy and robust than the varieties on offer at Los Cabos... The nice thing about the salsas at La Monita is the variety they have available and on offer... quite a selection to fit various tastes...and one that is surpassed in range and variety only by the salsa offerings at Sunrise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpoliaOpima Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 (edited) I would say the hottest salsa at T & S, whiich I like quite a bit and which they also don't normally offer to customers unless asked, is less hot than Sunrise's John's variety, and maybe only a bit hotter than the "House" variety at La Monita. All of the above, however, are far and away more spicy and robust than the varieties on offer at Los Cabos... When was the last time you were at T&S? Because not long ago Jorge upped the chile content of the hottest salsa in their trio served to all customers. As hot as Sunrise's hottest I'd say. The house salsa at La Monita was OK but just not hot enough, same for the other two I had. They were homemade but not freshly made, as far as it could tell. I'd say they were a couple of days old at least. Edited December 26, 2009 by SpoliaOpima Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 I've eaten at T&S within the past month.... I usually eat the green chili verde variety, but also the red... They're good, but not very close in level of spiciness to the "John's" variety at Sunrise. That said, I wouldn't judge a salsa based solely on its spiciness...but rather, on its flavor and complexity of taste... spiciness being one element. The regular salsas T&S serves to customers are not particularly spicy at all, for me.. The spicier versions you can obtain on request are much closer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpoliaOpima Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 (edited) I would say the hottest salsa at T & S, whiich I like quite a bit and which they also don't normally offer to customers unless asked, is less hot than Sunrise's John's variety, and maybe only a bit hotter than the "House" variety at La Monita. All of the above, however, are far and away more spicy and robust than the varieties on offer at Los Cabos... That's strange, because the hottest of the standard trio at T&S - the green one - is way hotter than the house salsa at La Monita (the one you described, darker etc - it's a roasted salsa). I didn't find much bite at all in the La Monita house salsa. I can tolerate, and enjoy, much hotter myself, but T&S's green one, to me, is about the same hotness as 'John's Hot' at Sunrise. I guess are palates react differently to the same salsas. It would be interesting to taste them side by side. I agree, it's not just about hotness, otherwise one could simply order sliced chiles. Some restaurants, esp in the USA, put too many seasonings in their salsas. Cumin, for example, does not belong in a good salsa, IMO. Neither does vinegar. Edited December 27, 2009 by SpoliaOpima Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfchandler Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 SO, as I recall, Sunrise Tacos has TWO versions of their John's salsa... a regular John's version and something called like "John's Super Hot". The Super Hot variety, just in terms of spiciness, far exceeds the hotness factor of anything at T&S... The Super Hot, for me, borders on being almost too hot to eat...because it overwhelms the taste of the food, and really burns in your mouth. The regular John's is just spicy...probably on a par with T&S. I can tolerate, and enjoy, much hotter myself, but T&S's green one, to me, is about the same hotness as 'John's Hot' at Sunrise. I guess are palates react differently to the same salsas. It would be interesting to taste them side by side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpoliaOpima Posted December 27, 2009 Share Posted December 27, 2009 I've not had the John's Super Hot, only John's Hot (that's the name). It's perfect for my taste, like the chile verde sauce at T&S. I like the freshness of the latter more but John's is something different and also good. I like his regular fresh house salsa as well. To me that's all you really need, for tacos at any rate, one good salsa fresca, one salsa verde and one salsa cocida (cooked salsa). John's mango salsa is OK too. The salsas heavy in herbs and spices (other than chile) and pureed vegetables etc don't really do it for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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