5 lesser-known Mexican dishes and where to eat them in Bangkok
Move aside burritos and tacos. We celebrate Cinco de Mayo (May 5) with some more unusual dishes. (Oh, plus some classics.)
8 years ago
See also: Bangkok's 5 best Mexican restaurants
Ensalada de Nopales
What: In Mexican Spanish, nopal refers to the opuntia cactus, which is a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine and can be eaten raw or cooked. Ensalada de nopales (nopal salad) is one of the simplest dishes made with this tart though surprisingly delicate ingredient. Sometimes, people also include it as a side dish with steak or on top of tacos.
Where: Sabroso imports cooked and preserved nopal straight from Mexico and mixes it in a salad (B250) with lettuce, onion, radish, lime juice, feta cheese and a little spicy tomato salsa topped with chicharrons (crispy pork).
Chile Relleno
What: Chile Relleno literally translates to “stuffed chili.” The dish originated in the city of Puebla where they used grilled poblano chili. Other versions use hatch chile, anaheim or jalapeno. In the contemporary version, the chili is often filled with meat and cheese before being coated in corn batter and deep-fried.
Where: Coyote’s faithful version sees a poblano chili stuffed with cream cheese, jalapenos and a rich almond cream sauce (B195). Things get fancier with Sunrise Tacos’, deep-fried chili filled with ground Kobe beef and cheese (B295). Meanwhile, Mejico stuff their Jalapeno with feta cream cheese and herbs.
La Monita
Michelada
What: This Mexican beer cocktail is normally prepared by mixing beer with lime juice, spices, sauces and peppers, served in a chilled, salt-rimmed glass. While the basic recipe uses tomato juice, things often get wilder with hot sauces, Worcestershire sauce and even Maggi flavoring.
Where: At Sabroso, you can add B40 to make any beer on the list a michelada. There, they use Worcestershire, tabasco and ground black pepper. Elsewhere, try La Monita’s version (B175) with tabasco sauce or Mejico’s which uses their own Mejico spice mix (B220).
Tamales at Sabroso
Tamales
What: This ancient portable food of the Mesoamericans may remind you of our kao tom mud (steamed sticky rice wrapped with banana leaf). A corn-dough pocket is stuffed with meat, cheese, fruits or vegetables and wrapped with banana leaf or, more commonly, corn husk before being steamed.
Where: You won’t find too many places serving this dish but Sabroso has three options: beef, chicken and pork (all B250), all served with Mexican rice and beans. Tacos & Salsa has the same choices of meat and sides, but also topped with sour cream and salsa of your choice (B260).
Mole at Charley Brown’s
Mole
What: The generic name for sauce in Mexican cuisine most often refers to mole poblano, a thick, rich, chocolate-tinged sauce that’s identified with the state of Puebla. The velvety smooth sauce is made from about 20 ingredients, including chili, nuts, spices and chocolate, and typically served on meat or rice.
Where: Of the few places in Bangkok that have this typical sauce, Charley Brown’s fragrant version is made with six different chilis and served on chicken drumsticks and rice (B250). Sabroso, too, serves chicken with mole enchilada (B280).
Essentials
1/23 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 02-651-2215. Open Tue-Sun 5:30pm-12am. BTS Nana
The Prime 11, 29 Sukhumvit Soi 11, 02-651-3313. Open daily 12pm-2am. BTSNana
888/26-25, Mahatun Plaza Arcade, Phloen Chit Rd., 02-650-9581. Open daily 11:30am-10pm. BTS Phloen Chit
2/F, Groove @ CentralWorld, Rama 1 Rd., 02-252-6660. Open daily 11am-12am. BTS Chit Lom
24/5 Sukhumvit Soi 23, 02-262-0997. Open Tue-Sat 3-10pm; Sun noon-10pm. MRT Sukhumvit
Sunrise Tacos.
Multiple branches. Try corner of Silom Soi 4. Open daily 24 hours. BTS Sala Daeng
9 Sukhumvit Soi 18, 086-346-0822. Open Mon-Fri 3-11pm; Sat-Sun 11am-11pm.
BONUS!
Five of our favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes in town
MEJICO’S GUACAMOLE
One of the most prominent condiments in Mexican cuisine is this dip made from mashed avocado with lime and sea salt, traditionally made using a molcajete (mortar and pestle). At Mejico, the guacamole (B235) is freshly mashed in a mortar table- side before being served with plantain chips instead of tortilla chips.
LA MONITA TAQUERIA’S CRUNCH STAR
If you’re bored of the typical tortilla folded in half and filled with cheese, try this huge full moon of a quesadilla (B270-285). They add crispy corn tortilla to the middle, which gives some crunch to the gooey interior. Just imagine having some nachos inside your quesadilla.
SUNRISE TACOS’ TACOS
We like how they let you create your own tacos (B90/1 piece and B240/3 pieces) with your choice of shell, sauce and meat or veggies. If that still doesn’t satisfy you, head to the salsa bar and drench your tacos to your taste. While the original Sukhumvit Soi 12 place has closed down, you can still get your tacos fix at seven more branches, including the newest one on the seventh floor of MBK Center.
TACOS AND SALSA’S BURRITOS
Their burritos (B190/220) won’t win any awards for presentation, but fillings like the chicken tinga (shredded chicken stewed with onion and tomato) and the fiery chili con carne offer more wellrounded flavors than most of the city’s patchier offerings. We’re partial to ordering our burrito wet (an additional B60) to get it smothered in sour cream and cheese.
COYOTE’S FAJITAS
OK, you can find sizzling fajitas anywhere, but we like how here they prepare the colorful bell peppers on the hot plate before adding the meat and veg of your choice (B455 or opt for two choices of meat at B495). It’s quite fun to DIY your Fajita with flour tortilla, guacamole, red salsa and sour cream.
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