Mexican

Border Grill (Downtown) – Mexican Food and a Bar, Yes to Guacamole

by Franklin on March 1, 2013

I always pass by Border Grill on Figueroa on a daily basis. Right across from the Bonaventure Hotel, where Bona Vista Lounge and L.A. Prime is, this corner of Figueroa and 5th street always reminds me of these restaurants. Border Grill though, was always a “must” whenever I passed by, and I can’t tell you how many times I thought of just stopping right in front, sitting down, and ordering something. All I needed was that push from Border Grill to make an appointment.

To start off, we had chips and salsa. The chips light and airy, and the salsa was fresh. My favorite was the mole salsa. It had a nice complex rich flavor.

The Yucatan pork was interestingly delicious. The achiote pork was slow roasted in banana leaf with a mixture of caramelized onion and orange. Sitting on a plate of cinnamon honey lime yams, the sweet and savory factor worked. The pork was succulent and the yams were smooth. The caramelized brussel sprouts were a bit odd on this plate. I felt like another green would have suited this dish better. I did like the pineapple jicama salsa on top for that added crunch. Eating these with tortillas made me really full. A side of rice would have been lighter and would have complimented the dish nicely.

It was happy hour, and the beer-battered sustainable fish tacos were quite impressive. Topped with an avocado crema and salsa fresca, the fried fish was offset by the cool avocado and salsa. The other taco, carne asada was good too. Topped with caramelized onions, salsa fresca, and guacamole, it was like the perfect taco. The beef brisket tacquito was delicious as well. The meat was slow roasted, then the tortilla was fried. Topped with a spicy slaw, guacamole, and salsa fresca, the crunchy fried “taco” was a whole lot better than the ones I get at 7-11. It seems like anything topped with their addicting guacamole was delicious. These tacos were quite impressive, and at $3 a pop during happy hour, it was a great deal!

For desser, we had the churro tots. Just by the name churro tots, I had an idea of what these were going to be. I was surprised to find out that these bad boys had dulce de leche infused inside of them. Not only that, but the three dipping sauces of chocolate, caramel dipping sauce, and whipped cream was an added bonus. Not only did these things have dulce de leche inside, and not only did it have a dipping sauce, it also was dusted with cinnamon and sugar, like a churro should. These sugary fritters were incredibly sweet, and a great ending to our meal.

“Should I have just went with the happy hour menu?”, is what I thought to myself. In hind sight, I think I should have. I enjoyed the tacos and the bar food type items. They were cheaper, more delicious, and had guacamole on it. How could I not like that? Honestly, Border Grill is better as a bar. Especially located in Downtown, there were a lot of working professionals gathering here for drinks and good Mexican food. The price is right and the atmosphere is perfectly casual and stylish. I wouldn’t mind coming here more often after work to grab a beer and some tacos. Just don’t forget the guac!

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La Golondrina Mexican Cafe – Olvera Street and the Oldest Brick Building in Los Angeles

by Franklin on December 1, 2012

Historically, Olvera Street is in the oldest part of Downtown Los Angeles. Founded by Spanish settlers, Olvera Street was part of the early stages of the development of Los Angeles. Ironically, Olvera Street is located in Chinatown. We are talking pre Mexican American War and Gold Rush days. That is a lot of history that belongs to this little street. With the Latino centered community came a great number of restaurants. One restaurant I visited while checking out Olvera Street was La Golondrina Mexicana Cafe. Built around 1857, La Golondrina is the oldest firebrick building in Los Angeles! Originally intended as a house, in 1930, it became the first Mexican restaurant in Los Angels and possibly America. With this much history, I was excited to give it a try.

The chips and salsa were plenty. They kept adding more and more as we devoured the chips. In hind sight, we probably shouldn’t have eaten so many chips because we were so full before our entrees came out. They weren’t the best chips or the freshest salsa, but they were addicting. If you want the good stuff, order their freshly made guacamole — it was as simple and authentic as you can get it. I realized that my guacamole has too much lime juice in it. All in all though, it wasn’t a bad start.

I was really disappointed at the chicken flautas. I once ordered chicken flautas at a random Mexican restaurant and thought those were really authentic. It had a crispy exterior with good chunks of chicken inside. The flautas at La Golondrina really upset me. I was expecting the real deal, and why wouldn’t I? Literally, the flautas looked and tasted like the taquitos from 7-11. They came out all fanicly cut in half, but they easily could have been from Costco. The exterior wasn’t crunchy, nor was it even corn tortilla. It was just a doughy exterior with some kind of seasoned chicken filling. Sorry to say, but these were not flautas.

I did enjoy the chicken enchilada de mole. There were two chicken enchiladas drenched in a pool of mole. The mole was sweeter than most, but the flavors were rich and complex. At first bite, it was hot and burned my tongue. As the mole cooled off, the flavors were quiet nice. The side of rice helped neutralize the flavors. If the mole was less sweet and more earthy, it would have been a perfect sauce. Nonetheless, La Golondrina is known for their mole and is a good dish to try. If you are a fan of mole, you must order a dish with it.

It was a fun experience. Sitting outside in the middle of Olvera Street and in the oldest building in Los Angeles, it was a great historical outing. What can be better than hanging out with friends and family, drinking margaritas and sangria, and eating great Mexican food? Nothing. The experience was wonderful. Even the singers came around our table and serenaded us with his guitar. The experience was as authentic as can be and we owe it all to the historical genuineness of it all. With history and old buildings also come myths and stories. I was told during my dinner conversation that the building is supposedly haunted. I am sure it is all a myth, but there have been sightings of a lady in white on the second floor window. It did used to be a house, and the old bedrooms are now offices. There has to be some kind of creepy factor when you are talking about the oldest building in Los Angeles. Creeped out only slightly, I was still glad it was daylight out. Sunset hit, and we all went home.

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Pink Taco – Mall Food Gets Cheesy and Corny

by Franklin on October 27, 2012

I knew there was a Pink Taco in Las Vegas, but I am not sure it if it is the same one as the one in Los Angeles. Under the website, it doesn’t list the Las Vegas one as their locations. I mean, the theme and menu as long as the feel of the two restaurants seem the same, but I am not quite sure if it is the same. Though there are two in the west LA area, I went to the one in the Westfield Century City Mall. Upon entering through the familiar over-sized door, the interior was casual. We started off with Sangria with chips and salsa at the bar. The sangria was refreshing and fruity — I am not much of a drinker so I can’t compare. The chips and salsa were good and plenty — The salsa needed work but the chips were crispy. They weren’t super crunchy, but light and a good start.

Their carne asada quesadilla was my favorite. It wasn’t cooked in a particular way — it was just a standard carne asada quesadilla. It had marinated sirloin steak, toasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, and chipotle peppers inside. Their fresh guacamole, pico de gallo, and sour cream all went perfectly with this quesadilla. The mixture of melted jack cheese and steak was rich and gooey. I wouldn’t mind if all quesadillas were this tasty.

One of the items on the menu I really wanted to try was their sweet corn tamale. Served open faced, it consisted of fresh ground masa, roasted poblano chilies, queso fresco, grilled corn, pico de gallo, with crema on top. The grilling of the corn brought out the sweetness and the poblano chilies gave it a nice spice. The queso fresco gave it that savory taste and the crema helped meld everything together. The taste of sweet, salty, and spicy married so well — I can’t believe how much I enjoyed something that didn’t have meat in it.

For a chain, a chain serving Mexican food especially, it was bearable. The food here isn’t boring like most chains. I honestly thought the food was standard done as it should be. Not to say that the food is mediocre, but just “everyday” good. The atmosphere is casual and the prices are mid range. The bar scene seems to be popular here as there is a large outside patio. I was comfortable just sitting at the bar, grubbing on chips and salsa. Most malls would be lucky to have a Pink Taco inside. The Westfield Century City is pretty decent mall — the addition of having Pink Taco makes it that much better.

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LA Street Tacos – Nameless

by Franklin on April 10, 2012

On my way home from work, I sometimes see a Mexican taco stand on the sidewalk. This is not a truck mind you, it is straight up set up on the sidewalk. They even had lights for when it became dark. This is totally illegal as they do not hold any permits or licenses — no health and safety inspection, nothing. I see them grilling and selling tacos and what not all the time. This one particular day, I took the bait and I finally stopped for a bite. Let me tell you, this was not a mistake.

I looked around and saw what they had. They had a flat top grill station, charcoal grill, table full of condiments, and even home made horchata. I asked the guy for 2 carne asada tacos and 2 chorizo tacos. The cook grilled up my meats on an open grill, then finished them off on the flat top. I then laid on the sauce along with onions and cilantro — all which were prepared at their home or somewhere else. I ordered a horchata to make it an even 5 bucks. Home made everything tacos and a drink for 5 bucks is amazing.

These tacos were delicious beyond words. The bite of the meat and the onions and cilantro was perfect. Even the hot sauces were good. I liked the smoky flavor that the meat had from the grill. Usually the chorizo I buy at the market is like a paste, but theirs was sausage like. These guys really knew what they were doing.

I was so proud of my find, that I came back the same night with my cousin and brother. My brother got a humongous burrito, and my cousin and I got some more tacos. I liked that they put the rice and meat in the burrito, gave it to my brother to add whatever he wanted — they wrapped the burrito afterwards for us. At this point, I was full, and happy that I had a chance to try this food.

There was one thing that caught my eye. As I gave the guy my money for the food, he was thankful for the business he was getting. He took the money, looked up to the sky, and thanked God for it. Then and there, it really allowed me to appreciate everything I had. To me, it was a measly 5 bucks, but to him, it was a blessing. This really opened my eyes. Food wasn’t just something “delicious” anymore — it was more than that.

Every time I pass that spot and look, they aren’t there anymore. Maybe they were given a citation or warning from law enforcement. I don’t know what happened to them, but I always hope that they are there. Either way, I still hold on to the memory of those tacos. I think it’s the place where these tacos come from that make it so delicious. It’s not from some business driven chain or money hungry restaurant owner. These tacos are homemade, brought to the streets, from hard working individuals. They know the true value of the dollar and their passion for food is evident.

I guess I’m not too distressed from their disappearance. I know Los Angeles will lead me to another street tacos once again.

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Malo – Bad Is Not So Good If It’s Bad

by Franklin on January 2, 2012

Located in the hipster town of Silver Lake, Malo serves up Mexican food with a little twist. Though the traditional tacos and chips are in order, they are known for their beef and pickle crunchy tacos and chewy chips. The location was perfect for our Christmas dinner party. The lower half was the bar and seating area — the upper was the private rooms and extra seating area. The atmosphere was fun and intimate.

The ground beef and pickle was what I wanted to try. On paper, it was interesting, but after eating it, it basically was just a burger inside a hard taco shell. Maybe the hype too large for its own good. It was just average for me. I also had a bacon and shrimp taco as well. This was a nice balance of fatty bacon and seafoody shrimp. I am just not a fan of crunchy tacos. The sauce did save the taste a bit.

There was a lot of hype about the chewy tortilla chips, and I can see why. Those things were dangerously addicting. The texture of the chewy tortilla chips was all just new and interesting. For those who think they are going to be like stale tortilla chips, you are wrong. You just have to try it for yourself. What made these chips better was the sauces they had. My favorite was the mole. It was rich and complex in flavor. Though, they had 4 different kinds, and they were all good.

I also ordered the Cast Iron Fried Chile Relleno. This was a battered and fried poblano chile with jack cheese inside. It was then smothered in ranchero sauce. The batter on the outside tasted kind of funny. Maybe bad oil? The poblano and the cheese inside was nice. The chile was sweet and the cheese was smooth. I was sad to see a lack of queso fundito on the menu.

To be honest, I did not enjoy the food too much. I wouldn’t come here for a specific dish. Despite that, I would come here again for the atmosphere. It is a great place for large groups. the location and setup was perfect. Next on the agenda, Mas Malo, their second restaurant in Downtown LA.

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Anepelco’s Cafe – A Mexican French Breakfast, From A Hole-In-The-Wall

November 25, 2011

Once in a while, you come across a place and the food is the star. Not the decor, not even the service, but the food just out does everything. Anepelco’s Cafe is just that place — it’s definitely a hole in the wall. Breakfast was impressive at this unassuming restaurant. The place was small, and [...]

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Cha Cha Chili – Korean Tacos And Burritos Test My Patience

November 24, 2011

Gosh Cha Cha Chili. Why did you do this to me? You got me so excited, and now I am caught in the middle. I ordered my food, but you made me wait 30 minutes for 2 tacos and a burrito. At first you excited me because I got the last of the short rib. [...]

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¡Loteria! Grill (Farmers Market) – Mexican Cuisine For Winners

November 3, 2011

Trying to kill time, I made a little trip to The Grove. Crowded as usual, we decided to watch a movie. Feeling hungry after shopping a bit, I wanted to eat something. The Grove has a few restaurants, but I wanted something quick and delicious. The Farmers Market was my best bet. Searching for something [...]

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Boca Del Rio – It’s Raining Cheese And Lengua Is King

October 27, 2011

Why is it that the dirtier and grungier the establishment, the better the food? I’m not talking about having a C rating for food health and safety. I mean those hole in the wall mom and pop joints. Boca Del Rio is one such establishment. Their Mexican food is so street food and so “unhealthy”, [...]