Where can I get good, honest to God mexican food in Bkk?

Peace

OOh, that IS a good question! I will be there in 20 days and I am craving some real refried beans!!!!!

Bangkok=Noriega's
Pattaya= Tequila reef cantina on Soi 7 or Mike's on Pratamnak road

I say, make your own. Very easy. I do it all the time....since my wife loves Mexican food. At Villa Market you can get El Charro burrito's. Four burrito's for 75 baht. You can get the avocado's, tomatos, onions, nacho's, cheese.....all cheaper than going to a restaurant.... but then, this is only useful if you have a kitchen in your home / apartment.

In Samui, the best place is Gringo's Cantina.

Simply delicious!

Senor Pico at the Rembrandt Hotel does decent Mexican food.

Yep Pico's comes closest.

Pattys Fiesta - order from foodbyphone if you dont want trek to their place!

The Mexican buffet at Bourbon Street in Bangkok (Tuesday night, I think) is okay if you're desperate. Rob who used to run Tequila Reef is now in the kitchen at the Great American Rib Company in Bangkok and he has been running a Mexican buffet there on Monday since his friends know he cooks the best Mex of any white guy in the whole world. Call first to see if they're still doing it, but if they are, it's great value and as far as I'm concerned the best Mexican in Thailand.

Trust me you have only 3 options

1-Rob at great american rib
2-Tequila reef (pattya) Robs cousin still owns it?
3- Make it yourself There are excellent rawe products if you know which ones to use


Ive tried all the other options they will leave you extremmely disapointed if you are a lover of Mexican food.

I make a mean salsa....

Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. On the other hand, the last couple of times I was in Tequila Reef the food wasn't any better than Bourbon Street's buffet. Without Rob in the kitchen there the food isn't much anymore, although the atmosphere is still pleasant enough.

How to roll your own flour tortillas:

Two cups of flour, a TB of cooking oil (don't use too much or your tortillas will come out mealy--if you have access to shortening use that instead but if you are like me and don't then you will have to use oil) and enough water (dribble it in in small amounts--until the texture is right) to make the dough stick together but not wet. Flour your counter (I use a cloth and roll on that) heavily and get out your rolling pin. Flour that as well. Then get a small fistfull of dough, form it into a ball and put it on your counter. Roll it out, turn, roll, turn and roll (flouring your pin as you go to keep it from sticking) until you get it quite thin. Then, heat up a large non-stick skillet and place your tortilla on that. Heat until air pockets form, flip --another minute or so on the other side (air pockets forming again) then transfer to a plate. Practice makes perfect. Took me a few times experimenting until I got it right.

You now have a fresh warm tortilla, beats that storebought stuff by a mile.

Tequilla reef the guys from LA and it is good

Got any ideas for Corn tortillas with local products?

The flour tortilla that are sold here are OK but the corn are a different story

Senor Pico's. Try to make it there about twice a month.

Agree with three. Make it yourself.

Where is Noreiga located? Ditto Bourbon Street?

Bourbon Street is in Washington Square off Sukhumvit near the Emporium. It's owned by Doug Harrison, a very pleasant American from New Orleans, and has been well known among the Yanks out here for nearly two decades. It's just about the only real American bar and restaurant in Bangkok. Nothing wonderful, but reasonable food and quite congenial whether you're a single or a family. Their Thanksgiving and Christmas buffets in particular really pack in the families who miss down home cooking from the US.

Unless you know how to make masa harina or find a source for it here in Thailand you are out of luck

Google Masa Harina to give you an idea of the difficulties you face. I believe it is made out of ground field corn (hard dent) and powdered lime.

Based on all your recommendations, I took my wife to Senor Pico's on Thursday night. It was great, and pretty close to authentic. The Cuban music quartet was also quite good!

Thanks all
Peace

Ray, looks like we will have to plant some corn and start making Masa.

Guy brought me over a bag of white meza mix worked great, I have managed to lay my hands on some corn meal jut have been lazy to try it.

Another option might be to contact Villa Market and see if can order a case. Since we can buy from jim in case lots and get delivered here to Udon

I up for trying to grow it here, but in all honesty never really had any luck here.

The guy who hadd the Mexican resturant had a corn grinder, but he and he wife split up. I don't thin they were using it much anymoer if at all. He would get firld corn grind it himself, with the machine and make his own corn meal.

Locally all I have been able to find is corn powder. Tried it once and then remebered how we made paste in kendergraden LOL

Really the flour tortilla made in Bangkok are just like the ones at home you buy. The corn tortilla can't be fried for soft tacos, they just fall apart. The only way I have been able to use them is to steam them to heat them up. You can get by but the flavor is just not the same.

The local Mexican resturant just uses them to make tortilla chips.


I also had some Jalipino seeds sent over as the peppers here just don't taste the same. Tried them last year they didn't produce. o I will try them again in just potting soil and see if they do better.

We are making progress tough the wife made her first hommade fresh apple pie, it was great

Ray, can you check and see if HOMINY is around. It has already been thru the slaked lime process. The only drawback would be cost. Other than that smash it up and finish the tortilla recipe.

I did an eairler thread about GRITS. Would be cheaper than hominy. They said some restruant in Udon served them. Think it would workby mixing 1/2 corn meal and 1/2 grits . We haven't done this but I feel should work.

Just curious.

Biggest problem her i the ingredients, have never seen coem meal here I have had some brought from the states. But nohting local