Meat ! Getting some good "Carnitas".

I recently stopped by the new branch of "Los Gallos" because I didn´t want to cook ! I didn´t expect much but as I waited for 1/2kg of Carnitas in the small little restaurant, I took a little taste of the salsa that was sat on the table and I knew that the meat was going to be good!

Los Gallos has been operating for years and has recently opened its new branch in the Narvarte area of the city close to the Pilares roundabout. You can choose from a selection of tacos, Jalisco style Pozole, Carnitas and Chamorro - certain days of the week have special deals on steaks and red meat.

The staff are very friendly and the little restaurant is very clean. I have to admit that since the first visit, we have been back three times to get take out (in just two weeks) and we actually ordered a variety of things for the Gallos menu for family lunch on sunday which was approved of by all, even the 84 year old grandma !

Half a kilo of Carnitas costs $80.00 - a great price and come with tortillas, salsas and garnishes.

Check out the Los Gallos website for a full menu and price list.

More taco tips - the best of the best .....

Any Mexico city taco fiend will surely know "Tacos Beto - Los de Cochinada", served monday to saturday by the famous Don Beto himself after more than 30 years in the business. You can choose from the usual selection of pastor, longaniza, suadero or chicharrón and ask for your tacos with or without "cochinada"... (all the little bits that end up in the bottom on the pan !) These tasty tacos may look a little offputting to the untrained eye - but after one bite, you will be hooked!

TACOS BETO
LOS DE COCHINADA
Vértiz 1023, Narvarte, monday-thursday 17-4hrs, friday-saturday 19-7hrs.

Fonda Margarita - a must "eat" in Mexico City.

http://restaurantes.rinconesdemitierra.com/restaurante/fonda-margarita/#fonda-margarita

They say that the Fonda Margarita has been open for over 50 years but the official date is a secret that the owners say that they can´t reveal. From the street you

could easily pass by Fonda Margarita without realising that you had walked by one of the cities best places to stop if you want to try real authentic cooking.

Everything at the small fonda is cooked in traditional clay Ollas and cooked on carcoal giving all the food the deep and rich flavour that can cannot be found everywhere nowadays with gas being a cheaper and quicker fuel for cooking.

The fondas speciality are the beans and scrambled eggs served with fresh hand made tortillas but every day of the week the menu has a slight variation for you to choose from and to accompany your breakfast "fillers". The small fonda has around eight or so long tables and customers from lawyers and suits to builders and taxi drivers sit side by side to enjoy the wonderful food dashed with fresh made salsas.

I´d recommend going on a wednesday when meatballs are on the menu - they really are the best meatballs that I have ever tasted in my life !! Expect to pay about $120 mexican pesos for a very large breakfast for two including coffee.

Fonda Margarita is open from 5am until 11am Monday to Saturday, closed sundays and is located on : Adolfo Prieto 1364, Col. Narvarte.

Check to link above for a website featuring a small video on the fonda.

Tacos! Where to find the best tacos in DF!

Tacos El Chupacabras at the side of Sanborns at the Centro Coyoacan shopping centre are worth a visit for anyone who wants to taste some of Mexico cities best authentic street tacos.

Mexico city must have thousands of taco stands - you can find tacos on almost every street but the Chupacabras are known all over the city and people from all walks of life visit the small stand in the Coyoacan area to taste the original "chupa cabras" taco - Even the NY times have been here and written about the little place.

Chupacabras is open everyday of the week - passing the shopping mall in Coyoacan make a left and the taco stand will be there with a few others, look out for the sign !

Nearest metro station : coyoacan

Cheap eating in Condesa

Located on one of the condesas prettiest streets is Boca 21. A deli serving fresh and healthy food from 9am-10.30pm, 7 days a week. The deli specialises in tasty sandwiches with fillings such as salmon, turkey and spanish chorizo. The deli also has a range of pasta, salad and "woks" to choose from. Customers can choose from a range of fresh juice or wines and beers to go with thier meals but note that the deli does not sell sodas. If you feel hungry and need to eat cheaply in the condesa you should definatley give this place a try - the sandwiches are available on four types of bread with a wide variety of fillings and although simple, they are very tasty. Prices range from $40.00-65.00mx.

Boca 21 Deli

Amsterdam e iztlazihuatl 36

Esquina con Iztaccihuatl

Col. Condesa

Tel. 5584-8466

Supermarkets

Supermarkets

If you're staying longer in the city you may want to buy foods or groceries and the city has hundreds of supermarkets including :

• Chedraui
• Comercial Mexicana
• Soriana
• Superama High end supermarket
• Wal-Mart

Ethnic Grocery Stores

For generally hard-to-find ingredients, such as vegetables and spices that are unusual in Mexico, try the Mercado de San Juan (Ernesto Pugibet street, Salto del Agua metro station). You can find exotic meats here, such as iguana, alligator, ostrich, and foie gras.

Check out the cheese stand in the centre for some good samples!

Arabic

• Al Mayak Cuauhtemoc Avenue and Guanajuato, Colonia Roma. Owned by Lebanese businessmen, they sell ingredients and foodstuff. They also sell sweets and dried fruits.

Korean

• Supermercado Seul Florencia Avenue and Hamburgo Street, Zona Rosa.

• Seoul Market Hamburgo 206, Zona Rosa.

• Uri Market Londres 234, Zona Rosa.

Japanese

• Mikasa San Luis Potosi 170, get from Insurgentes Sur Avenue, between Medellin and Monterrey. Lots of Japanese food ingredients, sweets and drinks

• Kokeshi Amores 1529, Colonia del Valle (between Parroquia street and Felix Cuevas Avenue (Eje 7). Mostly Japanese food products but they also sell other Asian foods and sell Japanese dinnerware. Tel. 55347131

Asian

Chinatown strip south of Palacio de Bellas Artes and Alameda Central.

• Super Kise Division del Norte 2515, Del Carmen, Coyoacan. South of the city, they sell Korean, Chinese and Japanese groceries.

Kosher

Many food products in Mexico including milk are kosher compliant. If you're looking for specific products, try some stores in the Polanco neighborhood. At some Superama branches you would find kosher departments, especially the ones in Polanco, Tecamachalco and Santa Fe neighborhoods as they have a large Jewish community.