/ Reviews / Mexican
Truly Authentic
by Juliann Kirkland
on Monday, June 08, 2009 12:00 AM
It's amazing to think back over time and realize a year ago, the Mexican food craze was just beginning to hit Shanghai. Zapata's, Mexico Lindo, and Peter's Tex-Mex were the only restaurants serving Mexican food when El Mexicano arrived on the scene.
El Mexicano first set up shop in the Yanpu District pulling in students and other area locals with their low prices and delicious dishes. The menu, designed by Executive Director Pedro Garcia, was smaller than it is today, primarily focusing on Northern Mexican cuisine. But with the addition of Marketing Manager, Aaron Perez, the menu has expanded to include some Southern Mexican dishes native to his hometown. My friend and I sampled some of these when we visited their restaurant. We started the evening with two traditional Mexican drinks, a Horchata (7RMB), which is a rice milk drink and a Jamaica (7RMB), a purple juice-like drink. Throughout the evening my friend and I sampled numerous flavorful dishes without a bad one in the bunch, but I am only mentioning our absolute favorites. We enjoyed the filling Chicken Fajita Cheese Burrito (32RMB) and the yummy Chorizo Potato Burrito (30RMB). The delicious Mushroom Quesadillas (18RMB) was cheesy and not greasy or fried unlike many other Mexican themed restaurants in Shanghai. The authentic-tasting Red Chicken Enchiladas (33RMB) were good, bringing back memories of my favorite hometown Mexican restaurant, but next time we will opt for the Green Chicken Enchiladas (33RMB) as we are told they are spicier. However, the Sopas (15RMB) of three small, thick corn tortillas with cheese and Mexican beans were the best of the evening. Unfortunately, it is not a deliverable dish, so it can only be ordered when dining in. Another ordering tip we learned is to let the server know if you prefer spicier flavored food. They generally tend to tone down the spice if no preference is mentioned. The Flancake dessert (11RMB), two desserts in one, was pretty memorable too. Chocolate cake and flan together; it doesn't get much better than that.
The Bottom Line: Whether in their festive restaurant, or in the comfort of your own home, El Mexicano serves up delicious, inexpensive Mexican cuisine. Visit www.elmexicano.com.cn for more information on their menu and delivery options.
