Official Mexican Food In Japan Thread

[Iraira]

I've given up trying to find good Mexican food in Tokyo. Only solution is to make it yourself. Now and then I find some real scary refried beans, and sometimes they are reasonably priced. Found these particularly dangerous-looking beans at Hanamasa. Cheap, tasted great, and spoke volumes later. Corn tortillas are a bitch to find, I can find decent flour tortillas, but they are pricey (400 yen for a pack of 10). Sucked when I had a Mex party and needed 150 tortillas, but that was paid for by GW's fiscal stimulus check, along with the blender for the mixed drinks.

Call me, Mr. Quesedilla!

[Iraira]

Luckily never had the shits from Indian Curry or Mexican food in Japan. Here in the states it's a different story. I have to be careful what Mexican joints I eat at.

Best Mexican food inspired next day shits in LA...down in Costa Mesa...Albertos.

[GuyJean]

Damn straight. Spice Kitchen II is great...

Damn. Gotta go 'spa-king' soon. Sounds like the Indian curry place to be. I love the stuff. Fortunately, the Roppongi area has some great curry deals at lunch time..

As for Mexican food. Yeah..

Fonda de la Madrugada - good, expensive, far
La Fiesta - ok, limited menu, never been
Junkadelic - ok, authentic, never been
La Jolla - ok, expensive, tasty
Havana Cafe - ok, fusion, 'interesting'
El Torito - ok, chain, bland

Other sources:
Bento.com
Old Metropiss (call to make sure it's still open)

The best Mexican food I've had in Japan is home-made. Flying Pig, Kaldi, and the local butcher have everything I need..

GJ

[xenomorph42]

[quote="GuyJean"]Damn. Gotta go 'spa-king' soon. Sounds like the Indian curry place to be. I love the stuff. Fortunately, the Roppongi area has some great curry deals at lunch time..

As for Mexican food. Yeah..

Fonda de la Madrugada - good, expensive, far
La Fiesta - ok, limited menu, never been
Junkadelic - ok, authentic, never been
La Jolla - ok, expensive, tasty
Havana Cafe - ok, fusion, 'interesting'
El Torito - ok, chain, bland


They have "El Torito" as in "THE" El Torito in Roppongi??

[xenomorph42]

Best Mexican food inspired next day shits in LA...down in Costa Mesa...Albertos.

You think Costa Mesa has some good Mexican Food??? Some of the best Mexican Food I had was in El Monte and Baldwin Park. But I agree, gotta be careful, especially Mexicans prefer using reg. Lard when they cook the food. They wager, you can't beat the taste. And Veggie oil just won't cut it. So I ask around a lot.
But I do like the grading system we have, gives you a little peace of mind at least.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant_rating

[Iraira]

You think Costa Mesa has some good Mexican Food??? Some of the best Mexican Food I had was in El Monte and Baldwin Park. But I agree, gotta be careful, especially Mexicans prefer using reg. Lard when they cook the food. They wager, you can't beat the taste. And Veggie oil just won't cut it. So I ask around a lot.
But I do like the grading system we have, gives you a little peace of mind at least.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restaurant_rating

When you are trapped in Irvine, it's 2am, you've been sucking down major amounts of alcohol and/or nature's finest...there ain't much in terms of options availible...you could get in your dropped Integra and head up to Bolsa...but....

[GuyJean]

.. They have "El Torito" as in "THE" El Torito in Roppongi??

I'm not sure what "THE" El Torito is.. Don't they have the chain restaurant in Aoyama?

Could probably find some donkey shows in Roppongi, which makes it feel like Mexico.. with a Chinese twist.

GJ

[omae mona]

I'm not sure what "THE" El Torito is.. Don't they have the chain restaurant in Aoyama?

El Torito has not been doing real well. There are only 3 shops left in Tokyo according to their web page. Shinjuku Southern Terrace, Ikebukuro Sunshine, and Nishi-Kasai. I was at their minami-aoyama restaurant within the last year, but it's gone now.

[Iraira]

El Torito has not been doing real well. There are only 3 shops left in Tokyo according to their web page. Shinjuku Southern Terrace, Ikebukuro Sunshine, and Nishi-Kasai. I was at their minami-aoyama restaurant within the last year, but it's gone now.

Got rid of the donkey show = Lost the atmosphere = Lost business...and now there are starving and perhaps very horny donkeys wandering all over Tokyo looking for an outrageous chimichanga.

[xenomorph42]

I'm not sure what "THE" El Torito is.. Don't they have the chain restaurant in Aoyama?

Could probably find some donkey shows in Roppongi, which makes it feel like Mexico.. with a Chinese twist.

GJ

I was referring to the restaurant chain. Didn't know they were in Japan. Truth be told, it's kinda hard to get "real" Mexican food in Japan. I had my first nightmare experience in Japan eating a taco at Royal Host. Now, I had no idea about Japan and how they serve foreign cuisine. Needless to say, that was the nastiest taco I had in my life and usually it's kinda hard to make a taco taste Really bad!
We have a place here in Fukuoka called: El Borracho, great food, but seriously overpriced. The owner(Japanese)lived and worked in Mexico and studied cooking for 6 years. The dude speaks fluent Spanish too.

[Iraira]

There's also a place in Hiroo (forgot the name, but it's on the left side of the street down the shoutengai...next to some decent place of ill repute that has no Mexican food), that is also overprices, but has decent Mexican food. A bunch a beans and rice shouldn't cost 750 yen, but Hiroo is Hiroo.

[GuyJean]

There's also a place in Hiroo (forgot the name, but it's on the left side of the street down the shoutengai...next to some decent place of ill repute that has no Mexican food), that is also overprices, but has decent Mexican food. A bunch a beans and rice shouldn't cost 750 yen, but Hiroo is Hiroo.

I think you're talking about La Jolla.. If you had a plate there for 750 yen, you got a bargain. I remember most plates were 1,200+.. Haven't been in years though..

GJ

[GuyJean]

.. I want to eat chiles, do they have them over there. I hear there's mexican restaurants over there but they're faux like tex-mex in US. tonikaku' Hello all you FG"s

Mexican chilies? You can find them, but most chilies here are more 'Asian'; Thai, Chinese, Korean, etc..

GJ

[Taro Toporific]

I want to eat chiles, do they have them over there. I hear there's mexican restaurants over there but they're faux like tex-mex in US.

Welcome turonkusu!
As GuyJean said, little red hot chili (Korean) is available but you better bring your own. The big problem is that non-asian beans can cost more than meat here.

(Mexican restaurants in Japan are so damn expensive but marginal in their offerings they just are not fun to eat at. However, on weird occasions I have run across interesting Peruvian food.)

[turonkusu]

Welcome turonkusu!
As GuyJean said, little red hot chili (Korean) is available but you better bring your own. The big problem is that non-asian beans can cost more than meat here.

(Mexican restaurants in Japan are so damn expensive but marginal in their offerings they just are not fun to eat at. However, on weird occasions I have run across interesting Peruvian food.)

Oh NO! NOT MY PINTO BEANS!!!,
but I thought as much, mexican imports over there don't take precedence over others, hey who knows, maybe I'll be the first truly mexican restaurant over there, full with chiles rellenos and salsa that can pop your eyes out

[Taro Toporific]

Oh NO! NOT MY PINTO BEANS!!!,
...maybe I'll be the first truly mexican restaurant over there, full with chiles rellenos and salsa that can pop your eyes out

I am used to paying 4 bucks for a 10 lbs of pinto beans straight from the fields in Colorado so every time I fly back I pack to Crapan, I pack acouple sacks of beans.
Sadly, Japan live a life without spice (literally) and think Mexican food is ugly----Many Mex food ventures have failed in Tokyo and several large places have closed recently.

[Catoneinutica]

I am used to paying 4 bucks for a 10 lbs of pinto beans straight from the fields in Colorado so every time I fly back I pack to Crapan, I pack acouple sacks of beans.
Sadly, Japan live a life without spice (literally) and think Mexican food is ugly----Many Mex food ventures have failed in Tokyo and several large places have closed recently.

Was it Kent Gilbert who flopped at opening some Mexican chain restaurant here? One place that seems to be pretty tenacious (they seem to have been around for about 20 years) is La Jolla in Hiroo, down the road a few buildings from that big Death-Star Starbucks (Deathbucks? Do the two "stars" cancel each other out?). Not only are they cheap (you can get a burrito or enchilada with beans and rice for about 1000 yen), but they're completely non-smoking.

-catone
-Oy, Taro! Get back in the concrete cage! And close the door behind you!

[DrP]

I could on forever on this topic ... all of my return flites to tokyo would be full stocks el pato, husks, pintos and rice. when stopped by the customs - i just told them (especially about the rice - which they mostly concerned about) it was blessed and according to my religion i had to eat it. notwithstanding, any of you who haven't missed my annual tamale and mole cook off -- look for your invites this year.

there is quite simply NO good Mexican food in Japan. Period. Hell, I even used to stock my local hang with everything he could need - and wtf - he put the cans and spices ON DISPLAY!!

the solution to this problem is very simple. go any border town. eat at all the roach coaches until you find the best one. load everything onto a container and ship to japan. including the yappy chihuaha and bitchy cholos hangin around.

[Blah Pete]

There is a good Mexican restaurant call Pancho Villa in Sagamihara (Kanagawa). It is located close to the US Army Housing Area, Sagamihara. The place is run by an American and has been there for about 15-20 years.

[pheyton]

Ok, I guess it's part my fault for bringing up Mexican food in the Indian Curry thread so I thought I should rectify it by giving the 3rd greatest food on the planet it's own thread.

My contribution to Mexican food in Japan is Costco. They have your basic supplies, beans, cheese, chips, tortillas, sauces, etc. They may not be "Authentic" but they'll do.

It's been 4 years since I lived in Tokyo so I'm not sure if any Mexican restaurants are still open so I"ll leave listing them to the locals. I'd like to see a Chipotle open in Japan. I think they could make it, especially if they added seafood to the menu. MMmm all this thinking of Mexican food is making me hungry. I think I'll head down to Taco Mesa now. Speaking of Taco Mesa, my old J-girlfriend once bought Taco Mesa for me in Costa Mesa, hopped on a plane and delivered it to me in San Francisco with "dessert". Talk about service. It was hard to release that one back into the wild.

[turonkusu]

Thanks moderator dude (or dudette) I think Japan is in need of my help then. How can a japanese person, or that of an FG die without having tasted my secret recipies of mexican sweet bread and breaded chicken.

[turonkusu]

doesn't look half bad. I never thought that Indian cusinine would be somewhat intertuined in here with Mexican, but it makes sense I suppose. Just like united states became a great country because of cultures, Japan would too, of course you have the boundary that most thnk they should not mix with the outside world, and will for many years to come reject the idea of foreign inmigrants outside of the asian gene pool

Thanks for the info. you FG"s

[Captain Japan]

Best Mexican food inspired next day shits in LA...down in Costa Mesa...Albertos.

19th and Placentia. If you got the carnitas burrito combo you'd get two of those suckers plus beans and rice.

Doesn't it have a different name now?

[pheyton]

19th and Placentia. If you got the carnitas burrito combo you'd get two of those suckers plus beans and rice.

Doesn't it have a different name now?

Pretty sure it is still there. Taco Mesa is just across the street from the DMV on 19th.

Thank you to the moderator FG for sorting this thread out. Live long and pedorrear.

[Bucky]

Was it Kent Gilbert who flopped at opening some Mexican chain restaurant here? . . .

That was Taco Time, a Eugene, Oregon-based chain. It lasted about two years max (circa 1985.) We were distantly involved in some of the prep work for the Japan effort.

[omae mona]

That was Taco Time, a Eugene, Oregon-based chain. It lasted about two years max (circa 1985.) We were distantly involved in some of the prep work for the Japan effort.

Unless somebody co-opted the name, Taco Time was alive and well with a branch in Futako Tamagawa. It closed down in 2005 or 2006, a year or two before they demolished the whole Dogwood Plaza shopping center it was in.

This kuchikomi site lists another branch, in Minami Senju, as closed. But a review on the page is dated as late as July 2007.

Is this a different chain?

[GuyJean]

.. As for Mexican food. Yeah..

Fonda de la Madrugada - good, expensive, far
La Fiesta - ok, limited menu, never been
Junkadelic - ok, authentic, never been
La Jolla - ok, expensive, tasty
Havana Cafe - ok, fusion, 'interesting'
El Torito - ok, chain, bland

Other sources:
Bento.com
Old Metropiss (call to make sure it's still open)..

As mentioned, I heard Junkadelic in NakaMeguro is pretty decent.. Any of the local NakaMega-jin been?

Unless somebody co-opted the name, Taco Time was alive and well with a branch in Futako Tamagawa. It closed down in 2005 or 2006, a year or two before they demolished the whole Dogwood Plaza shopping center it was in.

This kuchikomi site lists another branch, in Minami Senju, as closed. But a review on the page is dated as late as July 2007.

Is this a different chain?

Well, it has the same Suguaro cactus logo.. But from memory, it's like J-Dennys]Fonda de la Madrugada[/URL] and La Jolla are probably the best, 'authentic' places I've been to in Tokyo..

GJ

[Western All Stars]

Anyone know any good Mexican restaraunts in Osaka? I'm dying for a sangria right now.

[GuyJean]

For those snobby Mexican times: La Colina, in Tokyo Midtown..

Never been.. Can't bring myself to pay the prices for 'Mexican' food. I have a J-friend that went, but she didn't seem to be impressed.

GJ

[GuyJean]

Anyone know any good Mexican restaraunts in Osaka? I'm dying for a sangria right now.

Osaka: El Pancho - looks pretty good!

Kobe: Gitchi

(haven't been to either..)

GJ