You travel to try out new things and have new experiences, right? So why not stretch your palate a bit too during your travels? Although here in Mexico City you can truly experience the “exotic” in dining, you needn’t delve into the bizarre. Take a step a little off your normally beaten path with these suggestions. If you want to try something just a little different while eating out in Mexico City, try these.
Here are two Cevicherias or raw seafood specialty houses:
Mariscos Pipiripau
Palma No. 31
Centro Historico
Hostería Las Palmas
Palma No. 30-A
Centro Historico
Ceviche is raw fish or seafood marinated in lime juice with vegetables and spices that is sort of chemically “cooked” by the acids. Usually served chilled, it’s a staple in many Latin countries, especially in seaports. Seafood cocktails and Caldos de Mariscos are featured here. The specialty of the house at Las Palmas is “Vuelve a La Vida”, ($60 pesos) a combination of fish, octopus, crab, shrimp and oysters that will “bring you back to life” for sure. Other raw, but marinated seafood cocktails served in a sundae glass are priced at about $30 pesos for your choice. Another noted specialty is the stuffed crab, served in its shell for $35 pesos. It’s a unique experience, check it out.
Want to sample sushi?
Would that be Japanese or Mexican sushi? No, just kidding about the Mexican, but you can sample a variety of made-before-your-eyes treats at this duo of restaurants. Later, you can learn how to make your own sushi rolls.
Teriyaki San
Republica de Uruguay No. 71 Local 2
Centro Historico
5510 – 9971, 5510 – 9556
A sort of “fast-food” style Japanese restaurant, their selection is a tad limited, but ready to go and budget-priced. You can choose from some pre-packaged combos that aren’t bad for the money. Staff is Mexican though so you lose a little in the translation. The setting is typical “fast-food” stark, although the location is conveniently in the thick of the Republic de Uruguay shopping scene.
Sushi Roll
5 de Mayo No.
Centro Historico Metro: Allende
An authentic Japanese sushi bar where you can match slices of raw or pickled seafood, rice and vegetables being turned into aromatic, colorful tidbits right before your dazzled eyes. Prices range from $10 pesos per piece to $60 or $70 for mixed combination platters. It gets pretty crowded around lunchtime, so come early or late afternoon and evenings for fewer crowds. If you’re truly ready for the real thing, and a unique experience at prices you can afford, this is the place I’d recommend.
…Dine on Vegan Vittles?
(…and we’re not just talking “rabbit food” here)
Restaurant Vegetariano Filomeno Mata
Filomeno Mata No.
Centro Historico
5521 – 1895
If you haven’t tried vegetarian food why not give it a shot here where the selection is ample and tasty with entrees like Aguacate and Tomate Relleno, Papa al Horno con Cebollitas Aztecas and Croquettas de Elote con Puree de Papaya. As an old-fashioned “meat and potatoes” man myself, I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised at the delicious entrees on the menu here. Open Mondays to Saturdays 8am to 8pm, Sundays 9am to 7pm. Soft Pop music plays in the background as you dine thanks to a live keyboards performer mornings and evenings most days. A truly delightful touch.
Two additional vegetarian locations are:
Vegetariano y Dietetico
Madero 56 Altos
Centro Historico
5521 – 6880
Vegetariano Roma
Tuxpan 24
Colonia Roma
5564 – 7930
Los Magueyes
Palma 10-A (between 5 de Mayo and Tacuba)
Centro Historico
5518 – 4073, 5521 – 5191
The waitress placed a platter on the table in front of me. A generous slice of grilled beef lay next to a pool of gravy-colored refried beans. An ample green salad of tomato, lettuce, shredded carrot and cucumber filled one side of the platter, but it was the beef’s topping that was the center of attraction. Slender, deep green strips with a slightly pungent aroma lounged mixed with small, bright red whole chilies. A steaming short stack of corn tortillas filled a saucer beside the platter. So this was the “Beefsteak con Nopales”. The Maguey is a type of succulent plant. If your Botany is rusty that means it’s sort of a kind of cactus. Nopales are a staple here and as you’d expect, a number of dishes such as Nopales Au Grautin, and Costilla con Nopales, feature them. Young, tender ears of the Prickly Pear cactus are harvested, cleaned and shaved of their spines and thorns before being grilled or fried. The good value entrees here are priced from $21.50 to $42.50 pesos. A number of restaurants and “Taquerias” prepare them in dishes for their distinctive flavor. They can also be juiced and mixed with other fruit and vegetable juices for a flavorful, healthful beverage. Bottoms Up!
Dulceria de Celaya
5 de Mayo No. 39
Centro Historico Metro: Allende
5521 – 1787
If it’s sweet Bunky, they’ve probably got it. (Well, not me, but candied fruits and vegetables, yes.) And if they don’t have it, you can order it and they’ll get it or make it for you. Boasting that they’ve been in business for 125 years, baskets, special sweets and candied everything are in this glass-walled little shop. The window displays alone are enough to peak your interest. Try some candied Yucca or pumpkin – fantastic! Products are sold by weight so you can order as little or as much as you’re game for. A definite “Must – Stop” on your “Offbeat Mexico City” tour. Your sweet tooth will thank you, and thank you, and thank you. Enjoy!
Los Jarochos
Local 21
Mercado de Alimentos San Camilito
The yelling and screaming started as soon as I stepped through the entranceway, “Over here Sir! We have the best”, “what would you like? We have it over here!” “You like the best home cooking? Try ours, it’s ready now. You won’t be sorry!” “My Mother cooks our ham herself. It’s so tender you’ll cry with pleasure at the taste.” A dozen cooks and garroteros assailed me all at once. Each trying to lure me into eating at their establishment. Everything looked good. Everything smelled good. They were insistent. They begged. They pleaded. They implored. When all that didn’t work, if there was time, they cajoled. “You’re passing up the best food in the market!” “You should’ve eaten here, now you’re going to get heartburn!” Welcome to the Mercado de Alimentos San Camilito, located on one side of the boisterous Plaza Garibaldi. I settled at the seafood stand of Norberto Uscanga Ortiz and enjoyed Arroz con Pulpo (seasoned rice with generous chunks of octopus mixed in-20 pesos), Mojarra frito (fried Mojarra -a fish) with a mixed tomato, lettuce and avocado salad, a small loaf of fresh-baked bread (38 pesos for the platter) and washed the whole thing down with a couple of nearly frozen Coronas (10 pesos).
I waddled out of there an hour an a half, 11 Mariachis and three good stories from Norberto later, a stuffed and happy man. When you go, please give him my regards. You’ll feast on some of the choicest seafood platters in town.
Want more exotic dining tips and tales?
Check out “Piranha: Deadly and Delicious” at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Piranha—Deadly-and-Delicious&id=72722
“Preparing Piranha: Four Delicious Recipes for Adventuresome Eating” online at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Preparing-Piranha:-Four-Delicious-Recipes-for-Adventuresome-Eating&id=82857
“Eating in Colombia: Healthy, Delicious But Strange”
online at: http://ezinearticles.com/?Eating-in-Colombia:-Healthy,-Delicious-But-Strange&id=72715
and “What’s the Strangest Thing You’ve Ever Eaten?”
at: http://ezinearticles.com/?What’s-the-Strangest-Thing-You’ve-Ever-Eaten?&id=81349
Buen Provecho!
By: Larry M. Lynch
Posts Tagged ‘Latin Countries’
Unusual Places and Things to Eat in Mexico City
January 12th, 2010The Importance Of Financial Accounting In A Latin Country Environment
December 17th, 2009
Financial Accounting, as it is commonly described, focuses on organizing the financial information of an entity into financial statements to help the decision making of people outside the organization, such as stockholders or suppliers, among others. Its objective is to historically record the economic life of an entity so that its operational development can be analyzed and interpreted by third parties. This is the international accepted definition of Financial Accounting, but one thing is its definition, and another very different one how it is applied to different economic environments.
In some countries with non-stable economies, such as the majority of Latin countries, Financial Accounting becomes essential for a company’s survival and is the most important aspect of business decisions. In the country of Colombia, for example, business decisions (supplying, investing, borrowing, lending) are made after analyzing the financial statements of the companies involved. In a country where assets are guarded thoroughly, organizations take extreme precautions before making any decisions that will affect those assets in any way.
Financial Statements become the most important source of information about companies involved in a business deal. Since they are of public use by law, they’re the first documents requested in any type of negotiation. To become a new supplier for another entity, for example, a company would have to present documents such as bank and clients or suppliers recommendation letters, but the most essential ones would be the Balance Sheet and the Income Statement of the fiscal year immediately prior to the date. Without these two documents, the entity would not be accepted as a supplier, even if the recommendation letters show it to be a very profitable and stable organization.
The main reason for financial statements to be so valued in the business environments of these types of economy countries is because they provide a very trustworthy source of information about an entity’s financial performance. It may not be a very different reason for why they are valued in every other economy, but especially in these ones, where investing has so many risks, and where procedures may take double the time of an average international company, resulting in time expenses, it helps make decisions easier.
Having the financial statements ready in time is also a priority of every President or General Manager of a company. Even though they’re not the ones directly involved in the process of elaborating these documents, they have a close supervision of the task. They’re responsible for making sure the Accounting Department is doing its work correctly and with the honesty and ethics required to be able to present accurate and true financial information. In Colombia, Financial Statements need to be signed by the Legal Representative of the company, who in the majority of the cases is the same General Manager or President or CEO; by the Statutory Auditor (or Company Auditor), and by the Comptroller. By signing them, they are confirming that the financial information recorded in the Balance Sheet and in the Income Statement, as well as the explanatory notes, is true and real and hasn’t been tampered with in any way.
Being a country where corruption sometimes messes up the flow of businesses, having the assurance that the financial information of a company is backed up by these three significant signatures, makes it easier to be able to trust an organization when business decisions need to be made. It also helps the company maintain its place in the industry and be recognized as profitable and stable.
Since Financial Statements play such an important role in the decision making of every type of organization, almost every administrative employee understands the basics of financial accounting, and know how to interpret a Balance Sheet. Even if they may not understand what every account means, they are instructed in what a good and acceptable Balance Sheet should look like and the importance of its information, related to their line of work. They also know how an Income Statement and its content is very important when preparing future budgets.
Even though the general importance of Financial Accounting is the same in every country, it plays a very significant and primordial role in Latin economic environments. That is why serious measures are taken to make sure that Financial Statements are done in the most ethical and transparent way, allowing Financial Accounting in non stable economies, to continue being a source of reliability and trust in the process of business decision making.
By: Monica Alvarez-Fuentes
Airfares to South America – How to Locate a Good Airline
November 13th, 2009
Booking airfares to South America, and indeed any internal flights within this country can feel a little confusing if booking from New Zealand. We are well used to our national carrier, and a few other notables that are more often better known for flying to Pacific destinations or Europe than Latin countries.
So how do you select a good airline that’s going to meet your requirements?
There are several factors that help you find good airfares and locate a good airline.
1. Price is often one of the key parts in a decision for air tickets, especially for journeys where a few thousand dollars shaved off of a couple of fares can make a huge savings to your holiday costs. It is important to ask why the price is slashed on particular airlines. If it’s a no frills airline and you have a medical condition, young children or like to travel in style, this might not be a good fit for you. It is also good to note the airlines low season rates, and ask if the flights during these times are suitable if you want to see particular events.
2. Destination. With a wide range of airlines available it’s a good idea to select one that goes direct, or as close to, your destination as possible. Airlines can vary depending on the country of destination and if you are travelling to a range of countries during your holiday, it’s a good idea to enquire whether you should return on the same airline, or fly a different way home.
3. Timing. Not only are there seasonal differences, but there is your lifestyle back home to consider too. Booking an airfare to South America is about slotting it into your own life in New Zealand too. How do the days flying in and out fit with your travel plans? Can you leave really early in the morning, or arrive in the middle of the night? If you live away from a main centre, what sort of connecting flights will you need to book in order to catch that plane?
A trip to a continent rich with history, legend and culture needs a sound start and end, so selecting the right airfares to South America is all part of the journey. There’s nothing like booking those tickets and committing yourself to that journey to a completely different world. Ask for advice on airlines, select one (or two) and make a start. Bon Voyage!
By: Gary Tate