Taqueria Vallarta (Mission)

LUNCH DATE: 4th of July 2012 @ 11:30 AM

You only have $1.75 in your pocket?

Taqueria Vallarta's TACO BAR will feed you for mere change. And you don't need to wait for Happy Hour.

On  July 4th, Enrique and I decided to drive to the Mission for a spontaneous Mexican food adventure. We did not even have a particular place in mind. It was Divine Intervention in the form of an empty parking spot across the street from Taqueria Vallarta that decided our lunch destination that day.

Taqueria Vallarta is colorful and full of murals of cultural Mexico and San Francisco. Eating at this taqueria was a feast not only for the palate but for the eyes as well. It was well-patronized by Latin families drinking traditional Mexican sodas in bottles.

The TACO BAR will greet you as soon as you enter TV. It can be more appropriately described as a TACO KIOSK manned by Taco Dude.  You tell him what you want and he will make the taco for you. In less than 5 minutes you can be holding a taco loaded with meat which you can garnish according to your heart's desire.

1. Choose your meat: Tripita or tripe, Carnitas,  Lengua or tongue,  Beef neck, etc.
2. Garnish it with:  Red or green salsa,  onions, cilantro, radish, lemon
3. Proceed to the counter to pay or if you want to order other dishes aside from tacos.

The best part -- each taco only costs $1.75!!!!

Tripita Taco

Enrique and I went a tad crazy once again. We kept on adding to our orders. He started off with CHILE RELLENO then before paying added an order of MENUDO.



Chile Relleno

I ordered POZOLE.

While waiting for our food, I could not resist the call of the Taco Bar, got up and got me a TRIPITA TACO. Chips and salsa were provided for us while waiting. Sinful and a quick snack. The meat was flavorful although slightly dry.

~ POZOLE : Last time I had menudo was probably about 5 years ago. I love offal, pig's feet, snout, you name it. Eventhough my doctor pronounced me as being in excellent health,  my  determination to live a healthy, low-blood pressure and cholesterol-free life sometimes turns me into an irrational health nut.
Sadly all I could do was stare at the gelatinous pig's feet in front of me. I was salivating but I ate the broth which was very flavorful and finished the pozole. I tried a little bit of the meat but I left most of it untouched. All dishes came with about 5 piping hot corn tortillas each. It was a nice try, though, but I just really cannot ingest fat because of this paranoia that it might just attach itself to my heart.

~ MENUDO and CHILE RELLENO: Enrique who is a 3rd generation Latino finished and enjoyed his order. He complained that his menudo did not have a lot of meat but came mostly with fat. He also pointed out that my pozole should have been lighter in color and flavor than the menudo. I do not know any better. It just tasted good to me.

~ TACO: I loved and enjoyed my tripe taco. It was packed with meat which was tender and nicely seasoned. Next time I will order me a 12 tacos at Taqueria Vallarta. LOL!

Service was very slow if ordering other dishes. One person cooking and one woman handling the cash register, delivering food and answering phones. Order some tacos as appetizers if waiting for other food. The place got packed at around noon.

We had a very enjoyable spontaneous Mexican food adventure in the Mish. The Taco Bar at Taqueria Vallarta  was fun and one of the best deals in town.  Taqueria Vallarta is a great place to grab authentic Mexican food in the Mission.

TOTAL: ~ $32 including water and soda before tip (the dishes were about $8.75 each)

Sushirrito (Sushi and Burrito)

Sushirrito has been on the top of my list since I first heard about this Mexican-Japanese fusion almost a year ago.  This is definitely a new, intriguing concept. For a self-proclaimed foodie, I just cannot pass this up. Except I do NOT do lines. I do not wait in line for my food. My philosophy is San Francisco has a plethora of delicious food options that no food is worth the 1 hour wait. And just like any newly opened, highly-raved food in San Francisco, the record wait for Sushirrito has been close to an hour.

Today, I finally tempted fate by going to Sushirrito at 1:15 in the afternoon--and NO line!!! Either the novelty of "sushi-burrito-in-one" lunch option has worn off or after 1pm is just the perfect time. I went back twice both on weekdays around 1:15 pm and the average wait time was 3 to 5 minutes.

Somehow I imagined Sushirrito to be a food truck or a food stall. (Maybe too many visits to "Off the Grid.") I was pleasantly surprised to find a spartan modern deli with about 3-4 men behind the counter making sushirritos as you order them. A simple menu on flatscreen above the counter is easy to decipher.

EL TIGRE:

El Tigre was made with ahi tuna, shredded veggies, rice cracker, avocado and green onion, sushi rice wrapped in nori. The menu warns "It is very spicy!" It tasted okay and not spicy at all. The ahi tuna tasted fresh and fairly portioned. The crunchy veggies made up most of the sushi, not a lot of sushi rice and a crunch added by the rice cracker. It was like eating salad wrapped in seaweed.

El Tigre

SUMO CRUNCH:

Shredded crab, avocado, cucumber, cabbage and red tempura flakes. This sushi was "too busy." It was like a kitchen sink of ingredients but the flavors did not come together. Despite all of the ingredients the sushi tasted bland. And my biggest complain, the rice crackers made both sushi greasy to the point I felt nauseous.

Sumo Roll

SO, WHAT IS A SUSHIRRITO?


According to the website, "Sushirrito offers made-to-order, hand-held sushi burritos stuffed with savory Asian and Latin-infused ingredients and flavors."

In my opinion, Sushirrito is really nothing but a ginormous and uncut American sushi. It looked and tasted like the giant sushi. I did not find any Latin influence on mine unless the chef considers putting avocado and green onion in the sushi will make it "Latin." It was not spicy at all except for a little hint of wasabi--still Japanese. Something crunchy and greasy hit me which gave me a brief nauseated feeling. I later on found it out it was the rice chips.

The rice was sushi rice. I wonder what would have happened it they put tomato-flavored Mexican rice instead, or mix chorizo or carnitas with the raw tuna?

In the end, Sushirrito is just sushi. A good-tasting, filling and healthy lunch. It is portable and convenient to eat on the go although the sushi does not really hold up that well.

VALUE: I paid $10.50 for El Tigre and I though it was reasonable. A sushi roll will cost you that much. El Tigre is probably equivalent to 2-3 sushi rolls. However, Sumo Crunch set me back $13 (including tax)! Originally priced at $8.50 but the 2 extra tempura shrimp costs $3.50. I barely tasted the shrimps. This pricey lunch was not worth it!

DISAPPOINTMENT:

I just wished it had been more Japanese-Mexican fused like chorizo with ahi, Mexican rice, tortilla and seaweed together, etc. It was a disappointment in that respect. Sushirrito did not really live up to its name. But otherwise, I am glad I tried Sushirrito but I do not think I will be returning anytime soon.

Foodie Girl's Rating: 2 Stars


Key:
0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Some are good. Some are okay. Some are bad.
3 Stars: Like! I will return!
4 Stars: Love! I will be dreaming of you at night!
5 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Mariscos La Costa

Saturday Date Night: March 4, 2011 @ 5PM

We were too cold and too lazy to drive to the City. The weather was making me crave huge servings of Mexican comfort food of rice, beans, fish and tortilla. So Enrique and I decided to explore the funky and fun Fruitvale Avenue/International Boulevard in East Oakland.

Being the date night planner, Mariscos La Costa was my venue of choice for this date night.

Not a food truck. Not quite a restaurant.

At first glance, Mariscos La Costa resembles a fastfood takeout joint. Instead of burger and fries, you'll get cocktail seafood in a cup, burritos, tortas and tacos.

Mariscos is as authentic as it gets. The customers consist of immigrant Latino folks and families. Being the only Asian at that moment, I got some curious but friendly glances.

Ordering consists of walking up to the window of this brick building in East Oakland after parking our car in the private parking lot. I am very thankful for my un poquito español, we were able to comfortably order from the Spanish only menu board.

There was really no dining room except for a tarp-covered seating area with the school cafeteria style tables.

There were no big dinner plates on the menu that I was craving but they have a good selection of COCTELES (cocktails). They have all kinds of cocteles: coctel de camarones (shrimp), pescado (fish), pulpo (octopus) or combination of all these. Being a seafoodtarian, I felt like I hit the jackpot!

Except for the cocktails which were $7.50 for regular and $13 for large, everything else on the menu was priced at $1 to $4. Enrique and I were so thrilled to look at the prices and we went crazy!

He went for the meat and I went for the seafood.

FIRST ROUND: ($13 including a Diet Coke and Horchata)
Taco Carne Asada + Quesadilla de Carne Asada + Tostada Ceviche de Camaron+ Tostada Ceviche de Pescado + Horchata

SECOND ROUND: ($15 before tip)
(We were on a mission to stuff our faces. Plus hey, it's super-cheap!)
Coctel de Camaron + Quesadilla de Camaron + Lengua Tacos

VERY DELICIOUS:
COCTEL DE CAMARON: Came with a couple of crunchy tostadas, it was full of plump good-sized shrimp in complex room-temperature broth of tomatoes and chili; came with avocado, chopped onions and cucumber. We shared this dish and we both agreed that this dish is a winner! Cocktail is a simple easy dish but when not done right, it tends to be watered-down. This one is very flavorful with the right spices!

TOSTADAS (CAMARON/PESCADO): The tostadas were packed on top and spilling over with seafood and full of nice spices. I honestly could not tell apart which was which. They tasted the same and I covered mine with hot sauces (my bad!) Yummy and without the fishy taste.

LENGUA TACO/CARNE ASADA TACOS: These tongue and beef tacos were tender and delicious according to my guy.

GOOD:
QUESADILLA DE CAMARON: This was not on the menu. The quesadillas offered are all meat but my guy asked the server to make me this for me and they happily obliged. A hefty quesadilla loaded with shrimp and falling out of the flour tortilla in every bite! Just like what my guy thought about his quesadilla, it was delicious but this resembled a burrito more than a quesadila. Not "tightly" fried, not much cheese but more crema, the fillings were loose. Yummy but I wanted my cheesy, slightly greasy, packed quesadilla.

OKAY:
HORCHATA: I washed my spicy meal down with this traditional Mexican rice drink with cinnamon. Cold with nice hint of cinnamon, it was too sweet for my taste.

FOODIE GIRL'S RATING: 4.75 STARS
1. Super-cheap and the best value in town with free parking.
2. The seafood cocktails are the "MUST ORDER" at Mariscos La Costa.
3. You can go to a restaurant with solid walls and roof but sitting at the tarp-covered dining area adds fun and uniqueness to the dining experience. Some folks ate their food in their car. Now, isn't that romantic?!

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)

Pancho Villa: Healthier Mexican Food

It is either Pupusa-Friday or Mexican Takeout Fridays for me and Enrique.

I can safely say that I have tried quite a few of the Mexican restaurants on 16th and Mission. If the restaurant is at least within walking distance from 16th  Street BART, I betcha I have been there.

Until I discovered Pancho Villa through Groupon. Not only I kept on returning Fridays after Fridays but at this point,  Pancho Villa is theMexican takeout place after my own heart. Here's why:

1. No lard. No MSG.
2. Very efficient food line and genuinely friendly staff.
3. The place is clean. You watch your food being prepared.
4.  Portions are humongous and everything is under $10.
5. It only takes few minutes to order and get your food even when they are packed.
6. Few yards away from BART. No need to stress over horrible parking in the Mission.
7. Plenty of places to sit and enjoy your meal.



The food is grilled and prepared right in front of you by friendly staff



Easy to read menu, extensive selection and efficient food line

Almost every Friday, as soon as I get home, after a quick shower and in my PJ's, Enrique and I devour our Mexican food. And everytime until last night, I forgot to take pictures of the food until after we licked our plates clean and rubbed our tummies.

I honestly had better Mexican food from other places in the Mission (Artery-clogging. Lard-filled. Heavy in the tummy. Delicious!) than Pancho Villa. However, aside from the reasons already mentioned above, Pancho Villa's fares are lighter and fresher tasting.  The portions are huge and we are always stuffed after each meal.

And they have the best award-winning  salsa bar. The salsa bar gained accolades and rewards from all over California.  They have the traditional roasted tomatoes, picco gallo, tomatilloes, whole roasted jalapenos, creamy pepper sauce that becomes my new favorite, etc. The salsa bar is clean, well-maintained and self-served.

Self-serve Salsa Bar

Award-Winning Salsa Bar

So far, I have ordered carne asada, flautas, enchiladas, spicy prawns, fried fish, etc. They also sell desserts like churros and alfajores cookies as well traditional drinks like horchata.  We have enjoyed  everything so far and devoured without complaints.  And last night, I finally remembered to take pictures of Enrique's chile relleno dinner plate and my chile relleno burrito:

Chile Relleno with refried beans and Mexican Rice: Gooey, roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese then fried. Delicious! $8.75

Humongous Chile Relleno Burrito ($7)

Tab: Meal for two is less than $20 including tax, tip and free chips and self-served salsa.

Foodie Girl's Ratings: 5 Highly recommended when on 16th and Mission!

Key:

0 Star: Never again!!! These people should not be in business.
1 Star: Chalk it to bad experience. Live and learn.
2 Stars: Very disappointing but there it has some good things to offer.
3 Stars: It is okay but do not expect much. I will still return.
4 Stars: I like it! I will be singing your praises!
5 Stars: I will be dreaming of you at night!
6 Stars: Perfection (or close to!)