A good cure for homesickness: New arrivals tell us where to find a taste of home in Munich.. Episode 5: Mexico: Fernando Gonzalez and Manuel Palacio from Guadalajara talk about tequila bottles with hats, the right kind of flour to use for tortillas, and overflowing takeaways.
“First of all, we must clear up one common misconception: Chilli con Carne is not a Mexican dish. And our tequila bottles do not come with sombrero caps. In Munich we notice time and again that people have a completely inaccurate impression when it comes to our food. This is mainly because of the ubiquitous tex mex restaurants, which serve meals squashed flat as pancakes alongside central American elements.
But if we want real Mexican food here, we head to Tacos y Tequila (Herzogstraße 93). Owner Rafael – also known as Rafa – was once Fernando’s baseball trainer, and his tacos really do taste almost like they do at home. And of course, the tortilla pockets for the tacos are not made from wheat flour, but from corn flour – just as they should be. Just opposite it is El Patio (Herzogstraße 88), which serves somewhat more elaborate dishes such as pozole, a soup with large corn kernels and meat.
The snack bar culture is even more closely connected with Mexico than the restaurant scene. Our favourite in Munich is Condesa (Münchner Freiheit 6). The staff behind the counter are real Mexicans, and in this case we can make an exception and recommend the burritos – although, strictly speaking, they are also not from Mexico. But the meat is spiced with Mexican spices, just like home. The quesadillas here also taste great – it’s a cheese and tortilla-based dish. Attention: Rush hour gets started from 6:00 pm here, when you’ll need to wait a little longer for your food.
When we go to the Taquería at the Isartor (Zweibrückenstraße 9) we go mainly for the Mexican soda, which comes in flavours such as lime and tamarind. The next thing we are eager to try is the homemade vegan tacos in Club Blitz (Museumsinsel 1). Incidentally, that four times a year we organise a Mexican party in Café 35 Millimeter (Bayerstraße 3:00-5:00 pm) and team up as DJs to play Cholo Champaña Of course, guests can enjoy good tequila. As well as tequila, Mexicans love to drink Mezcal, an agave liqueur. For cooking at home, head to Mercado de Mexico (Schulstraße 38) to pick up authentic ingredients such as Mexican chorizo.
And finally, another South American tip: Nasca (Enhuberstraße 1) has the best Peruvian cuisine we have ever had in Germany. You should definitely try their ceviche – raw fish cold-cured in lime juice – which is wonderfully fresh.
