Where My Cock Crows
Written by Sour Kandy Kid Tuesday, 10 November 2009 00:56
Where My Cock Crows
by Sour Kandy Kid "...because everything in life is not delicious and sweet"
For all those, fun-loving, food-loving, nonfat-haters, or anyone else for that matter, who have never been to Mexico… you DO NOT know what you are missing out on. Unfortunately we are about 9000 miles away so it would deem impossible to be there at this time, soaking in the beautiful rays of the Pacific and Atlantic ocean beaches, sipping on some Modelo beer, savoring some of the freshest seafood and gourmet dishes, or maybe even sitting at a local hole-in-the-wall tacos stand in the center of the capital city munching on some nice-and-nasty tacos a la Arrachera. But we are here… in Taiwan… and Mexico, unfortunately, is just a dream away. Yet, who says you can’t have Mexico in your bellies tonight???
It is so fortunate to say that the area of Tianmu boasts an authentic Mexican restaurant called El Gallo (direct translation: “the cock” or “the rooster’). The establishment is run by a native Mexican, Isaias Vayardos, who arrived in Taiwan over 10 years ago and has settled in Taiwan to open his restaurant and offer a taste of his native land (maybe even educate those in this country who have no clue what authentic Mexican food is even made of). An avid food lover, himself, Vayardo offers a wide selection of foods that stem across the many states, districts, and provinces of the country fit for any seafood lover, meat lover, or even the shameless vegetarian (which in my opinion, has no idea what the hell they are missing out on from chewing on a huge bone and sucking out the juicy marrow). Nevertheless, for me, I went to El Gallo simply because I truly needed my tortilla/maize fix, which I oh-so-longed for like a crack head in desperate need of a quick shoot-up.
Upon arriving the restaurant, you are greeted with an ever-flowing unlimited basket of fried tortilla chips and salsa made fresh daily by the establishment and is so difficult to just have one, hence the reason for me eating two baskets of chips and salsa. After filling up on that, I had the chance to try one appetizer and three of the restaurant’s (in my opinion) best main dishes and savor the sweet flavors of what brought back memories of being back in Mexico. One of the first dishes I tried was the ever-common Nachos with ground chicken.
A lot of people don’t realize
that nachos are technically not a common Mexican dish but rather more
Tex-Mex. The dish was invented just
over the border of Mexico and was concocted by the maître d’ of the Victory
Club restaurant, Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya. The Victory Club, itself, still stands and exists to this day. El Gallo’s nachos were satisfying, yet
it did lack a bit of a kick and fell short of my expectations. I had to order an extra bowl loaded
with jalapeños just to find a bit of flavor. The refried beans were a bit bland and there seemed to be
more tortilla chips instead of cheese, but I would have done better with just
chips and the jalapeños because the rest just lacked the essence of good,
Mexican flavor. In my opinion,
scrap the nachos, unless you ask that the owner personally make them for you,
because it was obvious that some poor Taiwanese person was behind the kitchen
making them. Authentic is just not
authentic unless it is authentic hands making the authenticity. (Trying saying
that five times fast!)
Our next dish, is the famous must-try Chicken Mole Poblano. Mole Poblano, whose name comes from the Mexican state of Puebla, is a popular sauce in Mexican cuisine. It is prepared with dried chili peppers, ground nuts, spices, Mexican chocolate, from which the establishment imports direct from Mexico from the owner’s family-owned mill, salt, and a variety of other ingredients including onions, tomatoes, and garlic. It may sound strange that a sauce comprised of chocolate is drizzled over a solid leg of roasted chicken, but this is by far one of the best Mexican dishes I have every tried. El Gallo scores big, HUGE points and completely nails it with this dish as it truly hits the spot and transports you to heavenly glory. The dish is served with a side of tomato rice and salad, along with soft corn tortillas to roll, smear, and lick off every single ounce of sauce left on the plate. But in all honesty, you can leave out the chicken. I am not saying the chicken is bad, because it surely isn’t, but I really just want the sauce and tortillas as it is what makes the dish “the dish”.
By this time, I have requested that the owner to be the one to prepare the dishes we have ordered in order to avoid any mishaps for what is left to come. Let’s be honest, I don’t want to sound like a hater, but let’s just make the Mexican make the Mexican food. The Mole was prepared and served by him, as was the following: Pescado a la Chimichurri (Snapper fillet in a Chimichurri sauce).
Snapper is one of the best kinds
of fish to eat. It is a seawater
reef fish whose meat is juicy and is as white as a snow. I can just taste it in my mouth as I
type this article… goodness gracious! I need to head back to El Gallo a.s.a.p.!
The chimichurri sauce is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, and olive oil, white vinegar, and red pepper flakes. At times a chimichurri sauce can have oregano, cumin, thyme, cilantro, lemon, and bay leaves. It is usually the only seasoning used in many South American countries for grilled meats, organ meats and chorizo sausages, but it is really the first time that I tried it on fish. This dish is definitely safe for the pescetarian as the creaminess of the chimichurri sauce goes hand-in-hand with this tropical reef fish. The combustion in your mouth is just mind-blowing.
Lastly, what would Mexico be like
without eating some good, ole Mexican-style tacos? You have not had Mexico in your mouth without having some
beef tacos.
Let’s face it, people. Taco Bell is crap and is a disgrace to Mexican cuisine. Tacos are meant to be in a soft tortilla shell and rarely anyone in Mexico even eats flour tortillas, so the American perception of Mexican food can sometimes be screwed up and altered. Give me tacos with beef and that maize fix that I so crave! PLEASE! These tender strips of beef with onions and bell peppers wrapped in a soft shell tortilla just make music in my mouth. Top that with some spicy salsa and jalapeños and you get the real essence of what tacos should taste like. I must say, though, the beef selections that Taiwan has to offer is crap and at times it can be felt in the taste of the quality of the beef. El Gallo’s salsas offer great, intense flavor but the texture of the beef can come off as a bit tough and lacking that juicy flavor. Either way, the tacos were good for what could have come out of it and it definitely filled that void in my tummy.
El Gallo not only offers these wonderful dishes I presented here, but also has a menu that contains a wide variety of flavors from Mexico. If you are looking for something authentic, made with love straight from the heart, then El Gallo is the place for you. Put on your sombreros, people. The cock has finally landed.
El Gallo is located at No. 42, Chung Shan N. Rd, Section 5 In Tienmu, just up the hill from the California Fitness. You can call for reservations at 02-2874-1366
If you have any restaurant, bar, or lounge suggestions, or if you have any recipe advice that is needed, please feel free to email the Sour Kandy Kid to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . I would surely love to hear what devilishly delicious stuff you got cooking up (or at least offer to try). And to those restaurateurs, make sure you got it all in check, because you never know when this Kid will be sitting at your table. After all, I won’t be nice if it isn’t nice!
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