Mr. Kitty Eats Tulum, Mexico Part 1

I had a chance to vacation in Tulum, Mexico. Of course, I couldn't wait to eat some delicious, local cuisine in Tulum. Mrs. Kitty and I went to a lot of places ranging from tourist traps and places favored by the locals.

There are two main spots for eats in Tulum: the pueblo (the main city) and the beach hotel strip. I would avoid the beach hotel strip. They are overpriced and overrated, a pure tourist trap. They do have  decent food there, but they weren't worth it. All the good places are in the pueblo.

Sure, there are tourist traps in the pueblo too, but they are still cheaper than the tourist traps in the beach hotel strip. You would spend about 300+ pesos per person in the beach for dinner. In the pueblo, you can expect to pay about 150 pesos or less.

Anyway, here are the places I ate in Tulum city.

Antojitos la Chiapaneca

The man doing his thing.

The glorious al pastor burning on its spit (trompo)

La gringa

Tacos al pastor

Tacos al postor dressed up

Sopes

One of the locals told me Antojitos la Chiapaneca is the best taqueria in Tulum. I have to believe it. It's a bit hard to find, but if you travel south on the main road on the pueblo, it'll be on your right. Just look for my first picture up there. They are also only open for dinner, at around 7:00 PM. So don't try to go during lunch like I did.

My favorites were the tacos al pastor and las gringas. Las gringas were really good. It's the pork from the trompo, cheese, flour tortilla, and a pineapple. It doesn't sound like a traditional taco. Usually, flour tortilla on a taco is disgusting, but this one tasted awesome. I would definitely order 4-5 of these. 

The tacos al pastor is great too. You can go to the salsa bar and dress it up as you wish. Put onions and cilantro at your own risk, unless you have an iron stomach. The tacos are only 10 pesos each. 

This is definitely the best taqueria in Tulum. I was mesmerized by the man working the giant trompo. He is an artist. Mr. Kitty gives it 5 paws up.

Don Taco

I can't decide if Don Taco or Antojitos la Chiapaneca is my favorite place to eat in Tulum. There is also a Don Taco in Atlanta. Something tells me it's not the same place.

Don Taco is just a tamale stand. He's always at the same street corner that I can't remember the name of. If you're traveling south on the main road in the pueblo, he's on the right. You would probably need to walk to see him. You won't see him on a car. Just start from the bus station and head north. Then you'll probably see him.

These are the best tamales I've ever had. It melts in your mouth. He must steam that thing for hours. They are also very cheap, about 10 pesos each. I can finish off 2-3 of these. Man, I miss these tamales so much. Just like Antojitos la Chiapaneca, Don Taco is open later in the day. I saw them open around 5:00 PM. Make sure not to miss him. Mr. Kitty gives it 5 paws up.


El Tacoqueto

Mostly eaten pork plate. I was so hungry and scarfed down the other 2 dishes I got so I couldn't take a picture.

El Tacoqueto, or Taco Ghetto as I like to call it, is another cheap good eats in Tulum. This place looked sketchy. Like the other 2 places mentioned above, they seem popular with the locals. Although I did read about food poisoning in the Trip Advisor forums, I had no problems eating here. Also, it had a nice, family atmosphere.

There is no menu. You just go into the kitchen and point to the dish you want. They are all cooked in something that looks like a turkey roaster. They offer several homemade specialities. I tried three of them: chicken, pork, and another chicken dish. They were all comforting and good. The plates also only cost 50 pesos and is filling. Mr. Kitty gives it 4 paws up.


Charlie's

If you want to be super safe, always order Coke. Mexican Coke tastes good too. 

Very spicy salsa.

Mole Enchilada.

Some ensalada.

La sopa mariscos, yum.

It seems Charlie's is a place for tourists. They are more expensive than the local stuff mentioned above. Even though they're a tourist spot, they are a relief to the stuff found on the beach. The food is tasty. Not the best in Tulum, but it can hit the spot.

My favorite dish they had was la sopa mariscos. Great, fresh seafood inside a nice, spicy broth. Their mole enchilada was delicious as well. If you're in Tulum, I recommend to give this place a chance. It's definitely better Mexican food than anything I found in Atlanta so far. Mr. Kitty gives this place 4 paws up.


NaturAll

NaturAll is a little cafe near the bus station. It's very Westernized and tourist friendly. Don't worry though, the prices are reasonable. I thought the food tasted decent. It takes a long time for the food to come out. Actually, most places in Tulum takes a long time to get the food out. I think it's because they make it by hand.

There are much better places go to in the pueblo. If you want a super safe choice though, this would be the place to do it. The menu seems very non-Mexican. I guess if you're one of those tourist that are afraid to try something too local and need something closer to home, this is a good place to go. I even think the people here speak English. Mr. Kitty gives this place 3.5 paws up.


Panna e Cioccolato

For dessert, you can go to Panna e Cioccolato. I think it's a franchise in Tulum. It's available on both side of the street. So just pick a side and walk. You won't miss it. They offer delicious gelatos for about 30-50 pesos. They have a ton of flavors for you to try. I liked it.  Mr. Kitty gives it 4 paws up.

San Francisco Supermercado


If you want something cheap and fast, come into this supermarket and buy their pre-made meals there for cheap. We got a whole chicken, stack of tortillas, beans and rice for like 50 pesos.

They also have ton of delicious pastries you can buy. I liked this store a lot. It's like going to Publix. The prices are reasonable too. If I had a kitchen in my hotel, I would've definitely done some grocery shopping here and cooked myself.  Mr. Kitty gives it 5 paws up.

Next Stop, the Beach

Well, this concludes my review of all the places I've been to in the pueblo. There were a ton of places that I didn't get to try like El Pollo Bronco and Le Cottage. There's even a rumor that there is a legit Neapolitan pizza place in Tulum run by real deal Italians. But there are like 7 billion pizza places in Tulum, and I already had one disastrous pizza experience in Tulum. So I didn't want to look for it.

I would've also liked to check out the other taqueria stands and compared them to the Chiapaneca place. Oh well, maybe next time.

In part 2, I'll review the places on the beach, so stay tuned. 

Lee's Bakery

Lee's Bakery is one of the many Vietnamese restaurants in Buford Hwy. Like the name implies, it is a bakery. It's also a decent Vietnamese restaurant. Lee's Bakery is known for their cheap bahn mi. They do serve other Vietnamese foods though.

As an appetizer, I tried the crepes. I thought it tasted weird. I had no idea what mystery meat they put on top of the crepe. Of course, this isn't your traditional French crepe. It has that Vietnamese flavor and style to it.

The crepe seemed to be made out of rice. It tasted a lot like the rice noodles from Chinese dim sum places. I don't know, this wasn't one of my favorite dishes. The texture felt weird, and I didn't get the taste. I guess I was expecting something more of a traditional French Crepe when I ordered it.

Crepes

Lee's Bakery offers several types of Bahn Mi. They all cost $3.00, which I find cheap for a decent sandwich.  I opted to go for the standard grill pork bahn mi. It comes in a french roll with lots of butter, cilantro, peppers, and grilled pork. The pork is the standard grilled pork that comes in your Coms and Buns at Vietnamese places.


The Banh Mi's cost only $3.00, and for only $6.50, you can get half a bahn mi and a bowl of pho. That is a great deal.

My half a sandwich.

I like Lee's pho. The broth had a nice beefy taste. They did skimp on the tendon though. Overall, it was a decent tasting pho.

Pho

Lee's Bakery is pretty cool. You can get cheap, good foods. I would like to come back and try more of their sandwiches. They all sounded good.

Lee's Bakery also sells smoothies. But I have lactose intolerance so I couldn't try them. Maybe next time, armed with my lactaid pills, I can get to try their famous avocado smoothie. Mr. Kitty gives this place 4 paws up.

Lee's Bakery
4005 Buford Hwy NE
Atlanta, GA 30345
(404) 728-1008

Roy's Cheesesteaks... Philly Connection Version 2.0?

Roy Brostrand seems to know his cheesesteaks. First of all, Roy owns Roy's Cheesesteaks. He also founded Philly Connection. Now he has another cheesesteak gig called  Champion Cheesesteaks. Champion Cheesesteaks is Roy just jumping on the food truck bandwagon. Anyway, this post is about Roy's second cheesesteak venture: Roy's Cheesesteaks. 

Roy's cheesesteaks all come on Italian rolls. The cheesesteaks are suppose to be authentic, but I never been to Philly so I don't know if it does cheesesteaks justice. They look pretty boring, but they do taste good. Then again, I like hot sandwiches in general, and Roy's satisfies my cravings. 

For your cheeses, you can choose from mozzarella, provolone, or cheese whiz. Cheese whiz is suppose to be the more authentic version. But I didn't like it. It tasted too salty to me. Instead, I prefer the provolone version. I like my cheesesteaks with mushrooms and onions also. 

Roy's also has birch beer at his soda fountain. I like that. I'm a fan of different types of sodas and welcome any place that provides sodas other than plain, old, boring Coke, Sprite, Diet Coke, etc.

There's nothing else that can be said about Roy's. It seems like a decent sandwich shop in Smyrna. They are closed Sundays though. Mr. Kitty gives it 3.5 paws up.

Roy's Cheesesteaks
2900 Highlands Pky SE
Smyrna, GA 30082
(404) 799-7939

Tacos La Villa

There are two Tacos La Villas in the same shopping center. One is in a Mercado, and I think that one is closed. This one is where Quizno's used to be, next to Yakitori Jinbei. This is probably one of my favorite, authentic taquerias in this area. 

One of my favorite parts of this restaurant is their sauce bar. They give you healthy amount of sauces and vegetables. The green, hot, avocado sauce is the best thing I've tasted. It has a nice bite to it and goes great with everything.

See that light green sauce in between the onions and the red sauce? Muy delicioso.

Even though they are a taqueria, they have a lot of other stuff as well such as quesadillas, burritos, tamales, tortas, and bunch of Mexican dishes. I haven't tried everything on their menu, but I have tried their tacos, tamales, and tacos.

Their quesadillas taste very delicious. I don't know how they do it. They use pre-made tortillas from a package and just put meat and cheese in it. It must be their grilling technique or something because this is one of my favorite quesadillas. Also, it is very filling. It doesn't look big, but it is stuffed full of good stuff.

Yummy quesadilla

The tamale is your standard tamale. It was good and well made. I wouldn't consider it special, but Mrs. Kitty says all tamales are special because they are difficult to make.

Ok tamale.

The tacos here are cheap. They're all $1 a piece. They have interesting fillings like cabeza (cow head), which I haven't seen anywhere else. The cabeza is pretty good. Actually, I think all their tacos taste good. They are small, however. So you need to eat about 6-7 to feel full.

The tacos come "naked" too. But you can put all the onions, cilantro, and other junk you want at the sauce bar I described at the top.

4 tacos are not enough!

They also have many different Mexican drinks available like horchatas, Mexican Coke, and jarritos. This  place has good food, is cheap, and satisfies. Mr. Kitty gives it 4 paws up.


Tacos La Villa
2415 Cobb Parkway
Smyrna, GA 30080
(770) 951-0415

Jang Su Jang Su Jang Su Jang...

Jang Su Jang is a solid Korean restaurant. It used to be not like this. When this place first opened, they were pretty pathetic. They only had 3 pieces of crappy banchans and only served tofu stew. After many years, I decided to come back. What a pleasant surprise they have improved.

First of all, they give you a lot more banchans. They don't give you some lame, piddling amounts of pickled vegetables. They give you good stuff like mook, potato salad, some meat, kimchees, and others. It isn't So Kong Dong quality, but it looks like a big improvement from what they served before.

Yay for banchans. 

Also, I think their food quality improved. We ordered the galbi (braised short ribs), "yetnal" (old style) bulgogi (marinated beef), and naengmyun (cold noodle soup).

The galbi tasted decent. It seemed well marinated. But I bit into tiny bones too often. I guess it's difficult to remove all the tiny bones inside the meat. But it wasn't bad. 

Galbi, grilled marinated short ribs

I never had Yetnal bulgogi before. This is suppose to be old style bulgogi. Normally, bulgogi is grilled. I guess back then, they didn't have grills or something, and they ate it as stew. I don't know if that is accurate, but I liked the dish. The stew was flavorful but fatty. It came in a huge pot. I liked this dish too.

Old school bulgogi

Finally, we had some naengmyun. They're cold noodle soup. It came with black noodles. I actually liked that. I think it gave a better taste to me. It tasted cold and refreshing. I also liked it.

Cold, refreshing naengmyun.

Jang Su Jang became one of my favorite Korean restaurants. Of course, they probably had to improve because they are located in Duluth. A crappy Korean restaurant can't last there.

They have a lot of menu items, and all their dishes seem solid. Also, like other Korean restaurants, it's a great value. You get a ton of great food for a reasonable price.  Mr. Kitty gives it 4 paws up.

Jang Su Jang
3645 Satellite Blvd
Duluth, GA 30096
(678) 475-9170

Fil-Am Star Cafe and Bakery

I know Chinese food, Japanese food, Vietnamese food, Korean food, Thai food, Taiwanese food, Indian food, and other Asian foods. I pretty much have Asia covered. Except I never had Filipino food. The only thing I know about Filipino food is that they make their spaghettis with hot dogs and eat duck embryos. 

Fil-Am is one of the few Filipino restaurants in Atlanta. My Filipino friends go nuts over this place. It's probably because they grew up with this type of food and feels comforting to them. Who knows? But since I never grew up with this food, how do all these dishes taste to an outsider? Let's find out. 

First of all, some of the names look like they're in Spanish. They can get quite confusing because they are not same as the Mexican dishes you know of. For example, menudo is completely different in the Philippines. It's not tripes.  And the enchiladas doesn't look like it has any tortilla at all.

Unfortunately, they didn't have balut. It's okay. I got to try many different dishes here. 

The Lumpia looked like your standard eggrolls with pork. There was nothing too crazy or special about these; it was just eggrolls. But they tasted good. I liked the chili sauce it came with. They would make a nice snack or appetizer. 

Lumpia

Pancit Guicido was your standard pan fried noodles. It kind of reminded me of Yakisoba. It was no different than your standard pan fried egg noodles. I liked it because you can't go wrong with pan fried noodles.

Pancit Guisado

The Bistek was interesting. It was marinated in some sauce. It had a sweet flavor to it. The meat was chewy and tough, however. Overall, I liked the flavor that it had. They needed to not overcook the meat so much though.

Bistek

Daing Na Bangus isn't some old porn site. It's milkfish. I like fish so I thought it tasted fine. Although I did think it was a little dry. Also, milkfish has more bones than usual, so watch out.

Daing Na Bangus

The sisig came topped with a little chili pepper. It looked cute. You put raw egg and mix it in. It's mainly made of pork I didn't like the texture of the pork and the raw egg mixed in. It also had a flavor that I wasn't a fan of. It wasn't one of my favorite dishes.

Sisig

The menudo wasn't tripe soup. It was something better—marinated pork. It tasted good. I liked it a lot, and I found it better than Mexico's version of menudo. The tomato broth/sauce it came in tasted interesting.

Menudo

The food was plentiful and cheap. The owners there seemed very nice and friendly. It wasn't a bad place. If you aren't Filipino and want to try it out, I think it's a good place to experience a new type of cuisine.

The meats do come out overcooked. But I think they have unique flavor, and you can definitely afford a nice, cheap meal here.  Mr. Kitty gives this place 3.5 paws up.

Fil-Am Star Cafe and Bakery
5150 Buford Highway NE., Suite A-170
Doraville, GA 30340
(678) 580-1209
www.filamstarcafe.com