Thursday, June 17, 2010

El Caracol Mexican Cafe

Hasta La Pupusa, Baby! (think Terminator, lol...)

FYI:  Pupusa = Traditional El Savadoan dish made of hand-made corn tortilla stuffed with meats, cheese or beans

Food:

To drink, I started off with their "Tamarindo" or tamarind juice, i believe.  It is a drink that strikingly resembles that of a Chinese prune drink that is sometimes served at hot pot places.  It was a generous amount (served in a tall, wide glass) and refreshing.
As for the grub, we ordered and split the Enchilada, Chicken Fajitas, and their Seafood Soup.  Everything was so fresh (and took a darn long time to arrive).  All portions were overly sufficient and generous.  All arrived with this special kind of rice that was so fragrant and tasty, it was soo good. It really reminded me of the rice that comes with Hainanese chicken.  I just couldn't get enough of it.  The Enchilada was oozing with beef, beans and flavour.  The chicken for the fajitas were perfectly seasoned. Would've loved fresh guacamole though (as opposed to the couple of avocado slices).  The Seafood Soup was amazing!! This was the second time having it and it was just as marvelous as the first.  The soup arrived sizzling hot, steamy and full of seafood (mussels, fish, prawns, crab).  The flavour was excellent and I loved how that it was comprised of coconut milk, too.  The broth was just perfect.



Service:

S...l...o...w! Can't really complain much since they only have 1 server working and another in the kitchen. Not that friendly nor cold, either. She also didn't know what a drink menu item was, when I inquired about it. It was ok service.  Entrees did not come out at once - we waited 20 mins. for the first one and 40 mins for the last one.

Value:

Excellent value - most items were under $10 and huge generous portions! :D

Ambience:

Little hole-in-the-wall joint with semi-cool lookin' decor - yellow walls, random Mexican gadgets mounted on the walls, washroom walkway that goes through the kitchen, random dvd collection...

Overall: 8/10

Yay: Super tasty authentic Mexican-Honduran, Salvadoran food. They even have poutine ( I know, weird) but heard it's good, too!

Nay: Do NOT come here if you are pressed for time. Or, if you are, call them ahead! They are a 2-woman band (1 in kitchen, 1 serving). Be prepared to wait for your food! Poor, poor ventilation.  Both times here, we've had to ask to open the door for more air!

1 comment:

Irene said...

G the Terminator phrase is so damn funny and I freaking love Mexican/Spanish rice too!! MMMM, I gotta try this place!