taqueria nacional

taqueria nacional
1409 T St NW, Washington, DC 20009
tel: 202) 299-1122

what was consumed: tacos!

a friend once told me that if his wife is every invited out by her girlfriends for mexican food, that everyone should just also expect him to be in attendance. i know the feeling, friend! tex mex is definitely a comfort food for me, and i'm always happy and willing to check out the new places that are (thankfully) popping up.

i met up with a friend at taqueria nacional (not to be confused with some of the other taquerias in the DC metro area) for a late lunch. i opted for the meal deal (that included a taco, beans, and salad) in addition to an order of salsa. and while the food was delicious (the carne asada was cooked nicely, the beans were seasoned well, the dressing on the salad was just so yummy), it was a little pricey for what i ordered. of course, that didn't stop me from ordering away. next time, i want to try some of their other things. i'm sure i'll be happy with whatever i decide to fill my stomach with. yum!

online: http://taquerianacional.co/

habanero taqueria

habanero taqueria

3710 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20010

tel: 202) 722-7700

what was consumed: tacos!

c&j told me that some of our favorite tex mex/latin places were closing/transitioning. the upside is that there are new places opening. enter habanero taqueria.

with both indoor and outdoor seating, you'll definitely find a nice place to park (it was summer when we went, so we enjoyed the weather with some al fresca dining). we were quickly served chips and salsa (mild) which miffy proceeded to eat all of (kids make the rules, sometimes, right?) which we munched on until our entrees were served. 

online: https://www.habanerodc.com/

grill 5 (aka grill 5 taco)

grill 5 (aka grill 5 taco)
on the ground floor of the gran seoul building
서울 종로구 청진동 119-1 그랑서울 1층; also at 서울 종로구 종로 33 그랑서울 1층
tel: 02) 2158-7924

what was consumed: spicy pork burrito (they also have tacos and burrito bowls. sounds similar to some other texmex/mexican favs from home, eh?)

in my many visits to the gran seoul building for tasty treats, i frequently passed grill 5. it reminded me a little of chipotle (which i missed so much while in seoul), but it wasn't until pretty recently that i got to try it out. and i'm glad i did!

tacos? burrito? burrito bowl? i couldn't make up my mind! the gentleman behind the counter recommended the spicy pork, a grilled, korean-flavor marinated spicy pork that, along with some black beans, serve as the protein for my burrito. this version included a bit of pineapple that, while sweet, worked with the combo.

and grill 5 has french fries. oh man. that's the best. i've also heard they have chips for those who dine in. where was that when i visited?! must go again to check it out for myself.

and so, no matter what people say, give grill 5 a try! i wish i had, and sooner! who knows? you might love it!

vatos

vatos

서울특별시 용산구 이태원동 181-8

tel: +82 2-797-8226

what was consumed: one of everything! tacos, that is. and tamales. and my favorite? kimchee fries. YES.

i remember a time when being able to eat taco bell 8 hours after items were purchased was the highlight of the year. and now, chefs have come out with creative ways to mix korean and american style mexican food - my two comfort food genres. and so, vatos has turned in to a regular place for me to visit. for kicks, with guests, whenever.

the first time i went to vatos, friends and i went specifically to order "one of each." vatos serves their tacos in pairs and triplets. we sat down, ordered drinks, and ordered one of each of their tacos, primarily just to say that we did, but also, for me, to see which of the options i prefer. my recommendation? the short rib taco in a corn tortilla (flour is the default, what the koreans prefer. i like corn!). the beef is marinated  in just the right amount of korean spices, topped with just a few fixin's, including a cabbage slaw. sort of similar to the "kogi" truck, so.cal style. that said, grab your appetite and try one of each and decide for yourself which you like! hehehe.

and the kimchee fries! sounds weird, but the combination is really great. a bed of french fries, topped with carnitas, then topped with kimchee (though i'll have to ask them to go easy on the onions next time). i sometimes dream about these fries. for reals.

speaking of drinks, vatos provides healthy portions when it comes to in-house beverages. i like their georgia peach ice tea because while it's a little on the sweet side, the peach flavor is yummy and it's served in a very large mason jar. hehehe. i hear vatos were the first to offer the beergaritas (a margarita with a bottle of beer stuck in the glass) as well as makolitas (a margarita + makgoli (korean rice wine) combo). they also serve a variety of local craftworks microbrews. yay for local!

so, when do you wanna go? now? excellent. see you there!

online: http://vatoskorea.com/en/

district taco

district taco

1309 F street nw, 20004

tel: 202)347-7359

what was consumed: burrito bowl! with beans, rice, steak (my choice of protein) and lots and lots of salsa piled on.

there can never be too many tex-mex-ish options!

friends and i got together for a quick bite to eat at district taco before heading out to see a show at POV (yeah, it was an out of the ordinary show venue, but it was still super fun). district taco offers fresh ingredients presented in  tex-mex fashion - burritos, bowls, tacos, etc. that basics are set - beans, rice, protein, veggies. then you pile on from their salsa bar, my favorite part. lots of people compare district taco to chipotle. say what you will. i'm glad i got to try district taco and i'll be back! yum.

there are a few other locations of district taco. it doesn't matter which, just make sure you make it out to district taco!

online: http://www.districttaco.com/

taqueria del distrito federal

taqueria del distrito federal

3463 14th St NW

tel: 202) 276-7331

what was consumed: tamales (only on the weekends!), carne asada torta, tacos tacos tacos, and their spicy green sauce that comes with chips that i want to pour on to everything

taqueria del distrito federal is one of my favorite (and my go to) latin american places. people have told me it's more mexican, others have told me it's more salvadorian. i've realized that when i'm devouring some tamales, it doesn't really matter to me. hahaha ...

when c and i have a hankering for tex mex, distrito federal is our go to place. their home made fare (chips!), their delicious salsas, and so on. distrito federal has some indoor seating, but we try to get there to sit outside. distrito federal's strategic location near the heart of columbia heights makes for some awesome people watching.

we make sure we go on the weekends because i have a weakness for tamales (will someone just offer to provide me a lifetime supply of their abuela's tamales? thanks in advance) and distrito federal only offers them on the weekends. the shell is soft and is filled with tasty carnitas, all wrapped in a corn husk. and when you peel the corn husk away, there is delicious tamale waiting for you. sometimes i use sour cream, usually i don't. argh. so delicious.

and while tamales are my go to selection, i will frequently add a selection of tacos and the carne asada torta (i usually cut myself a slice and then eat the rest at home). the tacos are filled with delicious meats, more meat than anything else, topped with a bit of salsa and other fresh veggies (i.e., onions. which i will sometimes pick out because it's just so much. others seem to really enjoy it). the carne asada torta is really a slab of beef with delicious salsas as sauces, topped with tomatoes and slices of mexican cheese.

where is c? distrito federal, now! muy muy delicioso!

 

online: http://www.taqueriadf.com/

en mexico

en mexico
address: street 6, block 1a, jabriya
tel: +965 99111015

what was consumed: chips and salsa, guacamole, fish tacos, chicken burrito, mexican corn, churros and chocolate

there can never be too much mexican food/tex mex in this world. the end.

what's worse is that i grew up in southern california where mexican food is very readily available. and then i went to school in san diego where that's pretty much what we existed on. so to say that the bar is high is an understatement. that said, i'll eat some pretty crappy mexican food (did i ever tell you the taco bell from base in seoul story? remind me and i will). mexican food (or korean chinese food) is also what i usually look for right off the plane when in so.cal. just fysa. hahahaha.

here in kuwait, mexican/tex mex restaurants have been slowly, but surely, popping up (and no, taco bell doesn't count. besides, that's been here for a while now). and so, if i'm not making enchiladas and pico de gallo and guacamole at home, my go to place is en mexico.

en mexico is in an area of jabriya that is turning into quite a hub for restaurants (container 75 is right next door and the early bird is just down the street!). it seats about 20 inside and about 10 outside (they also do take-out), so it may not accommodate very large groups. that said, totally worth it. deliciously warm and crisp (and salty!) tortilla chips served with homemade salsa and lime-y guacamole. thin four tortillas wrap around grilled fish for tacos or nicely season chicken in a burrito, served with rice and beans. roasted corn, mexican style, complete with cheese. i heard that their chef is either of mexican descent and/or spent a whole lot of time with the hispanic community, explaining the authenticity of the food. 

and don't leave without trying their churros and chocolate. warm and delicious churros that are served with a small bowl of chocolate into which you dip. an excellent final touch and end to a delicious meal.

let me know when you want to go to en mexico (or, as g and j have inputed into their gps, "mexican inn"). i will crash your party and go with you. any time. get ready!

coco room

coco room
seef strip

what was consumed: halloumi bruschetta,  rancheros, migas, eggs menemen, breakfast burrito, bbq brisket hash ... and red velvet pancakes

one of the things friends and i enjoy is brunching (as i used to do in WDC), and restaurants in Q8 are happy to accommodate.  when feeling particularly ambitious (& when friends come to visit), we frequently put 'coco room' on the schedule. located in the "seef strip," opposite the seef palace, coca room is ideal for a tasty brunch before a windshield tour of the parliament building, the grand mosque, and other local gems in kuwait city proper.

so, upon being seated (i recommend some outdoor seating when the weather is nice. the seating inside is ok, but it can get a little noisy (the acoustics inside aren't great) and crowded), our server came over with some menus - some paper versions, some ipad versions (with nicely shot photos).

coco room has quite a large menu, but we limited our ordering to their brunch menu, which is also quite large. they have some tradition (arab as well as standard breakfast-y) options, but much of the menu is filled with tex-mex-inspired fare. my favorite is the huevos rancheros: poached eggs (and they are really poached! nice.) on rustic bread, served with refried beans, red chilli hollandaise sauce, mexican herbs (aka cilantro), and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds. nom nom nom ...

as is the case with many restaurants, coco room does a very decadent job when it comes to dessert-like fare. yes, i'm talking about velvet pancakes: a stack of 4 pancakes made with red velvet batter, topped with a dollop of whipped (& sweetened) cream cheese and a healthy drizzling of a nutella/caramel sauce. each time i've ordered this, i've split it with 2, 3, 4 other people - definitely the recommended way to enjoy (but one i highly recommend you enjoy ...!)  that said, why it's not ok to have a red velvet cupcake for breakfast, but it's ok to have these pancakes is beyond me as they are essentially the same. if you got for that sort of thing, anyway.

a couple of things i don't see/get: coco room has a hash, but no hash browns. sadly.  love hash browns! also, i'm not a fan of their coffee - they charge for their black coffee by the cup (yes, i'm still a spoiled american when it comes to wanting bottomless drip black coffee :/). there is a coffee bean in the seef strip complex and maybe i'll get coffee from there before sitting down at cocoa room.  maybe.

i add the "ambitious" part of the requirement because 1) if you don't get within the first round of seating, you can be sure you'll be waiting for a while for tables to turn and 2) if you end up waiting, you may end up getting seated once brunch service is over (at noon, i believe) which might be ok, unless you're there specifically for brunch (or red velvet pancakes).

so, enjoy! i will see you there ... !!!

surfside

surfside
2444 wisconsin avenue (between observatory lane & calvert street), washington, DC 20007
tel: 202) 337-0004
neighborhood: glover park
hours: monday-wednesday 11am-10pm, thursday-saturday 11am-11:30pm, sunday 10:30am-11:30pm (note: while their hours as as such, their kitchen closes about an hour before the eatery closes)

what was consumed: chips & salsa, maui tacos, st. barts burrito

coming from so.cal, i've been spoiled with fish taco options, a la wahoo's, fins, etc. (omg, so delicious! i miss them all~). i've had some good fish tacos in the dc/metro area (try lola's in barrack's row - their fish tacos (along with much of the rest of their menu) is pretty good - yum), but you can never have enough options.

i had the maui tacos - yum! i chose to have the tacos on corn tortillas (i believe you can select flour as well) and while i usually split the 2-corn-tortilla taco serving, they wouldn't come apart, so i just ate it "regular." nice big chunks of grilled fish along with the veggies made them totally delicious. oh, and the two tacos were totally filling. the only downside (if any) was that there was some mayonnaise sauce that was a little overpowering (not to mention i don't like mayonnaise). i also didn't really eat the rice, but that's because i don't eat a lot of rice to begin with. what i did eat was pretty good, though (for those of you who have to have rice).

surfside also has a "fast food" feel - you walk in, write down your order on the order sheet, give it to the person at the counter, pay, then sit down. once prepared, they bring out your food, which is a non-fast-food part. but please don't get me wrong - surfside is NOT a fast food joint. they also do not have fast food prices; however, the food is good and i'm always happy to pay for food that's worth it!

surfside had been on my list for a long time. i'm happy that i finally got a chance to visit - can't wait until i can go again! yeehaw!

online: http://www.surfsidedc.com/

cactus cantina

cactus cantina
3300 wisconsin avenue NW (between macomb street & newark street), washington, DC 20016
tel: 202) 686-7222
hours: monday-thursday 11am-11pm, friday-saturday 11am-12am, sunday 10:30am-11pm

what was consumed: tamales (my favorite) ...

how many times have i already mentioned tex mex? i love it. love love love it. so, on my quest to find good tex mex in DC, i ended up at cactus cantina. and because of my love of it (tex mex, i mean), i find myself willing to eat less than great tex mex options (in hopes that it might be goooood) and continue to eat less than average tex mex. sigh. what to do, what to do.

anyway, i was so hoping that cactus cantina would break my string of otherwise (less than) average tex mex ...

the meal began with some chips and salsa - good sign! double good sign because they were pretty good. when i begin to think about slowing down my chips and salsa consumption speed in order to better enjoy my ordered entree, then i know that i'm enyoing them. either that or i'm just really hungry. cactus cantina night? i recall it being a combination of both. to continue ... my tamales came in their corn husks (good sign!) with the sauce on the side (another good sign since i like my tamales with nothing on them. i guess i also can't imagine where the sauce would go since the husks are still in place. anyway~). and they were pretty good - not as mushy as so many other places are apt to serve them, but not as corn-y as i think tamales should be (and as i like). the rice that i tasted was all right, but far too dry (and i like my rice dry!) and lacking in flavor, despite all of the little things that were mixed in.

cactus cantina is, so i hear, in the same family as lauriol plaza, which i have mixed reviews on (it's really hit or miss, and usually miss for me (unfortuantely) because i want to like a tex mex place so much! haha). additionally, i have to admit that it's been some time since i've been to cactus cantina, so i have had to rely on my memory most of all. but seeing that i haven't been back since that first visit is a sign. perhaps i will give cactus cantina another shot. or maybe i will just make tex mex at home and just long for the authentic stuff (which i will probably consume when home in so.cal or somewhere else near mexico - haha). yum, tex mex ...

online: http://www.cactuscantina.com/