East to Hedon

Los Pericos Restaurant Bar Cafe

On Sunday December 17, 2017 Eron and I met up with Christine and Leo (of Leo’s Place) for lunch at Los Pericos Restaurant Bar Cafe. This family-run establishment is located on a side street in the Centro District of Bucerias. It is a favourite of many ex-pats, long-stayers, and visitors. They serve a variety of “Norte Americano” items as well as more traditionally Mexican fare.

Covered roadside dining area with kitchen pass-through.

Interior dining area.

As we were there at 1 PM, I made my choice off the Lunch Menu (there were still serving breakfast as well). I went with their Chicken Fajitas. The dish came with flour tortillas, a plate containing the usual accompaniments, and the grilled chicken breast and sautéed vegetables on a sizzling skillet. The plating was reasonably attractive but nothing particularly noteworthy. The same can be said of the taste and quality of the accompaniments – they were decent, just nothing of note. The chicken breast, while cooked well, was just not flavourful at all… it was bland… mid-west, don’t want ANY spice bland. And the sautéed veggies were the same. The only positive note was that the lack of spice allowed me to actually taste the cactus. Definitely not a “do again” for me.

Spanish rice, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, and refried beans for the fajitas.

Grilled chicken breast on sautéed green peppers, cactus, and onion.

Christine and Leo shared the Sautéed Octopus. It was attractively plated and they both enjoyed the dish saying that the octopus was cooked through and firm but not at all rubbery.

Sautéed Octopus

Eron had a cheese and chili quesadilla. She reported that the cheese was exceptionally tasteless and that they used strips of pickled peppers instead of finely chopped peppers. The chef had also neglected to properly drain the peppers before using them in this dish; the result was a wet, mushy mess which quickly turned the tortilla limp. Not a dish Eron would order again.

Los Pericos is a clean, bright eatery in the heart of Bucerias. With its mid-level price point and rather bland spice-palate, it caters to a specific demographic and does well doing so. However, Eron and I prefer our culinary adventures to be… well, a tad more adventuresome. So, we’ll be giving Los Pericos a pass on our future visits to Bucerias.

Address: Juventino Espinoza 4, Sin Nombre Loc. Bucerias, 63732 Bucerías, Nay., Mexico
Hours: 8a.m.–9p.m.

Phone: +52 329 298 0160

Eron and I have walked past this restaurant many times over the past several years (in fact it is directly across the street from our favourite everyday eatery in Bucerias; “Leo’s Place”). This is another of the restaurants we had originally intended to try last April but was closed on the days we were available. When you visit Bucerias in the”low-season” many of the businesses will have reduced hours or be closed for the season. The stars finally aligned and we were able to visit them yesterday evening (Dec. 16, 2017). “Restaurant Le Bistrot” is devoted to fine French-style cuisine and does evoke a sense of that atmosphere with it’s small dining room, subdued lighting, and a small selection of tables located right on Galeana. On this particular evening one of the owners was at the restaurant and lent a certain credence to their claim of representing the savers Francaises with her French-accented English. With the recommendations of several people in mind, we had high hopes and high expectations for this fine-dining establishment.

For appetizers, we chose to try their Onion Soup and their Foie Gras. The Onion Soup certainly lived up to its glowing recommendations. The layer of cheese on top was nicely browned, substantive, and thick without being “gluey”. Once through the cheese, we found nice full pieces of bread. And there were plenty of recognizable slices of onion in the soup. The slices were uniformly cooked through and soft, yet retaining texture. But, of course, the all-important component was the soup itself. The broth held a subtle richness that perfectly complimented the flavour of caramelized onions and held none of the bitterness that can be all-too-often found in versions of this dish. Their version is one of the best we have tried and portioned for two to share.

Restaurant Le Bistrot’s Onion Soup.

Their Foie Gras is served with toast-points and is definitely enough to share between two. On arrival at our table, the pate was apparently straight from the fridge; a little too cold for our liking. It was difficult to spread onto the toast and worse, the temperature caused the flavours to lack intensity. However, after the pate was permitted to rest and warm up to ambient temperature, it’s true creamy-rich nature and complexity of flavour became evident. It was accompanied by a small pat of compote; a tiny smear of this added a fruity sweetness that complimented the savoriness of the Foie Gras.

Restaurant Le Bistrot’s Foie Gras.

As a side note, they also served a basket of bread with butter. Visually, the bread was not particularly noteworthy. But on biting into it, we found a delectably crunchy crust, a firm and robust texture, and an almost earthy wheat-flavour; everything a hearty provincial bread should be.

For her entree, Eron chose the Ravioli. When the bowl was brought to the table, it had more the appearance of a beef soup or thin stew with ravioli in it. Furthermore, the presentation was rather blasé and very much needed a splash of colourful garnish to be more visually appealing. The upside was, there definitely was no skimping on the ravioli pieces. On first-taste, we both remarked that the sauce was very beefy and reminded us of a Beef Bourguignon sauce. The ravioli were well-prepared and had great mouth-feel. However, as they held a mild cheese filling; it’s subtle flavours were simply overwhelmed by the heavy beef and red wine presence in the sauce. Eron was glad she tried this dish but would not order it again.

Restaurant Le Bistrot’s Ravioli.

My choice for the entree was the Lamb Shank. It was plated well with the lamb served over a large square of mashed potatoes and surrounded by cube-cut carrots, green beans, and sauce. The lamb was well-prepared with a firm but not tough texture and not at all greasy or fatty. The flavour held just the right amount of gaminess and tasted like good lamb should. The mashed potatoes were house-made, creamy yet suspended small chunklets of potato, but under-salted and thus, a wee bit bland. However, the carrots and the green beens were terrific; colourful, cooked-through but retaining texture, and tasty. The sauce was rich, redolent of the lamb, and not greasy or oily. I would recommend this dish; especially to anyone who has avoided lamb in the past due to concerns regarding greasiness or gaminess.

Restaurant Le Bistrot’s Lamb Shank.

Both entrees were accompanied by a simple side salad consisting of butter lettuce drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction. Elegant in it’s simplicity but quite fresh and tasty.

Restaurant Le Bistrot’s Side Salad.

Our choice for dessert; we shared the Pear Tatin. The pear… well, tasted like pear. It was warmed-through, still had good texture throughout, and was not overwhelmed by over-seasoning. The pastry-part of the tart held up for the first bite or so. However, as the tart was being consumed the pastry became soggier and mushier and just eventually disintegrated. The tart was served with a dollop each of vanilla ice cream and a thick, rich whipped cream. This dessert is not one of my favourites.

Restaurant Le Bistrot’s Pear Tatin.

A special note for coffee-lovers, this restaurant does serve expresso! It is rich, dark, and topped with a beautiful crema.

Restaurant Le Bistrot has positioned itself as a fine dining establishment and that is reflected in it’s pricing. For two appetizers, two entrees, dessert, two glasses of wine, and an expresso; our total was 1,355 Pesos (over $90 USD) before gratuities. Overall, I’d say our experience at Le Bistrot was mostly positive with only a few concerns. For the most part, the servers were attentive and showed great restraint with regards to hovering and they were some of the best at unobtrusively observing and ensuring we were finished our appetizers before trying to serve our entrees. Unfortunately, one glitch was at the conclusion of our entrees; as the plates were being cleared, we remarked that we were looking forward to trying their dessert(s). Even though they took my order for an after-dinner expresso and we had not so subtly hinted they we wanted dessert, it took nearly ten minutes for them to actually offer to take our dessert order. Long enough that we almost gave up on dessert and were about to request our bill. It is important to note that at this point, we were the only diners left in the restaurant so they definitely were not being overwhelmed and there was approximately 45 minutes until their posted closing time. The other was the presentation of the Ravioli; it was simply visually unappealing. While these criticisms may seem petty, they are valid in relationship to the positioning of this restaurant; they claim fine dining status and charge accordingly. Therefore, the little things DO matter.

In all honesty, Eron and I will not be visiting this restaurant on anything like a frequent basis; not because we don’t like them but rather because we’re not particularly interested in traveling all the way to Mexico to look for French fine-dining. To us, this a “special occasion” type of place and not somewhere we’d normally think of for dining out. Having said that, if you are looking for French cuisine in a fine dining establishment, Restaurant Le Bistrot definitely is THE choice in this vary specific portion of the Bucerias culinary scene.

Address: Galeana 11, Flamingos, 63732 Bucerías, Nay.
Hours: 17:30–22:30
Telephone: 044 322 158 0937

It’s been raining on and off all day long; 24 degrees Celsius, overcast, and mostly drizzling… kinda reminds me of some Vancouver days during the summer. We’re usually partial to al fresco dining but because of the rain, Eron and I have been trying to come up with a covered-seating restaurant for dinner – yeah, I know; first-world problems. We finally decided on Chin-Gon Asian Flavors. It’s located on Lázaro Cárdenas, three blocks southeast of our condo. We last ate here in 2016; from what I could recall, their food was pretty decent.

Chin-Gon occupies the ground floor corner of the building it’s in. The kitchen is inside with a small number of tables outside on a covered patio. There are not a lot of tables. So, much of their business is take-out. Since the rain seemed to be keeping everyone else indoors, Eron and I were the only customers when we arrived. However, by the time we were finishing up (around 8:30 PM), all the other tables had filled up.

Tonight, we ordered two dishes to share plus a glass of wine for Eron and a cola for me. First up was Chin-Gon’s Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai. Their Pad Thai was not particularly complex on the palate with a mild pepper heat and, because of their Tamarind-based sauce; a tendency towards a vague vinegariness. As well, the shrimp were just on the verge of being over-done. However, the noodles were cooked perfectly, the vegetables crisp, the peanuts crunchy, and the chicken pieces cooked properly. All in all, a credible and quite edible interpretation of this dish… only next time I’d ask them to make it a little more spicy.

Chin-Gon’s Chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai.

The other dish was Chin-Gon’s Yellow Curry Chicken on Jasmine Rice. This dish had a wonderfully fragrant curry aroma that preceded it’s arrival at our table. The Jasmine rice was just a touch too moist for my preference but by no means badly done. As stated previously, the curry sauce was appetizingly fragrant; it also held a slightly sweet curry flavour with a mild-plus level of heat. The chunks of chicken were well cooked and the vegetables retained their crispness. This was our favourite of the two dishes although both were  decent takes on the respective Asian classics.

Chin-Gon’s Yellow Curry Chicken with Jasmine Rice.

If you have a hankerin’ for Asian-inspired food in the Bucerias area, definitely make your way to Chin-Gon. Just be aware that during the “high-season” it may be difficult to get a table. But when you do get a table, you’ll receive quick, friendly service. In fact this evening, just as we were getting into our taxi to go home, our waitress came running out to hand Eron a to-go cup with the remainder of the wine that she had left in her glass at the table; that is service! Their price-point is in the mid-minus category with two entrees, two glasses of wine, a soft drink, and two desserts bringing our total to 655 Pesos (just over $45 USD). There is a lot of local competition at this price-point. However, with it’s funky little retro Chinese takeout containers and the ability to fill them with good Asian-styled dishes, Chin-Gon has a good lock on a niche-market in the Bucerias culinary scene.

Chin-Gon Asian Flavors
Lázaro Cárdenas #108, 63732 Bucerías, Mexico

01 329 298 1324

https://www.facebook.com/ChinGonAsianFlavors/

Culi’s Restaurant and Bar

Eron and I absolutely loved our first two visits to Culi’s (see our reviews in April 2017). So, we were very much looking forward to coming here again yesterday evening. We’re typically late-diners. So by the time we arrived at around 8:30 PM, there were only two other parties. On our previous visits, we were seated at the tables located on the small front patio area. This time, Erik (our favourite waiter from April) showed us to a table on their second floor patio extension.

Second floor dining room.

Second floor extended patio area overlooking front entrance.

The staff were, as usual; extremely welcoming, genial, and efficient. Within moments we had our first round of bevies in front of us and we had ordered our appetizer.

The first dish to arrive was Culi’s complimentary Ceviche. It has been served to us in a different artistic presentation on each visit. However, while the presentation varies, their Ceviche remains one of our favourites; tangy but not overpoweringly limey, moist without being sloppy-wet, and full of texture and flavour. It is served with crispy tortillas, dry flat-toast, and a spicy Habanero salsa.

Culi’s complimentary Ceviche with Habanero salsa.

Cali’s Ceviche; this time in a cucumber-strip bowl.

Culi’s Ceviche on tortillas topped with their tangy-hot Habanero salsa.

Next came our appetizer choice; Culi’s Caprese Salad. Their take on this Italian classic has a slab of mozzarella cheese on equally robust slices of beefsteak tomato topped with a leaf of Mexican Basil, pesto, and drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. The only non-positive was that Eron felt this season’s Mexican Basil did not have as strong a flavour as the basil from April. Otherwise, thumbs up from both of us.

Culi’s Caprese Salad.

My choice for entree this evening was Culi’s Pan-Seared Tuna with a Wasabi-Soy Reduction. I have been looking forward to trying this dish since April; at that time they lacked fresh-caught local tuna and couldn’t serve it. Erik told me that the tuna was available and very fresh. So, I had to go for it.

The presentation was beautiful; literally a feast for the eyes. Two large pieces of tuna (easily enough to share between two) on top of grilled vegetables. Garnished with grilled Star Fruit and deep-fried vermicelli. And drizzled with their wasabi-soy reduction sauce. The Star Fruit was a pleasant surprise. Normally, I find it to be quite tart but once grilled, it was mildly sweet but very “crunchy”. The muted flavour of the fruit becomes lost against the robustness of the sauce but the crunch is a terrific counter-point to the firm texture of the fresh tuna. The Wasabi-Soy Reduction was a fantastic accompaniment to the tuna. It was not overwhelmingly salty, had a very satisfying “meaty” Umami savoriness, and carried a tantalizing hint of (we believe) Cumin. The vegetables also deserve some mention. There were slices of zucchini, julienned carrots, green beans, and wilted spinach. Except for the spinach (and rightfully so), the vegetables were all crisp had snap. For those who enjoy their tuna rare, this dish will be a memorable treat.

Culi’s Pan-Seared Tuna with a Wasabi-Soy Reduction.

The tuna was perfectly pan-seared with a pronounced crust and the desired rare centre.

Perfectly done; and this was an end-piece.

Eron’s choice this evening was Culi’s Coconut Shrimp. She says, “I know it’s a touristy choice, but I like it.” And that’s certainly as good a reason as any to order any dish. This dish came presented as a work of art. The colours, textures, and mixture of shapes all combined to make it seem more like a sculpture than plated food. A satisfying number of pieces of coconut-battered butterflied shrimp on mixed vegetables and cubed pineapple topped with deep-fried vermicelli, yam ribbons, and spinach. A house-made Mango Chutney was served to accompany the shrimp. Our only criticism of this dish was that it was not quite as good as we remembered from April. Our best guess is that the oil in which they were cooked was not hot enough. In April’s version, the batter was slightly crispier and the shredded coconut had a more pronounced toasting which really brought out it’s flavour. Additionally, last evening’s batter felt slightly more “greasy”; not a lot more, but noticeable. However, despite our nit-pickiness, Culi’s version of this dish is still head and shoulders above that of many other establishments and their presentation was second to none.

Culi’s Coconut Shrimp.

As in many other restaurants, the entrees are accompanied by a basket of bread. Here at Culi’s they even apply their culinary art to this oft overlooked part of the meal.

Culi’s basket of bread.

The one real “problem” with us coming to dine at Culi’s is that no matter our good intentions, we always over-eat when we come here; the food looks and tastes so good we tend to eat it all… and then, we just have to order dessert.

My choice was Culi’s Vanilla Flan. Once again, their presentation was elegant and appealing. The flan was garnished with spun sugar and a whole raspberry (it’s hiding behind the flan) and came with a biscuit and fresh whipped cream. The flan was very rich and creamy and was able to avoid the plasticy, gelatinous feel of some. The creamy “mouth-feel” and richness were perfectly balanced by the burnt-sugar/caramel flavour and crunchiness of the spun sugar. It’s as good a flan as I’ve ever had.

Culi’s Vanilla Flan.

Eron’s choice was… surprise, surprise; Culi’s Key Lime Pie. And why not… it is the pie to travel to Bucerias for! The key lime part of the pie is spectacular. At first taste, you get the sensation of cool, thick, creaminess. Then your tongue tastes the tart-sweetness of the key limes. The next second brings a climb to a crescendo of limey-tartness that almost brings tears to your eyes. And finally, the taste slides back down to a creamy-tartness as it hits the rear of your palate. Wow! A Key Lime Pie that is like a rollercoaster-ride for your tastebuds. Bar-none, Culi’s version is still one of our all-time favourite desserts.

Culi’s Key Lime Pie.

Culi’s has become, and remains, one of our favourite restaurants. It is a near-perfect balance of value received for money spent. The serving staff are excellent, the kitchen crew remain consistent, and the owner has managed to keep his employees engaged. The entire establishment is kept extremely clean and tidy. And the atmosphere is at once elegant yet not off-putting. The only constructive criticisms we can offer are in regards to the ambiance. It is our suggestion that for evening dining, the overhead lighting be dimmed slightly and that small vases containing flowers be placed on the tables. The lower level of lighting will help foster a more intimate feel and the flowers would add a vibrant splash of colour to otherwise monochromatic table settings.

Our dinner consisted of an appetizer, two entrees, two desserts, two Margaritas, a beer, and a coffee. The total came to about 680 Pesos (approximately $45 USD) which places Culi’s firmly in our mid-priced category. As before, Eron and I whole-heartedly recommend Culi’s Restaurant and Bar. Here you get the fine dining experience at an affordable price-point; truly, great dining without making your wallet weep.

******************************************************************************

We managed one more visit (on December 18th) during this short trip to Bucerias. Once again, the service was impeccable even though the restaurant had quite a few more parties.

For the appetizer, we chose to try the Mussels in Garlic and Butter. The mussels were absolutely HUGE; they looked to be the size of oysters on the half-shell. Because of their size, we dove into them with some trepidation; we both expressed our hope that they weren’t “chewy”. Well, we shouldn’t have been concerned. They were delicious with a firm but not overly chewy mouth-feel and drenched with garlicy-buttery goodness. And their bread was perfect for dipping into the garlic and butter mixture.

Mussels in Garlic and Butter.

For my entrée, I went with one of my favourites from our April visits; the Agave-Glazed Pork Tenderloin. The pork comes nestled on top of grilled vegetables and is accompanied by an Ancho Chili Red Wine Reduction. As expected, the vegetables and the pork were cooked to perfection. However, this evening, the reduction was somewhat lacking. Both in quantity (there just quite enough) and in intensity of flavour; the sauce was not reduced sufficiently to bring out the richness I remembered from April. It was not “great”, but still was a very good dish.

Agave Glazed Pork Tenderloin.

Eron had the “Catch of the Day”; fresh-caught Mahi Mahi in a Chimichurri Sauce with Rosemary-Roasted Baby Potatoes and vegetables. According to Eron, everything in the dish was cooked well but over-all the Mahi Mahi lacked flavour and didn’t do anything to excite her palate. She would not order this again.

Mahi Mahi in a Chimichurri Sauce.

We both had the Key Lime Pie for dessert. Compared to last time, it was very good but not “spectacular”. As we frequent Culi’s, we are noticing some small inconsistencies in the quality of their preparation. However, they remain our choice for the best “bang-for-your-buck” fine dining value in Bucerias.

Important note: Culi’s is a CASH-Only establishment. They do not accept credit cards and the closest ATM (HSBC) will be on Highway 200, about 3 blocks south from 5 de Mayo (towards Las Palmas).

Calle 5 de Mayo # 32, Bucerias 63732, Mexico – +52 322 159 6929

https://www.facebook.com/Culis-Restaurant-Bar-350524795115786/

We originally planned to try this restaurant back in April. However, they were already on “summer hours” and we never quite got there. We finally got to try them out last evening. The front entrance(?) opens onto the main highway through town and is not particularly inviting. The good news is, once inside, you will find that it opens up into a large covered dining and bar area, then a children’s play-area, and finally a courtyard. Beyond that is a fence and gate that opens onto the street behind. This is where the taxis will drop you off or pick you up.

The restaurant is family-run and very clean and tidy; even the nicely appointed kitchen-area. There are a mixture of large and small tables with some that can accommodate even large parties.

This restaurant came recommended; I, for one, was looking forward to trying their BBQ ribs.

Famar’s BBQ rib platter.

Although the plating was reasonably attractive, the ribs were what I described to Eron as, “chain-restaurant fare”. The ribs were on the edge of being over-cooked (most likely boiled first) and slathered with a nondescript, generic sweet BBQ sauce which tasted like it came from a grocery store shelf. The French Fries were your garden-variety “bag-o’-frozen-fries” type; done okay, but nothing special. And unforgivably, the veggies were very much of the frozen-food type; mushy and devoid of all flavour and texture.

Famar’s Shrimp Fajita.

Eron’s Shrimp Fajita was attractively plated, looked quite appetizing, and was accompanied by the usual tortillas and a separate plate containing non-memorable refried beans, guacamole, and Spanish rice. Unfortunately, the appearance was the best part of this dish. Whilst the shrimp and veggies looked the part and should’ve been loaded with flavour, all Eron got was a hint of chilies on the surface. The interior of the pieces were bland and tasteless. In fact, the only real takeaway Eron got was the taste of salt. Additionally, the shrimp were obviously over-cooked; ranging from just a little chewy to rubbery.

We can’t really comment on their postres or their after-dinner coffees as our waitress never offered us a dessert menu… or even asked us if we wanted one.

This restaurant places their price-point in the “mid-minus” range with the majority of their entrees in the 190 Peso area. For the two entrees, two margaritas, and a beer; our bill came in at around 690 Pesos (approximately $46 USD); this doesn’t include gratuities. Unfortunately, their food and service is not commensurate with their pricing; they are not a good value for your dining-dollar. Eron and I both agree that our experience at Famar was thoroughly underwhelming. Given that, and their rather ambitious pricing, we will not be dining here again… nor would we recommend it to anyone else. There are just too many other eateries in this town; many of them representing much better dining experiences and a way better bang for your buck.

https://www.facebook.com/RestaurantBarFamar/

One of Eron and my favourite family-run eateries in Bucerias, Mexico is Toro’s Bar (see our initial review in April 2017). Given the rate that new businesses come and go in this town, we wondered if they would still be in operation on our next visit to Bucerias. On our second evening in town, we decided to drop by. Well, to our surprise, and genuine delight, Toro’s is still here! They survived the lean-time through summer and the early fall and are still in their original location.

Christopher making a House-Special Margarita for Eron.

Christopher del Toro is still the owner-manager-maitre de-waiter-bartender while his wife provides the magic behind the food. They still feature three items as their menu; a cheeseburger, chicken wings, and tacos (fish, chicken, and beef). Having enjoying each of these in April, we were looking forward to trying them again.

Eron freely admits she is not a “burger-person” but she absolutely loves Toro’s Cheeseburger. So, that would be our choice this evening.

A true “dislocate-your-jaw-to-eat” cheeseburger!

We surrendered… they were so juicy and full of stuff, we had to eat them with a knife and fork.

The burger is as we remembered it; so thick and juicy you have no choice but to eat it with a knife and fork and stacked with a 250 gram, hand-formed patty underneath farm-fresh lettuce, onions, and slices of beefsteak tomato. The patty is seasoned throughout and topped with a slab of real fresh local cheese. As if this mondo-burger wasn’t enough by itself, the burger comes with some of the most perfectly cooked  French Fries we’ve ever had; golden-brown and crispy on the outside and fluffy-white on the inside. Wow!

Toro’s House-Special Margarita still gets a double thumbs-up from Eron. She reports that it has many subtle flavours that are lacking in the run-of-the-mill versions found elsewhere. Christopher let us in on one of his secrets; tonight, the salt he used to rim the glass contains a mixture of dried chiles and crushed, dried Mescal worms. He tends to experiment a lot and will tweak his Margarita recipe from time to time often adding an unexpected garnish or ingredient.

According to Christopher, he is planning a modest addition to their menu; his own take on Chili con Carne and a Taco Pastor (marinated pork steak).

Toro’s is open from 5 PM to 1 AM. You can drop in for a meal, a snack, or just drinks. And they still play a great mix of 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s chart-toppers; loud enough to hear but not so loud that it’s intrusive.

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Restaurant_Review-g657267-d12078859-Reviews-Toro_s_Bar-Bucerias_Pacific_Coast.html

https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=toro’s%20bar%20bucerias