Be Thankful!

I have contemplated the title for this blog for a little while now. I have thought about titling it "Mexican food...or is it really?", "Mexican food, from the other side of the sea!", "Mexican food, without a hint of goodness in it" or "Mexican food...well not even close." Anyways the rest of my blog will explain these titles, but I want you to know that the reason I chose "Be Thankful!" is because all of you people in Ventura, California, or anywhere else remotely close to good Mexican food, should be thankful. Plus, it’s Thanksgiving in two days.

So I'll start my story. Today I experienced Mexican food, if you want to call it that, in Japan. Lets just say that it was below par. For those of you who know me, you know that I am very passionate about food and one of the things that I miss food wise, besides my mom's cooking, is Mexican food. I was rather excited to go to this place because I haven't had a burrito in over two months. Nate said that it had a decent carne asada burrito, (which by the way he loves them and if you ever want to same day mail a carne asada burrito from Corrales to Japan I can guarantee you that you be his immediate best friend) but I am more of a bean, rice and cheese burrito guy myself. So we went and I ordered a bean, rice, and cheese burrito, Nate got a carne asada burrito, and Chris got a carne asada burrito.

Disappointment #1: You have to buy chips and salsa here. Even when you buy the chips, you only get about 30 of them and the salsa bowl is big enough for about 4 or 5 chips. I really wish I would have had my camera because it was pretty funny, especially for those of you back home who can go to any Mexican food place and get all the chips you can eat and five or six bowls of good salsa.

Disappointment #2: So I got my bean and cheese burrito, which was kind of a bummer, but not a big bummer, because I
ordered a bean, rice, and cheese burrito, but it didn't come with rice. I mean, I'm in Japan and they rice at almost every single meal. They even sell rice out of vending machines. Why couldn't I get some rice in my burrito?

Disappointment #3: They supposedly said that it was the "super" burrito because the used a 13 inch tortilla, but to me it seemed more like a 13 cm tortilla. Most places that I have frequented in my life are able to fill me up on one, more likely two burritos, but hey, put some more beans and cheese and rice in that burrito.

Disappointment #4: So I took my first bite and was like, "ehhhhh" and I reminded myself that I was in Japan and they have a lot of fish and ramen and not Mexican food. But than it only got worse. As I ate more of the burrito it seemed to lose temperature toward the end. My burrito was cold on the end. Not only was the cheese not melted, but the beans were cold. Okay, it may not be the best beans or cheese in the world, but at least it could be cooked all the way.

I don't mean to be bagging on this place. I realize that I am in Japan and that it is the land of sushi. Honestly, it did have a decent carne asada taco and I would go back to try some more tacos. I might even dare to try an enchilada. It was a good try at Mexican food and I appreciate the cook's effort to give me a little taste of home. But, honestly, there's more to disappoint. I mean the beans could have been warmer and the cheese melted a little better, but nothing stands up to the next disappointment that I am going to share with you.

Disappointed #5 and the reason why you should never try Mexican food in Japan: When we walked out of the store we paid our bill, which came to a whopping 5050 yen. Not getting too picky about conversion and all that, that is roughly $50. At first I didn't notice because sometimes yen feels just like paper to me and I sometimes don't think that it really has cash value, but when Nate pointed that out I had a cow. $50 for 2 carne asada burritos, one bean and cheese burrito, a carne asada taco, and a couple of drinks, oh don't forget the chips and salsa that we had to pay for, is way too much. I mean I could get some good burritos, some free chips and salsa, and a couple of sodas for about $15 back home and go away full and not disappointed.

The moral of the story: All of you back home who have access to Playa Azul (my favorite: all you can eat good chips and good salsa, two cheese enchiladas, rice and beans and of course my family to enjoy the food with), Corrales, Taco de Mexico, Jim and Rob's, Baja Fresh, Salome’s (if it was still there), Compos Burritos, and all of the other good Mexican food restaurants should be very thankful. Go enjoy a bean, rice and cheese burrito for me this next week! Oh, and eat as much as you can because after I get home there isn't going to be any burritos left. This blog was way too long, but I hope you at least chuckled at some point while reading (I was cracking myself up) and or felt my sorrow just a little bit. I've surviving over here and just had a fantastic dinner of sushi. Its kind of funny because my mom just told me that Salome’s, the good Mexican food place that was in the Longs shopping center across my house, was replaced by a sushi restaurant. Interesting! Anyways thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. I enjoyed writing it.