On this trip I stumbled upon a tiny place called "Xnic" (pronounced "Sh-neek"). It serves traditional dishes from the Yucatan Peninsula. It caters to the afternoon lunch crowd, and is only open until 5:00 PM. Its menu is extremely limited, but what they serve is very good.
In addition to a few a la carte items, there are four lunch packages. I choose the most expensive one which set me back a whopping 85 pesos ($5.30 US). The package included a beverage. I had "agua de guanábana" (water flavored with the juice of a tropical fruit known in English as a soursop.) The meal began with a bowl of "sopa de lima", a chicken soup flavored with lime.
Next came a "torta" (a Mexican sandwich served on a crusty roll). It was filled with "cochinita pibil", which I suppose you might describe as Yucatan's version of pulled pork. Their "cochinita" is delicious... as good as any I have had in the Yucatan.
And finally came two small tacos, also filled with "cochinita".
I came away very satisfied and happy to add another place to my list of places to eat in Mexico City.
I am not looking for controversy, but feel compelled to point out that 85.- pesos for a bowl of chicken broth, a bread roll with meat an fruit flavored water is only cheap for those who exchange their home currency favorably, or for those Mexicans who earn above average. I earn pesos and have a good salary with the normal responsibilities of maintaining my life and could not afford a 85.- peso lunch on a daily basis, unless I made a conscious choice, which would mean to spend less in another area of my life. I allow myself 100.- pesos a day for grocery money ( which is plenty for one person), which allows me to eat very well, if I home cook. This does not mean that I don' occasionally go out to eat.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you however that for the average visitor with US $, €, £ or ¥ in their pocket eating out, even three times a day can be an interesting experience that does not drain their pocket book. However I also feel compelled to point out that the situation is different for the average Mexican.
I certainly understand and agree with your point of view. When I am at home I certainly do not go out to eat on a daily basis.
DeleteHowever, as you admit, for the traveler prices in Mexico are a bargain. Having traveled to England, France and Switzerland the difference is dramatic. In Zurich I paid $30 US for less at a stand-up lunch stand! Even at home in Ohio (where restaurant prices are relatively moderate) I doubt if I could have a comparable lunch for $5. Although I am in an apartment with a kitchen and I have been preparing my own breakfast each morning, most travelers have no choice but to go out to eat... and for them the prices can be a dream come true.
Thanks for commenting!
Hola Bill!
ReplyDeleteWhat's the address of this place? Do they have any kind of website? Sounds interesting.
Saludos,
Kim G
Boston, MA
Where that amount of money wouldn't even get you a take-out sandwich.
This place is really tiny. I doubt that they have a website. (Even the menus are hand written.) It's located in Roma Norte on Tabasco, just to the west of Insurgentes Sur.
DeleteSaludos,
Bill