TOKYO: Guzman Y Gomez Mexican Taqueria グズマン イー ゴメズ 03-3470-0770

Website:  http://gyg.jp

Address:  東京都渋谷区神宮前１丁目１１−６ ラフォーレ 原宿２F  GOOD MEAL MARKET.   Located about a three-minute walk from Meiji-Jingumae Subway Station on the very popular Meiji Dori.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open from 11 am to 9 pm daily.

I’m always itching to try some good Mexican food, but the thought of going out of my way for "Australian" Mexican fare didn't seem worth my while.  Luckily, while looking for a Cinnabon's on a recent Tokyo getaway, I found myself in Harajuku and just a few minutes away from the well-reviewed Guzman y Gomez (GYG).  It’s hard not to miss with its blaring yellow-and-black sign.

GYG offers a selection of burritos, tacos, enchiladas, nachos, etc., and with each of these you choose your own preferred filling.

The fillings are:  grilled chicken, slow cooked beef, pan seared fish, sautéed vegetables, spicy grilled chicken, pulled pork chipotle, and grilled flank steak.

My better half decided upon a regular Burrito Bowl with the sautéed vegetables filling (800 yen), and I went with the two soft tacos dish (850 yen), one with the pulled pork chipotle and the other with the slow-cooked beef.

Upon her first few bites, my wife stated that she was surprised that the burrito bowl was rather flavorless, especially considering all the varied ingredients (vegetable black bean, rice, jack cheese, salsa, bell peppers, onion, mushroom, and guacamole).  I tried a forkful and had to agree with her assessment ... just not a lot of taste to it.

ブリトーボウルとベジタブルフィリング

I had a bit better luck with my tacos, but just a bit.  The pulled pork chipotle was indeed spicy and flavorful, and the slow cooked beef was tender and delicious.  But the downfall with both of these tacos, and I imagine all the other tacos, was that the tortillas were absolutely bland!  The tortillas had no flavor whatsoever, which really brought down the overall taste of the taco.  Had the tortilla had just a hint of flavor, the taco eating experience would have been much enhanced.

タコス: ビーフとスパイシーポーク

We also ordered a regular basket of tortilla chips with guacamole (500 yen).  The tortilla chips were fresh, salty, and quite enjoyable, easily becoming the highlight of the meal.  I regretted not buying the larger size as we could have easily gobbled up tons more.  The accompanying guacamole was seasoned adequately but I've had better at Sendai's own Casa del Sol.

ワカモレ

On the plus side, there were lots of tables and service was quick, with menus available in English, as well.

Guzman y Gomez originated in Australia, and if this Harajuku restaurant is truly representing the Australian Guzman y Gomez menu, then I feel sorry for Australians who think that this is authentic Mexican food.

The restaurant seemed very popular, and if you're in the area you might want to give it a try.  

I probably won't be returning, even if I'm in the neighborhood.  I would recommend Frijoles over Guzman y Gomez to satisfy your Mexican hankerings in Tokyo.

Gladio: Spanish/Mexican グラディオ 022-265-3007

Website:  http://www.tfcorp.jp/gladio/    (This is the web address on their business card and the one I had bookmarked before, but on this posting date this website does not open.)

Address:  仙台市青葉区国分町2-11-4 PSC ビルディング.   Coming from Jozen-ji Dori down Ichibancho, turn right at the 77 Bank across from Mitsukoshi Department Store.  It will be on your left-hand side between the first and second intersections.

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open Mondays thru Saturdays from 6 pm till 4 am, and Sundays and holidays from 6 pm to 1 am.

Ever since a reader posted a comment on this blog raving about Gladio being “the best Mexican food in Sendai, and possibly Japan,” I’ve been dying to dine here!

Last weekend was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone; hit my beloved Happy Happy Melon Pan Truck, and then head over to Gladio for a new dining experience.

As my wife and I strolled into the restaurant a little after 6 pm on a Saturday night, we noticed that there were only a total of eight patrons in this large establishment, but considering that they had just opened their doors, this seemed about right.  Yet, despite the place being nearly empty, we were told that only counter seating was available.  We actually prefer sitting at the counter, as we enjoy seeing how the food and drinks are prepared, so we were fine with this.

The chipper waiter informed us right away that Happy Hour was from 6 pm to 8 pm, and that many beers, tequilas, cocktails, and wine were a mere 300 yen!  What a deal!  Unfortunately, my better half desired a frozen piña colada margarita (850 yen), which was not on the Happy Hour menu.  It was refreshing to see that the cocktail was served in a traditional-sized margarita glass which stem was shaped as a saguaro cactus for a bit of ambiance!  However, this was all merely cosmetic.  “It tastes like frozen pineapple juice!  There’s no alcohol in here!” said my wife in a disappointed manner.  She remedied this by ordering a shot of 300 yen Sauza tequila and adding it into her margarita.  She then commented, “Much better!  This should be called a ‘self-service margarita.’”   So that made it 1150 yen for an adequate, self-made frozen margarita.

ピニャコラーダフローズンマルガリータ

For starters, we requested a small serving of guacamole (700 yen).   Upon arriving it did seem small, yet nicely arranged with the freshly fried tortilla chips.  After sampling a few chips, we quickly found that they were a little too greasy.   The guacamole, though fresh, had little taste to it.  I should have asked for some salt and pepper, as that might have helped.

ワカモーレ

Since this was our first visit, we decided to start off small.  My wife went with a hard shell beef taco (450 yen) and I with a beef soft taco (500 yen).  She said the meat filling and cheese were so-so at best, but the taco shell, like the tortilla chips, was too greasy!

ハードシェル牛タコス

My beef soft taco, with jalapeños, onions, and tomatoes was quite tasty, but it definitely wasn’t Mexican!  The beef seemed to be marinated in barbeque sauce, which made for a unique taco experience.

和牛タコス

Our tummies weren’t quite full after this, so we ordered the chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce, and something that I had never seen before; chopped beef and avocado tostadas (both 500 yen each).

チキンフィンガー

The chicken fingers seemed to follow a pattern:  Too greasy!  And they were not very flavorful.  

細切り牛肉とアボカドのトスターダス

However, the chopped beef and avocado tostadas were delectable and the highlight of the evening!  Still, a traditional Mexican tostada comes topped with frijoles (beans), that’s why I don’t like tostadas.  So although I was very pleased with these tostadas, they weren’t really tostadas.

We were quite full after taste-testing the aforementioned dishes, and decided to call it a night, when the waiter, with a theatrical flourish, set ablaze a plate of beef fajitas (1650 yen) right before our eyes (and everyone’s sitting at the counter), and delivered it to the couple across from us.  This did look tantalizing, and made me wish that I had ordered that first!  Then I saw something that I had never seen before:  People picking up tortillas with tongs.  This may be common among many people, but I’m Mexican-American by descent, and I have never used tongs to pick up a tortilla, so this seemed very amusing to me. 

I noticed that as we were dining, the restaurant started filling up little by little. By the time we were finished with our meal, the place was completely full and customers were waiting outside to get in.  Despite the food, this place is popular!

The restaurant irked me in one other the way:  The restrooms!

If a restaurant has separate restrooms for men and women, they should clearly be labeled so, either in English or Japanese.  Gladio decided to use the same design but with differing colors on both of their restrooms; one red, one green.

This was problematic for me from the start as I am color blind, and in the low-lighted hallway it was difficult for me to see that there were actually two different colors.  Luckily, upon closer inspection, I could see the colors accurately, but I still didn’t know which color represented which gender, so I had to sheepishly ask (it’s green for men).  Am I the only one in Sendai who did not know this?

Oh, did I mention the table charge?  300 yen per person, which isn’t really much.

Because of the youthful, energetic atmosphere, my wife and I really enjoyed our time at Gladio, unfortunately we didn’t enjoy the food so much.  Gladio is part of a corporation, and besides St. Marc, I’ve yet to find a corporate restaurant that is worth revisiting, so this seems par for the course.

You may enjoy this restaurant much more than we did, but we see no reason for going back.  When we want Mexican food, we’ll head over to our favorite, Casa del Sol.

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UPDATE: Casa del Sol 022-265-7633

Website:  http://r.gnavi.co.jp/t042500/

If you haven’t read about Casa del Sol before, please read my earlier post HERE.

Address: 宮城県仙台市青葉区中央1-7-40 大野第一ビル5F.   Across from the AER Building.  There’s a little walkway entrance next to a gyoza restaurant.  Take the elevator to the fifth floor.  

Map:  Scroll down below.

Open:  5:00 pm – 11:30 pm.  Closed Sundays (except preceding a national holiday).

This is one of my original favorites and an update is long over due, especially since this restaurant receives the most hits on this blog.

But unfortunately, I really don’t have that much to add other than that the guacamole is still fantastic and an enjoyable time is still always had at this Casa.

I haven’t frequented Casa del Sol as often as I used to, but this restaurant is still the first restaurant I recommend when someone asks me for my #1 spot.

Last night, I felt like splurging a little and ordered the carne asada platter that consists of a thin beef steak, rice, salsa, jalapeño, and two flour tortillas, all for 1750 yen.  I know there are cheaper places to find a steak, but the tangible feeling of eating tortillas with my hands is something that takes me back to my childhood, so I don’t mind paying a little more for this.

Carne Asada:  カルネ・アサダ・デ・レス

The beef was tender and delicious, while the rice, though not authentic sopa de arroz, was a nice side.  The accompanying salsa had a nice flavor to it but did not register on any kind of spice-o-meter.  But the jalapeño?  This depends on who you ask.   

I was a sorry excuse of a Mexican as a child as I was never much of a chile eater (nor bean eater, either).  But I find the jalapeño at Casa del Sol to add a wonderful kick to the carne asada.  My wife, knowing my poor impression of being Mexican, was impressed with my ability to eat the jalapeño with ease.  So, she cut a one-centimeter sized cube and put it in her mouth.  I wish I would have had the camera out to capture her expression as she almost tried to spit it out and lunge for her water glass.  So use your own judgment on the jalapeño.

My wife went with her usual Mexican Burrito (and Margarita) and was quite content with both of her choices.

Mexican Burrito

Guacamole and Chips

A couple of months ago we had a small gathering for my friend’s birthday and were treated very well that evening.  I’ve added a photo that my friend Takayo Yamaguchi took of the delicious ice cream taco (my photo didn’t turn out so nice).  This ice cream taco is definitely not an authentic Mexican dessert, but it does make a wonderful finisher to a wonderful meal at Casa del Sol.

アイスのタコス　680円

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TOKYO: Frijoles (Mexican) フリホーレス03-6447-1433

Website: http://www.frijoles.jp

Address: 東京都港区六本木6-6-9ピラミデ１階.  

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Nondescript window of Frijoles in Roppongi

Open:  11 am to 10 pm.  Closed on the second Sunday of every month.

This was the first time I visited Frijoles in Roppongi, but I actually found this restaurant last year at their Azabu-Juban location.  At that time, I was thrilled with their interpretation of Mexican food, their all-English menu, and their delicious guacamole.  I recommended the Azabu-Juban site to anyone who told me they were going to Tokyo.  In retrospect, I think I was just a little too happy with finding something that was reminiscent of home.

This time, I wanted to be more judgmental rather than romanticizing this restaurant.

I ordered the three tacos:  two steak and one carnitas (pork).  I wanted to order the burrito, but I didn't like the fact that the rice inside was white rice with lime and cilantro.   White rice in Mexican food?   Adding cilantro makes it Mexican?  That’s like adding naan (pizza, bratwurst, etc.) to white rice and calling it Indian (Italian, German, etc.) cuisine. 

Also, the pinto beans had bacon bits!  Not my momma’s cooking.  That being said, my wife ate the vegetarian burrito and was quite pleased with it (BTW, my wife is not Mexican). 

The tacos were served on flour tortillas, breaking from the traditional corn tortillas, but since they were tasty I really didn’t have a problem with that (also, I prefer flour to corn tortillas).  

Guacamole, burrito, and tacos!

I requested the medium grade, green chili tomatillo salsa on two of my tacos.  This salsa was good with a bit of a kick to it.  On the third taco I went with the hot red arbol salsa.  I’ve never been much of a chili eater but I’ve noticed that many foods labeled “hot” or “spicy” in Japan don’t quite live up to their names.  Boy, was I proven wrong!  A true chili-eater won’t have a problem with this salsa.  I did.  It was hot!

All in all, the food was good!  Very good!  And I look forward to coming back here again, if I’m in the neighborhood.  If it were in Sendai I would probably be eating here quite often and it would make my “Recommended” list.  Will I take a special trip out of my way to eat here next time I’m in Tokyo?  Probably not.

***UPDATE OCT. 15, 2011:  Less than twenty-four hours after my original post of Frijoles I talked to my mother about this restaurant's food preparation.  I told her, "Can you believe that they served rice with cilantro and called it Mexican food?"  Her reply was "Yes, I've seen a lot of Mexican cooking shows lately where they are doing that."  Strike one.  I then tried with "Well, still, they put bacon bits in their beans!"  Mom said, "Most of the family makes their beans with bacon strips in it.   I'm about the only one who doesn't."  Strike two.  I have one more strike left.  But in my defense on the beans, I was such a picky eater as a kid that I wouldn't even eat my mother's beans.  It wasn't until I became an adult that I would eat refried beans, and I usually prefer the canned beans to homemade.  And since I was such a picky eater, I would rarely eat at someone else's house, so I wasn't exposed to the different styles of Mexican cooking. 

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Casa del Sol (Mexican) カーサ・デル・ソル 022-265-7633

Website:  http://r.gnavi.co.jp/t042500/


To read a more recent update on Casa del Sol, please click HERE.

Address: 宮城県仙台市青葉区中央1-7-40 大野第一ビル5F.   Across from the AER Building.  There’s a little walkway entrance next to a gyoza restaurant (see photo).  Take the elevator to the fifth floor.  

The entrance is to the left of the column

Map:  Scroll down to the bottom.

Open:  5:00 pm – 11:30 pm.  Closed Sundays (except preceding a national holiday).

Their guacamole is the best I’ve had in all of Japan and compares with restaurants back in East Los Angeles.   Though it’s difficult for any ethnic restaurant in Japan to be completely authentic, Casa del Sol does a very good job of coming quite close … usually.

Guacamole and Chips

Reservations are recommended as the restaurant is small, seating only about 20 people.  Unfortunately it’s NOT a smoke-free environment, and with the small confines it can be a bit irritating if you’re a non-smoker.

My wife likes the margaritas but she’s disappointed in that they aren’t served in traditional margarita glasses. 

Half full or half empty margarita

We’ve been regular customers since they opened in August of 2003 and I probably rank this restaurant as my favorite of the favorites.  I grew up on Mexican food and if I was really critical I would have to say that this is nowhere near my mother’s cooking.  But, Casa del Sol still makes me feel somewhat nostalgic every time I eat here.  Go with an open mind remembering that you’re not in Southern California (or any place where Mexican food is abundant) and I think you’ll be pleased.  

If you happen to sit at the bar next to the kitchen, look across from you and a little to the left and you’ll see a picture of me and my wife on the wall.  No, not the little kid in the sombrero, the other picture.  About six months after Casa del Sol opened, the owner said that we were his good luck charm.   Apparently in the beginning, every time we ate there the restaurant had a busy night.  He asked if he could take our picture to put up on the wall for good luck.  Nowadays, I think he just feels obligated to keep the picture up.                                         

Recommended platters:                 

Guacamole w/ tortilla chips (780 yen):  FANTASTIC!!!        

Tacos (420 yen each):  Mexican (ground beef taco: my favorite!), Chicken, Beef (pieces of beef steak), Chorizo (not sure because I’ve never ordered this.  Chorizo in Japan is a spicy weiner,which is completely different than East L.A. chorizo), Tomato & Avocado.      

Mexican Burrito (880 yen): Chicken & Beef burrito that comes without beans.        

Chicken Fingers (700 yen): Okay, so this is definitely not Mexican, but the honey mustard sauce is really good!

Carne Asada (1750 yen):  This may not be worth that much but I still like it simply because it reminds me of home and eating with tortillas.

Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard Sauce

Mexican Burrito

Mexican Tacos: without cheese, because I don't like cheese

Click on the above ぐるなび website and they sometimes will have a coupon offer for a half price taco or 500 yen discount per person.

Disclaimer:  Okay, I admit, the rice, beans, and some of the other items aren’t authentic.  But no one matches my mom’s sopa de arroz so I can’t blame them for trying.  And I’d gladly take a can of Juanita’s Refried Beans over what they serve here but, hey, this is Japan.  Stick with the guacamole and tacos and you’ll be happy.

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