Have you ever walked into a Mexican restaurant only to find it staffed entirely by Chinese people? For those of you outside the New York area, I’m sure the answer is no. Last week I wrote a piece about this subject for bushwickbk.com and thought it might be interesting to share with a wider audience. In 1991, motivated by the market saturation of Chinese restaurants, a Chinese immigrant named Mr. Zheng opened his first Fresco Tortillas on the eastside of Manhattan. His model was quickly copied and spread. These places are very cool because they are cheap, the tortillas are made fresh in house and compared to other fast food, they’re really nutritious.
At my local Fresh Taco I can get a black bean burrito with sour cream, guacamole, rice and cheese for $3.50. Like most Chinese take-out places, the menu is organized into a numeric system like A17 the Chicken Broccoli with melted cheese taco special.
Some critics of my original article, wondered why I would what to eat “fake” Mexican when I could have the real thing. To begin, there aren’t many places where you can get “the real thing” for $3.50. And I like odd fusion food, there’s something to learn eating one culture’s interpretation of another’s cuisine.
I’ve started to hear rumors that these places are popping up all over to the east coast. Have any of you seen them? What do you think?
Take a look at the most recent Newsweek for an article on a celebrity chef operating mobile Korean Burrito trucks in L.A...
ReplyDeleteIsnt Mexican food the best? Burrito is my favorite one. i fell in love with the food the first moment i ate taco bell when i was 8. everytime i come to ny via last minute travel i east at the same Mexican restaurant!
ReplyDeleteTaco Bell is as far for Mexican food as Chinese food as far as authenticity. sadly it is the best Mexican food New York City has to offer
DeleteNew York has a lot of Mexicans so there is also great Mexican food if you know where to look. I'll soon visit a place on 116th and 2nd that is rumored to be the best.
DeleteWhat's the name of the place?
ReplyDeleteI went to college in the Bronx, where me and my friends would order Fresh Tortillas regularly. It was cheap and delicious. The one we went to later started serving sushi and then onto falafels.
ReplyDeleteAfter college I moved down to dc, where I craved my beloved Chino-Latino food. Finally after years of living in the rich neighborhoods, I moved to the hood where a magical Chino Latino menu was delivered directly to my door. It was a magical moment.
Somehow ending up in Albany, NY, ten years later, I passed by a Mexican place that looked like a seedy Chinese place I would never go in. I was certain I had found my Chino Latinos again, and was completely correct.
One also opened up in Poughkeepsie, NY about three years ago. I only went once. It was sub-par.
I've never known anyone who hadn't lived in NYC for some period of time who has ever heard of this trend. I love it.