This beef tongue soup had lots of tender chunks of tongue swimming in a mild broth that I added chopped onion to as well as chopped cilantro and some squeezes of lemon wedges. I also added some hot sauce, and it all came together. The noteworthy features are that this place actually serves tongue soup, the tongue is well cooked and really tender, and I got a lot of tongue for the price.
Location: El Taco Asado, 440 El Cielo Road, Palm Springs, California. Date: July 22, 2023.
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These were center cut tenderloin medallions served on top of Veracruz white rice (which was slightly sticky rice with fresh corn kernels in it). The beef medallions had been glazed with tamarind, and the dish was served on a chile de arbol crema sauce that was savory, spicy, and creamy. The meat, which was cooked to a perfect medium rare, was garnished with what the menu called mango relish; I would call it mango slaw with thinly sliced red onion and green bell pepper. The chef came out to talk with me, and I asked him where the sugar cane came in. The answer I got was that the meat was cooked on sugar cane and/or the sugar cane had been used in the sauce; either way, it was not in the dish itself. I didn't mind the absence of the sugar cane because the dish was so delicious. The three medallions on rice made for a full lunch for me, but since it was on the appetizer menu, I can easily see it as a wonderful appetizer for three.
Location: Sol Agave, 262 S Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, California. Date: June 22, 2023. You can pick up and eat a regular Mexican sandwich with your hands, but the ahogada version is smothered in sauce, and while that kicks up the flavor to the ceiling, you do have to eat it with fork and knife. This vegetarian one was stuffed with sauteed slices of red onion and portobello and shitake mushrooms, small pieces of squash in chile pasilla, fresh diced tomato, pickled cabbage, and grilled slices of panela cheese. The menu also said there would be tofu, but I didn't detect any; instead, there were sweet kernels of corn which I thought was a nice addition. There was plenty of panela cheese for protein, so I don't think tofu was necessary anyway. The inside of the top bun half was spread with jalapeño mayo and the bottom half with creamy refried beans. The red chili sauce poured over the sandwich was quite spicy, but you'll get no complaint from me there! This sandwich had sourness, spicy heat, savoriness (I detected some oregano), chewiness from the cheese, and lots of moisture from the sauce. The top photo shows the sandwich as served, and the bottom one exposes the filling after I moved the top. This extremely delectable sandwich was garnished with fresh radish slices.
Location: Low Desert, Smoke Tree Village, 1775 E Palm Canyon Drive, Ste 405, Palm Springs, California. Date: June 8, 2023. This specialty of Guadalajara was the real deal: the drowned sandwich was smothered in delicious tomato sauce, which had cumin, chile de arbol, and vinegar in it, and the birria was the traditional goat meat, not a beef substitute. The meat tasted like it had some sweet spice in it, but I often think this when tasting Mexican meat dishes even though it's not often the case. Apart from the goat meat, the sandwich came stuffed with tomato, lettuce, avocado, onion, and pickled jalapeňo slices. The sandwich was spicy, savory, there was tartness from the sauce, and because the bread was drowned, it was incredibly moist. This one ranks up there with the best Mexican style sandwiches I've had.
Location: El Taco Asado, 440 S El Cielo Road, Ste 19, Palm Springs, California. Date: May 29, 2023. I love nopales, which are the paddles of the prickly pear cactus, and Las Palmas delivered with this dish from their breakfast menu (though breakfast there is all day, so I actually ate this dish for lunch). On the menu it's described as cactus and egg with rice and beans, but that really doesn't do this dish justice. It was grilled and chopped nopales mixed with scrambled egg and a little finely chopped tomato, onion, and green chile. There was sourness and a little crunch from the nopales and just a touch of heat from the chiles. The beans were creamy, and the Mexican rice was colored with tomato (I detected some tomato skin in it). I squeezed a couple of lime wedges onto the dish, and the flavors really popped.
Location: Las Palmas Mexican Restaurant, 55792 Twentynine Palms Hwy, Yucca Valley, California. Date: April 15, 2023. These fish tacos are what you would expect: a piece of fried fish with chopped cabbage, picco de gallo (chopped tomato, onion, and green chile), served on a corn tortilla with a wedge of lime for squeezing. What sets these fish tacos apart is that they're served with Spanish potatoes. I think these potatoes were deep fried with skin on, smashed, and then garnished with crispy fried shallot slices and crumbled cotija cheese. Both the tacos and the potatoes were served with what I think was chipotle mayo. Patatas Bravas would usually be served in Spain with a sauce flavored with spicy smoked paprika, but that wasn't the case at this Mexican restaurant; however, I applaud their attempt at serving Spanish style potatoes, and they let me know that they think that this is what sets them apart from other Mexican restaurants in the area.
Location: Jalisco Restaurant, next to Jalisco Tires on Indian Canyon, Desert Hot Springs, California. Date: April 7, 2023. This is my last dish before leaving for vacation in Nicaragua, and I got me some tongue. Beef tongue got expensive, and I don't see it as much now on restaurant menus, so when I saw the Lengua Burrito on the menu at Boys, I went for it. Boys serves hamburgers and other American food as well as some Greek and Mexican. My burrito had refried beans and rice inside as well as chopped fresh onion and cilantro. The amount of beautiful tender tongue was impressive; in fact, I think that was the best cooked tongue I've ever had (and I've had my fair share). They put a bottle of green salsa and a bottle of red on the table. The red one was better and provided some heat. The onion provided some fresh crunch, and the beans were creamy. Because the burrito was mainly tongue with some rice and beans, it was very protein forward, but it was surprisingly light and easy to eat. The burrito was, of course, wrapped in a flour tortilla. I unwrapped it somewhat for the photo.
Location: Boys Hamburgers, 68100 E Ramon Road, Cathedral City, California. Date: February 11, 2023. The ceviche was shrimp, ahi tuna, and scallops with chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, and chile serrano. There was a fresh seafood taste that just got better as I ate. The shrimp were halved lengthwise, the tuna was diced, and the scallops seemed to be whole. The tamarind salsa was both a marinade and a tangy dressing. The dish was topped with half a sliced avocado garnished with sesame seeds. It was served in a bowl like poke but without rice. At first I was a bit underwhelmed, but by the time I'd finished this healthy dish some really good flavor, with some heat from the chile, lingered in my mouth.
Location: Low Desert, 1775 E Palm Canyon Drive, Ste 405, Palm Springs, California. Date: February 8, 2023. For my trio of street tacos, which are defined by small corn tortillas, I chose Al Pastor, Grilled Shrimp, and Vegetarian. Because I was there at lunch, I got a free side. The bartender said that the corn was his favorite, so that's what I got. The Al Pastor was adobo pork with pineapple chimichurri, the Grilled Shrimp was marinated in chipotle and served with cabbage, pico de gallo, and chipotle mayo, and the Vegetarian was finely chopped portobello and shitake mushrooms, squash in chile pasilla, tofu, tomato, onion, and panela cheese. The Al Pastor was amazing. When I bit into it, the tangy pineapple chimichurri splashed all over my shirt. I love it when that happens! The Grilled Shrimp was a bit disappointing as I failed to detect much chipotle. The Vegetarian was interesting. I could taste mushroom, even though I couldn't see much, and the panela cheese came as a thick slice that had been grilled. The corn side dish also came with grilled panela cheese which lent smokiness. I may give the shrimp a pass next time, but I'll definitely be back for the juicy Al Pastor.
Location: Low Desert Modern Mexican, 1775 E Palm Canyon Drive, Ste 405, Palm Springs, California. Date: February 4, 2023. A Mexican lady I met in a bar in Palm Springs told me about this restaurant, and specifically about this dish, and I'm glad she did. Pepena is a dish of chopped organ meats in a spicy red sauce. Mine included heart, liver, kidney, and beef intestine (I presume the other meats were harvested from pig). The aroma wafted wonderfully as the plate was put in front of me. The organ meats were tender and delicious, and that included the intestine which was a little sweet and not funky at all. The sauce was definitely spicy, but it wasn't too much spice for me until a few hours later. The dish came with refried beans garnished with grated Mexican cheese. I also got chips and salsa, but this salsa was green, hot, and sour. It was so good I had to eat it all. The meal also came with thick white corn tortillas that were obviously house made. The whole meal was healthy and delicious.
Location: Plaza Garibaldi, 50057 Harrison Street, Coachella, California. Date: January 7, 2023. |
AuthorChef Roland has been a legal resident of seven countries and has travelled in over thirty, documenting food along the way. He currently resides in the desert in Southern California. Categories
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