Tex - Mex - The Missing Cuisine

Bombay being the massive city that it is has a multitude of cultures and cuisines available much like New York City. One of the more popular NYC cuisines missing from Bombay is Tex-Mex. Tex-Mex is Americanized Mexican cuisine, heavy on the chicken, pork, beef, beans, salsa, sour cream, tortillas & guacamole.

The most popular tex-mex dishes are Chili, Enchiladas, Quesadillas, Chalupas, Burritos, Fajitas, Tacos, (soft shell and hard shell) served with tortillas salsa (regular or picante-hot) and guacamole made from avocados. Side dishes normally include referitos (refried beans) mashed potato's, chilli, mexican rice, charred beans, black beans.

Like any cuisine there is a related beverage service, unfortunately no one in Bombay so far makes a decent Margarita, although you do get Corona here(Dos Equis or XX is another good Mexican beer) Lemonade and Bloody Mary are other drinks that go well with Mexican food.

As a college student in N.America, Mexican food was on the cards very often. Post 12 am when you are in the hankering for fast food Taco Bell was a popular choice. Although taco bell is nothing close to proper tex-mex. There are fabulous options across North America and even England to experience this cuisine the way it should be.

On a Christmas trip to Yuma, Arizona(the pregnancy capital of America WITHOUT my contributions I might add) I once crossed the border and illegally entered, lived in Mexico for two weeks, it was probably the first time someone did THAT.

Having had Mexican food (in Mexico DF they serve termites much like our Singh-Chana all roasted and salted) in Mexico I would safely say that I prefer the tex-mex variety (eating a cactus somewhere in Guadalajara will do that to you)

India serves truncated versions of the tex-mex cuisine and is nowhere in the same league. The nachos are too bare (Tex-Mex nachos are served on a massive plate topped with beans, tomato’s, sour cream etc) the enchiladas too sweet and corn heavy. There arent enough choices with fillings, entrées or side dishes, no referitos or Mexican rice and no one uses Monterrey Jack cheese.

Back in the day there existed El Mexicano as well as Casa Mexicana both in Bombay based 5 stars but they have ceased to be a long time ago. As of now most tex-mex dishes are served in blanket fast food restaurants where there isn’t a focus or expertise on any one cuisine.

Of late places such as TGI Friday, Ruby Tuesday have opened doors but the cost of eating in these places is having to well EAT in these places (both are amongst the worst restaurants opened in this city chain or otherwise) The Hard Rock Cafe is an interesting enough place which offers some Tex-Mex fare. Its not one of the more glamorous cuisines therefore I think people are a bit slow to look at it on a establishment backed scale.

Some of the better restaurants abroad for Mexican food are the Don Pablo’s Chain (USA) as well as Il Cantina (Leicester Square in London and Texan Embassy near the National Art Gallery just off Trafalgar Square) There are numerous tex-mex places all over California and Texas. One can drive into Mexico from these states for some real Mexican fare.

Such opportunities for Bombayites are presently lacking.