Mexico City

I went to Mexico City in November. I stayed with my two friends and had a full Mexico City experience. I really enjoyed and loved the culture, food, and people there. I am extremely thankful for my friends that showed me around their favorite local spots and traditions. Here are some highlights, most of them food-related 😊

One of the mornings we went to Antigua Hacienda de Tlalpan for breakfast. This place is very cool. It used to be a real hacienda (some wealthy Spaniard’s vacation home back in the day), but now it has become a restaurant. Peacocks and a funny-looking bird roam the courtyard.     

One evening we went to Xochimilco to watch a night show/play called La Llorona. We took the trajineras (colorful boats, each has a name) and rode through these beautiful/scary canals in the dark between man-made islands to open water. Along with at least one hundred of these trajineras, we watched the play from the boat while the performance took place on an island. It was the first time I ever experienced something like this. In case you haven’t heard of it, the legend of La Llorona is a scary story that has many different versions and a wide variety of details.

Before going to watch the La Llorona Night Show, my friend’s mom made us chile relleno from scratch. It was phenomenal. I am not going say it was better than all of the chile relleno I have ever had because I’ve only had Americanized Mexican food before. I think it would be insulting to compare her homemade chile relleno to the same dish I have eaten previously.

Another really cool and fun restaurant that my friends took me to is called Restaurante Arroyo. My theory is that Casa Bonita stole the idea from this restaurant. Restaurante Arroyo is colorful and vibrant and packed with hundreds of patrons. My friends have been going to this restaurant since they were young. Every hour there is a mariachi band performing traditional dances and songs from each of the different Mexican states/cultures. I learned that each region in Mexico has its own traditional dance, songs, and style of clothing. My favorite dish was the Lamb Barbacoa which is covered with maguey leaves (agave) and cooked underground in the soil with bricks and coal.

As a tourist, I truly enjoyed the traditional mariachi singing and dancing at Restaurante Arroyo. I noticed that many younger folks were enjoying dancing and singing to these traditional songs. My friend’s teenage daughter was with us and I asked her if she knew and enjoyed the songs and dances. She said “Yes!” I was surprised by her answer because due to my Taiwanese and American upbringing and influence, it’s common for younger people to resist and reject anything that’s considered old and traditional. Besides some classic rock music that I listen to once in a while, I have no interest in anything that resembles my parents’ generation. My friend’s daughter told me that even though these traditional songs aren’t on her or her friends’ Spotify playlists, they grew up listening and dancing to these songs. They are very proud of their traditions, dances, stories, songs, and family. Instead of feeling embarrassed about these songs and dances, they celebrate them with their family. Her response was very eye-opening and beautiful.       

During my last day in Mexico, we went to the Moon and Sun Pyramids at Teotihuacan which is about an hour outside Mexico City. Since learning about the Egyptian pyramids at a young age, I’ve always been fascinated with them in general. It was my first time ever seeing and touching a big pyramid. As a history buff walking through the surroundings and grounds, I was astounded and kept imagining what life was like here thousands of years ago.

After the Pyramids, we literally drove across the street to a restaurant that’s in a big cave called La Gruta. I have been inside a handful of caves, but never eaten in one. It was beautiful inside the cave and the food was really good, too. Again, it was a huge new experience for me.

Throughout the trip, I saw so many street/market food carts and I wanted to try them all. I couldn’t eat from these carts due to my weak stomach. Maybe one day in the future, scientists will come up with a magic pill that allows you to eat any food in any country without getting sick. One can always wish 😊. Fortunately, I was still able to try many different local foods like tacos and home cooking. It was extremely refreshing to have traditional Mexican food. One of the things I love about Mexican cuisine is that they love fat, too. And, as a person who despises white meat, I truly their food 😊