Showing posts with label Honduran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Honduran. Show all posts
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Openings and Closings on the Southwest Side
Bansuri Indian Food Corner is currently closed and will be re-opening in Sugar Land. The way I read the announcement on the website, it seems they're going all brick and mortar on us eventually.
A new truck has been parked in Bansuri's long time spot on S. Wilcrest, Yashoda Chat Express, and has a menu posted that is very similar to what Bansuri offered. I haven't caught it open yet.
The Chili Shak, Fondren at S. Braeswood has closed. That is a location that has failed a couple of times now.
Yemeni Cafe, Beechnut at Wilcrest, has closed after only a few months. The restaurant was a long way from where most of the Gulf States expats reside in Houston and drew little attention, I enjoyed a Fattah Lahm and some Yemeni tea there before it closed.
Mo's Knock-out Grill in the Medical Center area has closed. I'm very sorry to see that one go.
Edit to add: Pupusa Baleada Buffet has been open for several months at 7303 Bissonnett @ Lugary, apparently riffing on the success of the Pupusa Buffet restaurants on the SW side. Actually a baleada buffet sounds like a good idea, I much prefer the Honduran over the Salvadoran specialty. I haven't been.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Comida Tipica Hondurena - El Caracol - Mobile
Currently located at Bissonnet and Hillcroft
For some reason, Honduran operators prefer buses over trucks but this is a smaller one than the other units I've seen, although it does have a bigger menu.
The man on board was very friendly and spoke good English. He wanted to make sure I understood this was not Mexican food. I went for the pastelitos, Honduran empanadas, and a Balleada Sensilla or simple balleada. Sopa de Caracol, conch soup, is supposed to be Honduras's national dish but the Balleada surely must be the national snack food. I fell in love with them on first bite - a simple, always fresh-made, four tortilla, folded over a simple filling of refritos rojos, crema and queso. I've never bothered with the more elaborate creations because this is so satisfying.
A glob of fresh masa dough was pressed out right in front of me on the same sort of tortilla press I have at home, then teased out to about 10" in diameter. Just as I thought he was going to start tossing it in the air like pizza dough, he lightly greased a hot griddle and slapped it down. It began to puff up almost immediately. It was turned over after a couple of minutes and quickly browned on the other side, picking up a little charring. Then a half cup of refritos rojos was smeared on one half, crema was drizzled over it all and, unfortunately, powdered cheese was sprinkled on. Honduras is not noted for it's cheeses; it's probably a good thing they typically use Mexican cotija or even powdered parmesan. The balleada was folded over, wrapped in tin foil and set aside while the pastelitos were deep fried.
They came out of little paper pockets, i.e., were not freshly made on-board, but whether they were store bought or not, I don't know. These were deep fried (4 of them), then placed in the plate, freshly grated cabbage, grated on a mandoline right in front of me and a generous amount of close to 2 cups, was layered on top, some warm tomato sauce was ladled over, a little crema was drizzled, I think, then the ubiquitous Honduran condiment which another Honduran restauranteur has confirmed is nothing but mayo and ketchup was also drizzled on, fortunately with restraint, and the ubiquitous beet-red pickled onions are added and I was good to go.
Some Honduran places slather on the mayo/ketchup sauce with abandon, the way mediocre barbecue joints pour on the sauce to make up for mediocre meat, so I'm always glad to find a place that applies it with restraint - a little goes a long way.
As with anything involving beans, the quality of the beans matters a lot; I've had some outstanding frijoles rojos at Salvadoran places, where they use a special variety, I think, called silk beans. This balleada was not the best I've had, nor the worst; it certainly was large, but the beans were a little bland. These things can vary also when American style sour cream is substituted for crema, overwhelming the rest of the ingredients, and cotija is used instead of powdered cheese.
Generally, Honduran food, which very closely resembles Tex-Mex in some ways, is very bland, one of my biggest complaints. The best pastelitos I've encountered had a nicely spicy mix of ground beef and rice, but these, with a filling of rice, ground beef and potato, were quite bland.
The bus disappeared right after I had visited it the first time but I happened across it a couple of weeks later at a new location on Bissonnet at Hillcroft. There was a woman on board who spoke no English. I tried the Honduran tacos, another of my favorite Honduran foods, similar to a Mexican flauta with a rolled flour tortilla filled with either shredded chicken or ground beef. These are great when the tortilla is not too thick, I think, and there's a better balance of meat to tortilla. The tortillas in these, which were pre-made but made on the bus, were as thick as huaraches. I didn't care for them much at all. The woman also was of the slather-on-the-ketchup and mayo- persuasion and I couldn't think of the word for Enough! in Spanish quick enough.
One thing I did notice right away about this bus's menu is the Pollo Frito con Tajadas, i.e., banana chips. I've tried this at every Honduran restaurant I've visited and always been pleased with the sides but very disappointed in the chicken itself; it has always come out very tough, almost unchewable in one instance, so I don't know if I'll ever try it here.
For some reason, Honduran operators prefer buses over trucks but this is a smaller one than the other units I've seen, although it does have a bigger menu.
The man on board was very friendly and spoke good English. He wanted to make sure I understood this was not Mexican food. I went for the pastelitos, Honduran empanadas, and a Balleada Sensilla or simple balleada. Sopa de Caracol, conch soup, is supposed to be Honduras's national dish but the Balleada surely must be the national snack food. I fell in love with them on first bite - a simple, always fresh-made, four tortilla, folded over a simple filling of refritos rojos, crema and queso. I've never bothered with the more elaborate creations because this is so satisfying.A glob of fresh masa dough was pressed out right in front of me on the same sort of tortilla press I have at home, then teased out to about 10" in diameter. Just as I thought he was going to start tossing it in the air like pizza dough, he lightly greased a hot griddle and slapped it down. It began to puff up almost immediately. It was turned over after a couple of minutes and quickly browned on the other side, picking up a little charring. Then a half cup of refritos rojos was smeared on one half, crema was drizzled over it all and, unfortunately, powdered cheese was sprinkled on. Honduras is not noted for it's cheeses; it's probably a good thing they typically use Mexican cotija or even powdered parmesan. The balleada was folded over, wrapped in tin foil and set aside while the pastelitos were deep fried.
They came out of little paper pockets, i.e., were not freshly made on-board, but whether they were store bought or not, I don't know. These were deep fried (4 of them), then placed in the plate, freshly grated cabbage, grated on a mandoline right in front of me and a generous amount of close to 2 cups, was layered on top, some warm tomato sauce was ladled over, a little crema was drizzled, I think, then the ubiquitous Honduran condiment which another Honduran restauranteur has confirmed is nothing but mayo and ketchup was also drizzled on, fortunately with restraint, and the ubiquitous beet-red pickled onions are added and I was good to go.
Some Honduran places slather on the mayo/ketchup sauce with abandon, the way mediocre barbecue joints pour on the sauce to make up for mediocre meat, so I'm always glad to find a place that applies it with restraint - a little goes a long way.
As with anything involving beans, the quality of the beans matters a lot; I've had some outstanding frijoles rojos at Salvadoran places, where they use a special variety, I think, called silk beans. This balleada was not the best I've had, nor the worst; it certainly was large, but the beans were a little bland. These things can vary also when American style sour cream is substituted for crema, overwhelming the rest of the ingredients, and cotija is used instead of powdered cheese.
Generally, Honduran food, which very closely resembles Tex-Mex in some ways, is very bland, one of my biggest complaints. The best pastelitos I've encountered had a nicely spicy mix of ground beef and rice, but these, with a filling of rice, ground beef and potato, were quite bland.
The bus disappeared right after I had visited it the first time but I happened across it a couple of weeks later at a new location on Bissonnet at Hillcroft. There was a woman on board who spoke no English. I tried the Honduran tacos, another of my favorite Honduran foods, similar to a Mexican flauta with a rolled flour tortilla filled with either shredded chicken or ground beef. These are great when the tortilla is not too thick, I think, and there's a better balance of meat to tortilla. The tortillas in these, which were pre-made but made on the bus, were as thick as huaraches. I didn't care for them much at all. The woman also was of the slather-on-the-ketchup and mayo- persuasion and I couldn't think of the word for Enough! in Spanish quick enough.
One thing I did notice right away about this bus's menu is the Pollo Frito con Tajadas, i.e., banana chips. I've tried this at every Honduran restaurant I've visited and always been pleased with the sides but very disappointed in the chicken itself; it has always come out very tough, almost unchewable in one instance, so I don't know if I'll ever try it here.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Antojitos Hondurenos - revisited
Antojitos Hondurenos, parked a block north of 59 on Fondren, in front of what used to be a Grandy’s. A very large bus...
With a rather small menu....
The obscured Refresco is Banana, the item at the top of the Menu is Pollo con Tajadas.
Add this one to the list of our international taco trucks; I just spotted it recently. They weren’t able to do tacos the first time I stopped in (Honduran tacos are rolled, like Mexican flautas) so I went for, from the top left, a Pastelito de carne, Enchilada, and Baleada.
Baleadas are a popular street snack in Honduras and I always have one at Las Hamacas. It’s a thick, warm flour tortilla, folded over a filling of refritos rojos, crema and cheese, a very satisfying comfort food snack. This version was very large and the tortilla was very dense and dry; on my first bite I thought “I’ve been served a buckwheat pancake baleada.” The whole thing was quite dry; the refritos are apparently made with minimal fat and there was very little crema and queso; the queso was possibly powdered, at any rate finely ground instead of crumbled.. This was a disappointment and i wouldn’t order one again here.
The pastelito was better; there’s a small fried meat pie buried under there. At least it’s supposed to be meat - I got only a small taste of meat in the filling which was a pale green mush. I’me sure mashed potatoes or maybe casava were part of it but couldn’t figure out what else there was, maybe mashed peas? On top was a generous amount of finely shredded cabbage, pickled red onion (and one slice of a red, pickled cucumber), some pickled jalapeno, and, unfortunately, the powdered cheese in a tomato/chili sauce that had a very modest amount of heat. This was not bad, better than the baleada although the pastelito got soggy from the topping.
The enchilada was the best thing I had. Honduran enchiladas are like Tex-Mex Tostadas in appearance and taste, minus any refritos. The carne molida was mildly seasoned but much like taco meat; there was some dice of boiled potatoes in the mix also.
I also tried the Uva, pronounced OO ah, a Honduran fresco which turned out to be a grape soda. The label says made with either sugar or corn syrup; mine was sugar. It was mildly carbonated. The Mirindo is an orange soda according to the man but I don’t know if the Banana and Horchata are bottled or what. I was expecting something like Mexican aguasfrescas or licuadas.
This came to $7.25 (there’s no price list posted). The man at the window, the manager, perhaps owner, spoke pretty good English so there was very minimal problem communicating. He said they will be open 7 days. I’ve seen them with a good line around lunch time.
Reeling from a visit to a spectacularly awful, overpriced taqueria a few days later I was a bit shy of trying any place unproven but gave this place another try and went for the Chuleta con Tajadas. Antojito? This was a full meal, not an appetizer. Two small, breaded pork chops, a little past medium but not too dry, with the side of shredded cabbage, tomatoes, red onions, mild, pickled jalapeno slices and mayo/chili sauce dressing, all on a bed of sauteed plantanos covering the entire bottom of the container. A generous amount of food for $7.50.
I recommend the Chuleta and Enchilada especially and I’ll be back to try some of the other offerings in the future.
Update 8/23/9 - visited again and again had the Chuleta con tajadas. The portion was perhaps a bit smaller, there was no tomato or jalapeno, and the pork chops were very salty, otherwise this remains a very good choice.
According to the t-shirts being worn by all the staff this location is 7171 Fondren and there is another unit at 9713 Airline. I have not been to that location.
With a rather small menu....
The obscured Refresco is Banana, the item at the top of the Menu is Pollo con Tajadas.
Add this one to the list of our international taco trucks; I just spotted it recently. They weren’t able to do tacos the first time I stopped in (Honduran tacos are rolled, like Mexican flautas) so I went for, from the top left, a Pastelito de carne, Enchilada, and Baleada.
Baleadas are a popular street snack in Honduras and I always have one at Las Hamacas. It’s a thick, warm flour tortilla, folded over a filling of refritos rojos, crema and cheese, a very satisfying comfort food snack. This version was very large and the tortilla was very dense and dry; on my first bite I thought “I’ve been served a buckwheat pancake baleada.” The whole thing was quite dry; the refritos are apparently made with minimal fat and there was very little crema and queso; the queso was possibly powdered, at any rate finely ground instead of crumbled.. This was a disappointment and i wouldn’t order one again here.
The pastelito was better; there’s a small fried meat pie buried under there. At least it’s supposed to be meat - I got only a small taste of meat in the filling which was a pale green mush. I’me sure mashed potatoes or maybe casava were part of it but couldn’t figure out what else there was, maybe mashed peas? On top was a generous amount of finely shredded cabbage, pickled red onion (and one slice of a red, pickled cucumber), some pickled jalapeno, and, unfortunately, the powdered cheese in a tomato/chili sauce that had a very modest amount of heat. This was not bad, better than the baleada although the pastelito got soggy from the topping.
The enchilada was the best thing I had. Honduran enchiladas are like Tex-Mex Tostadas in appearance and taste, minus any refritos. The carne molida was mildly seasoned but much like taco meat; there was some dice of boiled potatoes in the mix also.
I also tried the Uva, pronounced OO ah, a Honduran fresco which turned out to be a grape soda. The label says made with either sugar or corn syrup; mine was sugar. It was mildly carbonated. The Mirindo is an orange soda according to the man but I don’t know if the Banana and Horchata are bottled or what. I was expecting something like Mexican aguasfrescas or licuadas.
This came to $7.25 (there’s no price list posted). The man at the window, the manager, perhaps owner, spoke pretty good English so there was very minimal problem communicating. He said they will be open 7 days. I’ve seen them with a good line around lunch time.
Reeling from a visit to a spectacularly awful, overpriced taqueria a few days later I was a bit shy of trying any place unproven but gave this place another try and went for the Chuleta con Tajadas. Antojito? This was a full meal, not an appetizer. Two small, breaded pork chops, a little past medium but not too dry, with the side of shredded cabbage, tomatoes, red onions, mild, pickled jalapeno slices and mayo/chili sauce dressing, all on a bed of sauteed plantanos covering the entire bottom of the container. A generous amount of food for $7.50.
I recommend the Chuleta and Enchilada especially and I’ll be back to try some of the other offerings in the future.
Update 8/23/9 - visited again and again had the Chuleta con tajadas. The portion was perhaps a bit smaller, there was no tomato or jalapeno, and the pork chops were very salty, otherwise this remains a very good choice.
According to the t-shirts being worn by all the staff this location is 7171 Fondren and there is another unit at 9713 Airline. I have not been to that location.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Coquitos - Comida Hondurena
6121 - V Hillcroft, between Gulfton and Westward
I went to Coquitos the first time almost a year ago to try the Sopa de Caracol, the conch soup that is a Honduran specialty and is advertised in the window. The waitress said they didn’t have it the day I was there and when I asked for a recommendation suggested Sopa de Gallina, the hen soup, and that proved to be a satisfying and fortuitous choice. Steaming hot with large, bone-in pieces of white and dark meat with large chunks of carrot, yuca, plantain, potato and cabbage in a rich broth with a side of white rice and 2 thick, hand-made corn tortillas, it was very good. The vegetable pieces were so large it was almost necessary to use a knife and fork to eat the soup. I was feeling a little under the weather that day and though I hadn’t expected it the Sopa de Gallina proved to be just what the Doctor ordered. Plus with all the starch, it was very filling and a good bargain.
On a subsequent visit I tried the pastelitos for an appetizer - Honduran style empanadas made with corn meal (arepas) like those of Venezuela and Columbia. They were stuffed with a ground meat and rice mixture and almost full size but were lacking in seasoning. They were accompanied by a generous portion of a shredded cabbage salad with marinated red bell pepper, a warm tomato dressing and shredded queso. It was very good and at only $3.75, was very filling, almost enough for a whole meal. I had also ordered Casiamento con Coco, a rice and beans dish cooked in coconut milk, the Honduran version of Jamaican rice ‘n peas with the addition of onion and bell pepper and a more generous use of coconut milk. It was accompanied by some avocado and queso and corn tortillas. I was so full from the appetizer I wound up taking most of this home and discovered it’s much better reheated the next day.
Meanwhile I had seen the Pollo Frito being served and it looked very good and I planned to return to try that. I also noticed Mondongo on the menu, the Central American term for Menudo, and some other dishes that looked interesting.
I only got around to going back for the Pollo Frito recently. The restaurant has been spiffed up a bit with table cloths on some of the tables and additional seating. I was there around 2pm and the place was very busy, in part because there was only one server and one cook and they were running way behind.
The menu has also changed, or at least been reprinted and organized a little better. There are now Baleadas on the menu which I don’t recall from before. There are three to choose from with the basic one called Baleadas Regulares. I ordered just the basic Baleada as an appetizer but wished I had tried one of the ones with some add-ins; the ones I saw being served looked spectacular. I think the daily lunch specials portion of the menu is gone, too, and there are more Mariscos.
The Pollo Frito consisted of 2 small pieces, a leg and thigh. Like this dish at the other Honduran restaurants I have tried, it was overcooked, though not as badly. It was a very dark brown color; the skin and flesh of the thigh had been scored but whether that was to facilitate even cooking or easier eating I don’t know. It wasn’t quite as dried out as what I’ve had elsewhere but so well done on the exterior that it was kind of like eating a cross between chicharron and chicken. This too comes with a big pile of the cabbage salad with a simple warm tomato dressing; some online sources say is it is common in Honduran cooking that this is nothing more than canned tomato sauce. This is all served over a bed of banana chips that have been lightly sauteed to crisp them up only slightly. I’ll have to give this Pollo Frito another try before deciding where it belongs in my Chicken Fried Odyssey rankings.
Honduran food is not spicy but my main complaint here is blandness. Everything is underseasoned. As I’ve been trying to lose weight for a year and half now I’ve weaned myself off an over-dependence on salt. One of the benefits of eating lots of ethic foods is the seasonings and spices make it interesting and flavorful without the use of salt and pepper and there are many small ethnic eateries where S&P are not on the tables at all. But at Coquitos, I need to reach for the salt; just a little helps a lot. I guess if you’re actually on a salt-restricted diet, that’s good. There is Tabasco on the tables but I’ve never used it and also soy sauce - the menu for instance lists Shap Suey con Pollo o con Cameron. The food I’ve had here so far is not quite as good as at another local group of Honduran restaurants but on the other hand, you don’t have to deal with a deafening juke box at Coquitos.
One nice touch is the coffee. It’s always been prepared fresh when I’ve ordered it and may be a special Honduran variety; it’s presented with a small pitcher of warm milk.
The restaurant is clean but not fancy; not every waitress speaks English but the menu has full English translations. Parking in front is very tight. The menu and business cards and sign on the exterior read Coquitos but one sign in the window and the b4 listing is for El Coquito.
I went to Coquitos the first time almost a year ago to try the Sopa de Caracol, the conch soup that is a Honduran specialty and is advertised in the window. The waitress said they didn’t have it the day I was there and when I asked for a recommendation suggested Sopa de Gallina, the hen soup, and that proved to be a satisfying and fortuitous choice. Steaming hot with large, bone-in pieces of white and dark meat with large chunks of carrot, yuca, plantain, potato and cabbage in a rich broth with a side of white rice and 2 thick, hand-made corn tortillas, it was very good. The vegetable pieces were so large it was almost necessary to use a knife and fork to eat the soup. I was feeling a little under the weather that day and though I hadn’t expected it the Sopa de Gallina proved to be just what the Doctor ordered. Plus with all the starch, it was very filling and a good bargain.
On a subsequent visit I tried the pastelitos for an appetizer - Honduran style empanadas made with corn meal (arepas) like those of Venezuela and Columbia. They were stuffed with a ground meat and rice mixture and almost full size but were lacking in seasoning. They were accompanied by a generous portion of a shredded cabbage salad with marinated red bell pepper, a warm tomato dressing and shredded queso. It was very good and at only $3.75, was very filling, almost enough for a whole meal. I had also ordered Casiamento con Coco, a rice and beans dish cooked in coconut milk, the Honduran version of Jamaican rice ‘n peas with the addition of onion and bell pepper and a more generous use of coconut milk. It was accompanied by some avocado and queso and corn tortillas. I was so full from the appetizer I wound up taking most of this home and discovered it’s much better reheated the next day.
Meanwhile I had seen the Pollo Frito being served and it looked very good and I planned to return to try that. I also noticed Mondongo on the menu, the Central American term for Menudo, and some other dishes that looked interesting.
I only got around to going back for the Pollo Frito recently. The restaurant has been spiffed up a bit with table cloths on some of the tables and additional seating. I was there around 2pm and the place was very busy, in part because there was only one server and one cook and they were running way behind.
The menu has also changed, or at least been reprinted and organized a little better. There are now Baleadas on the menu which I don’t recall from before. There are three to choose from with the basic one called Baleadas Regulares. I ordered just the basic Baleada as an appetizer but wished I had tried one of the ones with some add-ins; the ones I saw being served looked spectacular. I think the daily lunch specials portion of the menu is gone, too, and there are more Mariscos.
The Pollo Frito consisted of 2 small pieces, a leg and thigh. Like this dish at the other Honduran restaurants I have tried, it was overcooked, though not as badly. It was a very dark brown color; the skin and flesh of the thigh had been scored but whether that was to facilitate even cooking or easier eating I don’t know. It wasn’t quite as dried out as what I’ve had elsewhere but so well done on the exterior that it was kind of like eating a cross between chicharron and chicken. This too comes with a big pile of the cabbage salad with a simple warm tomato dressing; some online sources say is it is common in Honduran cooking that this is nothing more than canned tomato sauce. This is all served over a bed of banana chips that have been lightly sauteed to crisp them up only slightly. I’ll have to give this Pollo Frito another try before deciding where it belongs in my Chicken Fried Odyssey rankings.
Honduran food is not spicy but my main complaint here is blandness. Everything is underseasoned. As I’ve been trying to lose weight for a year and half now I’ve weaned myself off an over-dependence on salt. One of the benefits of eating lots of ethic foods is the seasonings and spices make it interesting and flavorful without the use of salt and pepper and there are many small ethnic eateries where S&P are not on the tables at all. But at Coquitos, I need to reach for the salt; just a little helps a lot. I guess if you’re actually on a salt-restricted diet, that’s good. There is Tabasco on the tables but I’ve never used it and also soy sauce - the menu for instance lists Shap Suey con Pollo o con Cameron. The food I’ve had here so far is not quite as good as at another local group of Honduran restaurants but on the other hand, you don’t have to deal with a deafening juke box at Coquitos.
One nice touch is the coffee. It’s always been prepared fresh when I’ve ordered it and may be a special Honduran variety; it’s presented with a small pitcher of warm milk.
The restaurant is clean but not fancy; not every waitress speaks English but the menu has full English translations. Parking in front is very tight. The menu and business cards and sign on the exterior read Coquitos but one sign in the window and the b4 listing is for El Coquito.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Las Hamacas
8541 Gulf Freeway @ Monroe and other locations
I first went to Las Hamacas for the fried chicken. Well, why not? I had visited another Honduran restaurant, Coquitos, and been impressed enough with the food to want to try more Honduran cuisine and read on b4-u-eat.com that the fried chicken at Las Hamacas was very good. I first went to the location on Gessner at Harwin, the one closest to me. Right away it became apparent the complaints on b4 about the loud jukebox were not just the ravings of some cranky, picky diners. The jukebox was not only loud, it got louder with each selection until it reached a point of being almost intolerable, then muted considerably on the next number. Obviously, it’s programmed to do that. The food would have to be incredible for me to return to that location.
Fortunately I’ve found the Gulf Freeway location, while it can be loud, is no were near as unpleasant and I’ve made all my subsequent visits to that location.
Back to the negatives, though. I’ve had the Pollo Frito twice now, once at the Gessner location, and both times it’s been disappointing. It is offered two ways, I recommend getting it on the bed of banana chips (tajadas). It comes covered in shredded cabbage (the Central American curtido) and a plain tomato sauce. While the tajadas were excellent the chicken was dry, having been cooked in advance, I think, and held under a heat lamp too long. On a visit to the Gulf Freeway location I got the additional arroz, frijoles and aguacate (pictured on this post) and didn’t get the tajadas. This time the breast/wing piece came out looking absolutely gorgeous, glistening with just a little bit of the oil, but the meat was terribly dry and tough, practically needing a steak knife to cut. I’ve given up on the Pollo Frito at Las Hamacas.
But everything else I’ve had there has been very good. I’ve always gotten the Baleadas Sencilla, a thick warm flour tortilla smeared with frijoles rojos and sprinkled with some grated queso duro, a hard, salty cheese very much like parmesan, then folded over. It’s a popular street food in Honduras and very satisfying - warm flour tortillas and refritos are comfort food and I can’t pass it up. You can also get a Baleadas Especiales with with meat, eggs, crema and avocado.
I’ve also tried the Bandeja Catracha, described on the menu as a Honduran casserole. Catracha is a nickname for the Honduran people and like the Bandeja Montanero of Colombian restaurants, this is a combo plate which includes scrambled eggs, refritos rojos, carne frita, arroz, aguacate, queso and tajadas de plantanos instead of bananas. This was all good except that the skirt steak the time I got it had some gristle. I prefer the banana chips over the plantanos here.
On my most recent visit I ordered entirely off the appetizer menu, getting the Mix Hondureno in addition to the Baleadas (all pictured above). This included a pastelito (Honduran meat pie, snack sized), Honduran style enchilada (very similar to a Tex-Mex tostada) and Honduran taco, basically an oversized taquito. All of this was served on a plate covered with the encurtido and sprinkled with some cheese. The flavors bear a strong resemblance to Tex-Mex. Honduran food is not spicy but there are bottles of Tabasco on every table, perhaps a sop to Texans. I haven't used any of it.
The best thing on this plate was the pastelito, made with corn dough and stuffed with a ground meat and potato mixture, probably the same one which topped the enchilada. The taco meat was chicken which I understand is first stewed then crisped up a little on a grill. The corn tortillas used for both the taco and enchilada were very thick and soaked up a lot of oil in the cooking process.
There are many more items on the menu to try, including the Sopa de Caracol (conch soup) which is supposed to be a speciality of Honduras and Sopa de Jaibas, a crab soup. As at many taquerias and Central American restaurants, the Sopas seem to be the most popular items here.
If you’re looking for a quiet dining experience, Las Hamacas is not the place to go, but if you can stand a little noise with 2 TVs on pretty constantly and occasionally a song on the jukebox, the Gulf Freeway location hasn’t been unbearable for me.
THE GESSNER LOCATION MENTIONED ABOVE HAS APPARENTLY CLOSED AND A NEW LOCATION OPENED A FEW BLOCKS AWAY ON BELLAIRE. HERE IS AN UPDATED LINK TO THE WEBSITE WITH THE LOCATION AND MENU. Updated 7/15/10
Thursday, July 31, 2008
International Mobile Vendors Roll Call
The majority of Houston's mobile food vendors purvey Mexican food, hence the common name Taco Trucks. Okay, there are numerous bbq wagons or trucks, a few Cajun, a few shaved ice, but mostly it's tacos, tortas, quesadillas, etc.
Then there are a handful of vendors offering the cuisines of other nations. Here's a list of the ones I've encountered or heard about with international fare.
CHINESE
The Rice Box Truck
COLOMBIAN
Cholaos Kitchen - a Colombian/Mexican truck
Perrida de Mao - I've just seen this one parked (at a repair shop), not in operation, but from the name and the pictures on the side, it's a Colombian hot dog cart.
Los Perros, Houston - this one operates in a strip center parking lot at 9411 Richmond and serves hot dogs and kabobs according to a guy I talked to once. It's open only in the evenings.
FRENCH - L'es-Car-Go - review here. .
GUATEMALAN - see a separate report here.
GREEK
Papou Jerry's
HALAL/MIDDLE EASTERN
Abu Omar - Hillcroft @ Pagewood, Mexican menu during the day, Middle Eastern menu in the evening.
HONDURAN
Antojitos Hondurenos - 7171 Fondren, just north of 59, and 9713 Airline - the Fondren location has been reviewed on this blog.
Comida Tipica Hondurena El Caracol - first seen on Beechnut at Club Creek but now parked on Bissonnet @ Hillcroft. A smaller bus than any of the other Honduran mobile units I've seen but what looks like a larger menu, reviewed here.
Jennifer's Food - Comida Hondurena - a truck spotted rumbling down Bissonnet but location of operation not known.
La Polera Colora - 2435 Wayside, just NE of 45, noted by Alison Cook in the Chronicle but I haven’t checked it out. As Alison noted, from the name it was apparently at one time a Colombian vendor. I have made several trips and never found this truck.
Sabor Catracho - a big bus, similar in appearance to the Antojitos Hondurenas bus, one block east of 59 on Bellaire.
INDIAN
Ashka's Dhaba - Beechnut, just east of Highway 6 - originally located in the Heights, this trailer has relocated to the far west side, outside the city limits. Far back from the street it's easy to miss though there is a big street-side sign. It is open 7 days, evenings only. There are covered tables.
Bansuri Indian Food Corner - Wilcrest, just north of W. Bellfort, vegetarian street food of Mumbai, reviewed on this blog.
Tandoori Nite, 7821 Hwy 6 South, Sugar Land, at a 66 Station, 7130-852-7642; open evenings, 5pm - Mid except Tuesdays, reviewed here.
Desi Grill and More - an Indian truck serving tandoori chicken and the like at 12672 Veterans Memorial Drive near Bammel-North Houston at a Valero station.
Wally Wally - Indian street food for the streets of Houston. Facebook, Twitter.
MIDDLE EASTERN
FezExpress
NIGERIAN
There is a Nigerian food truck at Bush Intercontinental reportedly that sells mostly to cab drivers.
PUERTO RICAN
El Mofongo Boricua - 1925 Hwy 6 S, by the Mayflower Center (about 1/2 mile south of Briar Forest). Reviewed on this blog.
SALVADORAN
Pupuceria Ramirez - Salvadoran - S. Post Oak, just north of W. Orem, mentioned in Quick Bites IV on this blog. but missing from that location for some time.
Taqueria y Pupuseria Esmerelda - See for a long time on Highway 6 @ Bissonnet @ a 66 Station, Sugar Land, but recently missing. They advertised tamales on weekends.
Taqueria y Pupuseria El Invasor, formerly found on Bissonnet but current location unknown. Reviewed on this blog.
I have seen numerous other taco trucks around that also serve pupusas but they usually don't have 'pupuseria' in the name.
THAI
The Pad Thai Box
VENEZUELAN
Arepas y Empanadas Dona Maria - 1960B east in Humble. UPDATE: The cart is no longer in operation but there is now a restaurant at 1315 E. 1st Street.
El Punto Criollo - now located next to the parking lot for World Foods, on Beechnut, just west of Highway 6. A table and awning are also provided for customers now; reviewed here.
Sabor Venezolano - parked in a filling station driveway at Crossview and Westheimer, one block east of Fondren (713-780-2663). According to their card there is another unit at 5130 Hwy 6 N (281-859-2324). I've never checked that one out but did happen across another unit on Fry Road in Katy, about a half mile north of I-10, in the parking lot of a Gulf station. Arepas, Cachapas, Empanadas, Patacones, Pastelitos, Tequenos, Pabellon, Venezuelan hot dogs and hamburguesas, Pepitos, Tacos, Quesadillas, Burritos and Tortas are listed on the business card which also says they're open til 4:30am Friday and Saturday.
On a visit a couple of years ago I had the Patacones here, a Carne Mechada (shredded beef) sandwich using mashed, fried slices of plantain instead of bread. It was no where near as good as the one I had had at the short-lived Pana's Cafe on Scarsdale. More recently I tried the Venezuelan hot dog here and an empanada carne mechada. Houston is not a town for great hot dogs and this one did nothing to change my view on that; the empanada unfortunately was made ahead of time and had been sitting in a glass case but the filling was very good, rivaling the best empanadas at the Original Marini's.
On another visit I had the Empanada Pabellon with carne mechada and black beans and an Arepa Pelua with more of the carne mechada and queso amarillo. The empanada in this case was much fresher and warmer and also included some plantain. The arepa was freshly made; apparently I could have asked for a different cheese. The arepa itself was very tough.
VIETNAMESE
Givral's Vietnamese Cafe, located on Bellaire in New China Town, has launched a Banh Mi truck that appears regularly at Jones Plaza. Keep up with the schedule on Facebook.
And Les Givral's Kahve has the BanhMieria.
Phamily Bites - pho cups, banh mi, Vietnamese egg rolls, etc. Picture here.
See also the list of Specialty Vendors and other taco truck (Loncheras) reviews on this blog.
Then there are a handful of vendors offering the cuisines of other nations. Here's a list of the ones I've encountered or heard about with international fare.
CHINESE
The Rice Box Truck
COLOMBIAN
Cholaos Kitchen - a Colombian/Mexican truck Perrida de Mao - I've just seen this one parked (at a repair shop), not in operation, but from the name and the pictures on the side, it's a Colombian hot dog cart.
Los Perros, Houston - this one operates in a strip center parking lot at 9411 Richmond and serves hot dogs and kabobs according to a guy I talked to once. It's open only in the evenings.
FRENCH - L'es-Car-Go - review here. .
GUATEMALAN - see a separate report here.
GREEK
Papou Jerry's
HALAL/MIDDLE EASTERN
Abu Omar - Hillcroft @ Pagewood, Mexican menu during the day, Middle Eastern menu in the evening.
HONDURAN
Antojitos Hondurenos - 7171 Fondren, just north of 59, and 9713 Airline - the Fondren location has been reviewed on this blog.
Comida Tipica Hondurena El Caracol - first seen on Beechnut at Club Creek but now parked on Bissonnet @ Hillcroft. A smaller bus than any of the other Honduran mobile units I've seen but what looks like a larger menu, reviewed here.
Jennifer's Food - Comida Hondurena - a truck spotted rumbling down Bissonnet but location of operation not known.
La Polera Colora - 2435 Wayside, just NE of 45, noted by Alison Cook in the Chronicle but I haven’t checked it out. As Alison noted, from the name it was apparently at one time a Colombian vendor. I have made several trips and never found this truck.
Sabor Catracho - a big bus, similar in appearance to the Antojitos Hondurenas bus, one block east of 59 on Bellaire.
INDIAN
Ashka's Dhaba - Beechnut, just east of Highway 6 - originally located in the Heights, this trailer has relocated to the far west side, outside the city limits. Far back from the street it's easy to miss though there is a big street-side sign. It is open 7 days, evenings only. There are covered tables.
Bansuri Indian Food Corner - Wilcrest, just north of W. Bellfort, vegetarian street food of Mumbai, reviewed on this blog.
Tandoori Nite, 7821 Hwy 6 South, Sugar Land, at a 66 Station, 7130-852-7642; open evenings, 5pm - Mid except Tuesdays, reviewed here.
Desi Grill and More - an Indian truck serving tandoori chicken and the like at 12672 Veterans Memorial Drive near Bammel-North Houston at a Valero station.
Wally Wally - Indian street food for the streets of Houston. Facebook, Twitter.
MIDDLE EASTERN
FezExpress
NIGERIAN
There is a Nigerian food truck at Bush Intercontinental reportedly that sells mostly to cab drivers.
PUERTO RICAN
El Mofongo Boricua - 1925 Hwy 6 S, by the Mayflower Center (about 1/2 mile south of Briar Forest). Reviewed on this blog.
SALVADORAN
Pupuceria Ramirez - Salvadoran - S. Post Oak, just north of W. Orem, mentioned in Quick Bites IV on this blog. but missing from that location for some time.
Taqueria y Pupuseria Esmerelda - See for a long time on Highway 6 @ Bissonnet @ a 66 Station, Sugar Land, but recently missing. They advertised tamales on weekends.
Taqueria y Pupuseria El Invasor, formerly found on Bissonnet but current location unknown. Reviewed on this blog.
I have seen numerous other taco trucks around that also serve pupusas but they usually don't have 'pupuseria' in the name.
THAI
The Pad Thai Box
VENEZUELAN
Arepas y Empanadas Dona Maria - 1960B east in Humble. UPDATE: The cart is no longer in operation but there is now a restaurant at 1315 E. 1st Street.
El Punto Criollo - now located next to the parking lot for World Foods, on Beechnut, just west of Highway 6. A table and awning are also provided for customers now; reviewed here.
Sabor Venezolano - parked in a filling station driveway at Crossview and Westheimer, one block east of Fondren (713-780-2663). According to their card there is another unit at 5130 Hwy 6 N (281-859-2324). I've never checked that one out but did happen across another unit on Fry Road in Katy, about a half mile north of I-10, in the parking lot of a Gulf station. Arepas, Cachapas, Empanadas, Patacones, Pastelitos, Tequenos, Pabellon, Venezuelan hot dogs and hamburguesas, Pepitos, Tacos, Quesadillas, Burritos and Tortas are listed on the business card which also says they're open til 4:30am Friday and Saturday.
On a visit a couple of years ago I had the Patacones here, a Carne Mechada (shredded beef) sandwich using mashed, fried slices of plantain instead of bread. It was no where near as good as the one I had had at the short-lived Pana's Cafe on Scarsdale. More recently I tried the Venezuelan hot dog here and an empanada carne mechada. Houston is not a town for great hot dogs and this one did nothing to change my view on that; the empanada unfortunately was made ahead of time and had been sitting in a glass case but the filling was very good, rivaling the best empanadas at the Original Marini's.
On another visit I had the Empanada Pabellon with carne mechada and black beans and an Arepa Pelua with more of the carne mechada and queso amarillo. The empanada in this case was much fresher and warmer and also included some plantain. The arepa was freshly made; apparently I could have asked for a different cheese. The arepa itself was very tough.
VIETNAMESE
Givral's Vietnamese Cafe, located on Bellaire in New China Town, has launched a Banh Mi truck that appears regularly at Jones Plaza. Keep up with the schedule on Facebook.
And Les Givral's Kahve has the BanhMieria.
Phamily Bites - pho cups, banh mi, Vietnamese egg rolls, etc. Picture here.
See also the list of Specialty Vendors and other taco truck (Loncheras) reviews on this blog.
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