After enjoying the best churros I've ever had, we headed off on a marathon of back to back eating before heading to the Tijuana Beer Festival later on that evening, starting with Lorca, a Spanish restaurant.
More ... While our tasting there started with bread and a really delicious dip made from Moroccan chilies, that was just a prelude to the real star of the meal.
If you're a pork lover, then the photos below of the suckling pig we had will fill you with piggy envy. You can't go wrong with crispy skin and tender, juicy meat.
Their Paella Valencia was also a sight for sore eyes with the beautiful clams, mussels and shrimp. It didn't hurt that it was a better paella than I have yet to experience back home in Los Angeles.
Our meal at Lorca ended with Papa a lo Pobre, which are potatoes with olive oil, fresh herbs and red bell peppers.
From Spain we headed to Argentina via Cheripan, an Argentinian restaurant where our stop there started with a Tamarind Margarita.
Food soon followed in the form of nicely spiced and peppery Chorizo Sausages and Grilled Sweetbreads.
We also got a taste of a Hearts of Palm salad, which was quite refreshing followed by flaky empanadas.
My favorite savory dish though was their Grilled Skirt Steak with Pickled Onions, which was both slightly chewy and tender at the time and quite juicy.
Dulce de leche was the theme for their desserts. One was a Dulce de Leche Neapolitan and the other was a Flan Topped with Dulce de Leche. Both hit it out of the park. The pastry for the Neapolitan was light and flaky and I think flan should always be topped with a thick swirl of dulce de leche.
By the time we walked across the street to La Querencia, I wasn't sure how much more food my body could take, but I knew that I wasn't going to miss out on my first taste of Baja Med Cuisine. Simply, Baja Med is a mix of Asian, Mediterranean, and Mexican cuisine with Baja ingredients. You can get more info by clicking here.
Baja Med is the creation of Chef Miguel Angel Guerrero and it all started at his restaurant, La Querencia. Another thing to note about Chef Guerrero is that he's quite a hunter and fisherman and usually, the Specials of the Day are made from meat he has hunted and seafood he has caught.
Our meal at La Querencia started with bread and a trio of sauces which were Tomatillo, Chile Arbol and Habanero Sauce. Take a taste of that Habanero Sauce with extreme caution.
To cool my palate, I had to take a few swallows of the Tepache, a Fermened Pineapple Drink we were served. By the way, this was my first time trying Tepache. I don't know how to describe the taste, but it was very refreshing.
After the bread, the Beet Carpaccio with Blue Cheese and Olive Oil arrived. This was my first experience with raw beet and I loved it. It had a slight crispy and tartness to it and I liked how it went with the pungency of the blue cheese.
Along with the Beet Carpaccio came Thinly Sliced Tongue with a Sea Urchin Cream and other ingredients. The tongue was tender and I liked how the sea urchin added a hit of oceany notes to the dish.
The carpaccio goodness continued with a Zucchini Carpaccio with capers, fried nori, tomatoes, onions and topped with a 9 Chili Infused Olive Oil. I really enjoyed the slight saltiness coming from the fried nori and that chili infused olive oil added a lot of great flavor.
Our last two dishes included Scallops with Black Sturgeon Caviar, Fried Onions and topped with a Chipotle Sauce in a Cucumber Cup as well as a Corncake with Roasted Shrimp, Tomato and Sage Sauce. I enjoyed the freshness of the scallops and that Tomato and Sage Sauce was killer.
After La Querencia, we hit 3 more restaurants and attended the Tijuana Beer Festival, but I'll leave that for my next post.
Lorca
Calle Brasil 8630
Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
664-634-0366
Cheripan
Escuadron 201, # 3151 Colonia Aviacion
Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
664-622-9730
La Querencia
Escuadrón 201 #3110 Col. Aviación
Tijuana, B.C. Mexico
664-972-9935
Click Here to See the Photos of the Entire Trip!
¡Baja Delicioso!
- Introduction and the Ultimate Carne Asada Taco at Tacos El Poblano
- The History of Mariachi and Late Night Mariachi at La Vuelta
- TJ City Tour, Cuban Cigars, Chili Shrimp Tacos and Churros
- From Spain to Argentina to My First Taste of Baja Med Cuisine
Disclaimer:Sponsored by the Tijuana Visitors and Convention Bureau along with the support of the Crossborder Business Associates, Cotuco (Tijuana Tourism Board) and the Tijuana Canirac (Tijuana Restaurant Association). This sponsorship took the form of these organizations paying for our travel arrangements, our hotel accomodations and all our meals. ^
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