Food for Thought
Trying Tex-Mex in Bangkok: Welcome to the alternate universe of food — no freenachos for you
When I think Tex-Mex, I think of combo plates with enchiladas and gravy, maybe afried egg on top, Spanish rice and refried beans.El Real Tex-Mex Cafe/Facebook
The very first day Sis arrived in Bangkok, she ate at a place called Coyote. Thevery first day.EventSeekr.com
The website says they serve “classic Mexican dishes alongside the adventurousand ultra-hip Southwest U.S. cuisine such as quesadillas, burritos, enchiladasand Coyote (sic) very own Cowboy Skewers….”Courtesy Photo
People are always saying to me that they had Tex-Mex in New York City or at a restaurant in Florida.
And I’m always saying: “No, no you didn’t.”
Not to get to picky about what is and what isn’t Tex-Mex, because that’s a debate that books have been written about, but when I’m talking Tex-Mex, I mean the kind of made from scratch, hopefully with real lard, from recipes handed down through generations. The kind of grub you can really only get in South Texas. The kind I first ate as a kid visiting my grandparents’ ranch in Poteet, at that little diner with the plastic checkered tablecloths that exists only in my memory now.
When I think Tex-Mex I think of combo plates with enchiladas and gravy, maybe a fried egg on top, Spanish rice and refried beans. And chili con queso topped with spicy picadillo and lots and lots of hot, fresh tortilla chips.
I once ate at the aforementioned Tex-Mex restaurant in Florida and the food was about par with Taco Bell. Not knocking the Taco Bell but I’m just saying if you go to Florida, eat at seafood restaurants.
But now versions of that type of food have spread, probably along with the diaspora of Texans, around the world.
When I’m talking Tex-Mex I mean the kind of made from scratch from recipes handed down through generations. The kind of grub you can really only get in South Texas.
As for so-called Mexican and Tex-Mex eateries in other countries, the last time I was abroad, and yes it was a long time ago, there was not a sign of a tortilla anywhere in Europe, so I’m no authority on this. Which is why I turned to my sister.
Sis is a real globetrotter who hasn’t lived in the United States in so long she barely remembers we have 50 states. OK, I kid. She hasn’t been gone that long but it’s been a while.
So when she comes home to visit Texas she wants to eat Tex-Mex. Three times a day if possible.
But she recently moved from a country where she had electricity at only certain times of the day to Bangkok. Now besides living in a city of some seven million people, where the gridlock makes Houston traffic look like a stroll in the park, she’s been thrilled to have constant electricity, hot and cold running water and . . . Tex-Mex.
The very first day she arrived she ate at a place called Coyote. The very first day.
“The chef is Thai,” she explained on Skype the other day. “But he was trained at the Hong Kong headquarters.”
A Burgeoning Market
Coyote apparently has several locations, including three in Thailand. The one in Bangkok is apparently wildly popular with foreigners, in part because of the huge margarita bar. One of the 75 margaritas served here is a Mint Chocolate Margarita. Oh hell no. That’s just wrong.
The website says they serve “classic Mexican dishes alongside the adventurous and ultra-hip Southwest U.S. cuisine such as quesadillas, burritos, enchiladas and Coyote (sic) very own Cowboy Skewers . . .”
Who knew burritos were ultra-hip?
Anyway, Sis went with the “ultra-hip” enchiladas. Spinach and mushroom to be exact.
“They were pretty good,” she reports. “My friend had the nachos and she liked them.”
Not exactly a stellar recommendation, but hey, better than nothing when you need a Texas food fix.
And apparently a lot of folks agree because there are actually several restaurants in Bangkok serving up nachos and enchiladas. According to the Bangkok Post, there are 27 restaurants dishing up versions of Mexican, Tex-Mex and Southwestern U.S. food.
Sis also tried a well-known place called Charley Brown’s where she reports the soft tacos were pretty good and she says she has a friend who knows of another place that actually has a chef from Mexico.
And she went back to Coyote the other day for fajitas.
“I could have had something more exciting, but the fajitas were a lunch special for 199 Thai baht, less than $7, and Bangkok is expensive,” she says. “You can order chips with all kinds of things to dip, including queso with chorizo, and a sun-dried-tomato-and-mango salsa. But they don’t put chips and salsa on the table for free like Texas.”
She also took these photos of the fajitas and the staff that I showed to Christian over at El Real Tex-Mex who recognized the fajita platter but when he looked at the staff picture figured it was a Tex-Mex eatery in an “alternate universe.”
Which, basically it is. But it’s still just nachos, enchiladas, fajitas and tacos. And it’s nice to know that if you find yourself in that part of the universe there are places you can go to get a taste of home.
“All the food was pretty good,” Sis says. “Coyote is the best so far, but, no, it’s not as good as home.”
Yep, there’s no place like Texas.
The Hill Country surrounds the Loma de Vida Spa. Photo by Mark Knight 
