Baja California, Mexico
Recently, Brian took me on my very first cruise. We went on a short 3-day cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada. For years, people have warned me to expect to gain a couple pounds after being on a cruise. The food was all anyone spoke about. Some even advised me to never get off the boat during the trip because everything is top notch onboard already. Can you imagine how excited I was? As expected, the very first thing we did, after stepping foot on the boat, was eat. I was overwhelmed with the variety of food and everything I got was so delicious. But, thank goodness we decided to step off the boat when we arrived in Ensenada the next day.
With a group of about 15 people, we were able to purchase our own private bus and tourguide. Immediately, Jenny, our tourguide, asked, "What do you want to do?"
"We want the best tacos you can offer."
Jenny did not fail us.
La Bufadora is a marine geyser, or Blowhole, located on the Punta Banda Peninsula in Baja California, Mexico. It is the second largest blowhole in the world, and can shoot upwards as high as 80 feet above sea level (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bufadora).
After entering the welcoming arch, Jenny immediately directed us to the right and up a hill. At the top of the hill was an ice cream palor with a tiny taco shop right next to it. I've forever tried to figure out what the name of the place was, but I did take a picture of the sign and have concluded that it was called "Fish Taco Tacos," until someone tells me otherwise.
The place was a little small for our group of fifteen people, so I waited outside for Brian to order me something. I didn't mind waiting because I could see the meat being cooked right in front of the window. Although the window lacked in cleanliness, it did not take away from making the food look so appetizing.
A few minutes later, Brian had called my name to come in. He needed verification on the order. It smelled incredible inside. There was only one counter that separated the workers from customers, but a lot of the action was done right in front of us. We were able to watch the meat being prepared straight from the grill as well as home-made tortillas made from scratch. The woman in front of us would create a small ball of dough, place it in a press, and then cooked it on the skillet behind her. That's what you call fresh tortillas!
It was a small menu to choose from, but had exactly what we asked for... Tacos. Yet, the $4.00 Hamburger threw me off a little.
We two carne asada and two shrimp tacos. Within seconds of ordering, our carne asada tacos were prepared and we were able to top them any way we wanted. Mine was full of steak, topped with guacamole, sourcream, cheese, cilantro and a ton of pico de gallo.
Brian and I couldn't wait to sit down and began eating them even before our shrimp tacos were ready. I couldn't tell you what specifically made these tacos so good. It could have been because it was freshly made meat or tortillas made from scratch. Or maybe it was the toppings which they made from vegetables they probably grew themselves in their backyard. Or it could have been just the feeling of being in Mexico, overlooking the water, with good company. Whatever it was, the carne asada tacos were great. But... they weren't the best. The shrimp ones were!
Now, I know the sign said "Fish Taco," but the shrimp ones sounded more appetizing and I'm glad we went that route. With perfectly deep-fried shrimp and all the same fresh ingredients as our carne asada tacos, this was the winner in my book. Not only did the tortilla taste like it was from a bakery and the tomatos straight from the farm, the cripsiness of the batter on the shrimp gave the tacos just enough crunch to have a flawless texture. We definitely did not leave there after having only one of each; especially one shrimp taco. I'm surprised the place didn't close down after we left for stripping them of their inventory.
Thanks, Jenny.
