Taste of Mex without the Tex

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This was published 15 years ago

Taste of Mex without the Tex

David Whitley turns his back on the Cancun scene in favour of authentic dishes downtown.

WHAT Downtown restaurants and cafes

WHERE Cancun, Mexico

HOW MUCH From$2 to $25, depending on what and where you eat.

WHY Cancun has a hybrid personality and many travellers see only one side. The Zona Hotelera - a long, seaside strip crammed with giant hotels, nightclubs, bars and restaurants - is the big drawcard and many visitors never leave the area. But the Canny Traveller does when it comes to getting a good feed.

There are good upmarket restaurants in the Zona Hotelera but most eateries tend to be ubiquitous hotel buffets or huge Americanised bar/diners that put more effort into their merchandising than your food.

If you're not all that bothered about buying a Senor Frog's T-shirt or an Outback Steakhouse cap, it's best to make your way downtown.

It would be wrong to give the impression that Downtown Cancun is a classic example of authentic Mexico - after all, the city didn't really exist until the tourism planners arrived in the 1960s - but it's a lot less touristy.

It's also possible to eat good food on the cheap without feeling like you're just another part of a massive branding exercise.

At the cheapest end of the scale are the colourful little stalls in Parque La Palapas. They seem abandoned during the day but in the evening are manned by vendors selling simple but tasty street food.

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Although some of it falls into the category of "non-descript fried stuff", you'll also get the tastiest burritos and tacos in town for just a couple of dollars.

There's always some kind of fascinating, incongruous event going on there, too, whether it's army cadets marching around, dancers rehearsing on the big stage in the middle of the plaza or junior footballers practising keepy-ups. Entertainment while you eat...

The second category of dining options is the bars, largely inhabited by locals, which do a bit of food on the side. This food, because it's not really aimed at tourists, has an authentic ring to it. And while it may not be gourmet, it's usually darned tasty.

Avenida Yaxchilan is a good place to look for these. It has a few restaurants, a few iffy-looking sports bars and classic local hang-outs where the menus are written on chalkboards and people sit outside arguing about football over a beer.

Try the pescaditos - they're tacos cooked with fresh Caribbean fish, usually accompanied by lime and salsa. Put a bit of habanero sauce on for good measure and you've got a tongue-testing meal for about 30 pesos ($3.16).

A few restaurants on Yaxchilan are worth checking out, too. La Parilla is a little touristy but it does the meanest Argentinian steaks, cooked on the grill in front of you by an unfortunate soul who has to stand next to a roaring flame all evening in the tropical heat.

The best bets of all, however, are just off Parque La Palapas. On Tulipanes, a number of little eateries and bars have their own character. El Pescador gets rave reviews from the locals for its seafood, while Gory Tacos is a fabulous spot with an outdoor terrace and ultra-friendly staff.

"He ! Welcome to your new home from home," the Gory Tacos waiter said to me, with a big grin and without the cynicism that would accompany such a greeting in the Zona Hotelera.

The food's good, too, and the specials are excellent value, offering a bit of everything. For example: a steak, an enchilada, a quesadilla, a taco, rice, beans and guacamole come in at only 98 pesos. It's done the Mexican way, too, rather than being a Tex-Mex imitation for American tourists wanting it the way they have it at home.

It's impossible to get the genuine Mexican experience in such a resort city but by leaving the hotel strip and heading downtown it's possible to get close - and save money.

FREE STUFF Many downtown bars and restaurants have great two-for-one deals on local beers. It's possible to wash down a spicy meal with a couple of cold Sols or Coronas for an extra 25-30 pesos.

BONUS Unlike the chain restaurants, hotels and merchandise-flogging outlets in the Zona Hotelera, most of the cafes, bars and restaurants downtown are locally owned. So your business puts money back into the community rather than lining the pockets of far-flung millionaires.

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