Whenever someone asks me what I miss the most from America, I tend to say food— sure, I obviously miss my friends and family, but aside from them, the food that I grew up with gives me bittersweet memories. Especially as a native Californian, I tend to really miss Mexican food. Mexican food in California comes in all shapes and types, ranging from the "straight-from-Mexico" type to "Mexican-American" fusions. While Mexican food can be tricky to imitate since there are many ways to mess it up, I usually stay away from it in Tokyo because of the unsatisfied reactions my other expat friends here in Japan have given me (this also delves into other food categories such as pizza, classic BBQ foods, etc.).

With my avoidance of Mexican cuisine in Tokyo wearing thin, one of my friends finally convinced me to take the plunge at a restaurant named Hacienda del cielo. Located in Daikanyama, the "modern" eatery is filled with people at all hours of the day; it is big enough to fit a good amount of patrons and even has an outdoor patio for those who want to enjoy the sights and sounds of Tokyo as they dine. With a reasonably priced lunch menu and selection, there is pretty much something for everyone. Once my friend and I were seated, the waitress immediately gave us a free sample of some fruit cocktail in a tiny glass; we also both received a small cup of cold, corn soup after we ordered, which was light and not too strong (same with the alcoholic cocktail). If I had to be really disappointed, it was in my mixed plate lunch meal. The plate came with rice, a slab of beef, an enchilada, tortilla chips, pickled onions, salsa, and a container of tortilla. First off, the rice had no flavor or spices mixed into it, aside from the paprika coloring. Second, the sad excuse of an enchilada barely had any filling and needed way more sauce (and I mean sauce with flavor, not colored water). Finally, the beef slab was gamey, hard to chew, and comprised mostly of fat that was hard to separate from the meat. I could not even cut this up into pieces to put inside the tortillas they gave me; I simply ended up chewing out the meat parts from the fat.

The only points I would give this place is for their lively atmosphere, service, and wide choices for alcohol. In terms of "Mexican" food, this restaurant is way off and does not look like it will be changing the way it cooks anytime soon. I admit that all of the food looks appetizing, but appetizing-looking does not equate to it tasting great. Would I come back again? Only to drink. Other than that, I will not be sampling anymore Mexican food unless the person has real culinary experience in Mexican cuisine or is Mexican themselves and knows what to do.

More information on the Hacienda del cielo website:

http://modern-mexicano.jp/hacienda/

Eat Well,
T.W.