Second place in a world gelato competition? That's worth a look in 33C heat isn't it?
I tried pistachio and (I think) a yoghurt one. They were fine, the flavours were nice, but there was an ice crystal or two. I wouldn't say it's the second best I've ever had. But it was alright.
Bob Marley's son owns a coffee shop (normal coffee shop as far as I saw) in PDC. It's a relaxing space serving smoothies (I had Rocksteady - banana and blueberries 60pesos) and some sandwiches.
It's sort of close to the ferry port, but very close to the ADO bus stop and so was perfect for breakfast while waiting for our bus to Tulum.
Finally on the last night of the 2 week holiday, I had the opportunity to go to a mezcal bar to drink the specialty I'd been waiting for. Honestly I probably could have earlier in the trip, but early starts, diving/water sports, being tired, being too hot, being a bit lazy, and not really finding anywhere specifically good was the deterrent.
And so Tres Mentiras even though as a mezcal place, didn't seem to have all that much range and variety that I expected. Certainly the nearby bottle shop had way more varieties.
The mezcal drinks weren't that special to be honest. Although adding the chilli salt to the rim was a spicy and different touch.
To watch the sunset on Playa Norte in Isla Mujeres is something of dreams. Once all the sundecks have been kept, the daytrippers have left, the loud music has stopped blaring, and you just have the warmth of the Caribbean waters under the setting colours of the sun, it truly is perfect. I'm not a fan of beach clubs generally, as it tends to be something you pay for the location more than the quality. However it seemed like a good idea at the time, and the Mayan Beach Club had decent online ratings.
Because of the quiet season, the tables on the beach in front of the ocean was available. Luckily there weren't (too many) mosquitoes to ruin the atmosphere.
The prices are naturally a little higher here, but the overall vibe is fantastic. Not only the things mentioned above, but also a jazz band playing (not too loudly) entertaining us throughout the meal and the food was actually good too.
- Mayan-style fish with coconut milk 241pesos - an expertedly cooked soft fish in a lovely coconut broth;
- Local grilled octopus (from the warm waters of the Yucatan Peninsula) 325pesos - a generous amount of perfectly charred and flavoured octopus which retained a bit of bitey texture;
- Dessert of chocolate and nuts.
A lovely experience complemented by an excellent sunset (as always seems to be the case in the Yucatan).
The highest regarded restaurant in Valladolid is set in an opulent hotel with a dining square that surrounds a central garden. It really is a nice setting to dine in and one of the more pleasant meals we had. It's obviously a more expensive menu, however I think it isn't just that they cater toward tourists, but moreso their dishes are finer and more modern versions of the standard Yucatan dishes.
Naturally the staff all speak English, even in response to my broken Spanish.
- Chile poblano del Marques (breaded chile poblano pepper filled with meat & holland cheese, served with Mayan soup) - as described and nice;
- Queso relleno estilo Valladolid (stuffed cheese Valladolid style) 210pesos - thick cheese layer (similar to graviera) which was quite salty, on top of soft shredded meat (turkey, pork). Served with olives, capers, almonds, raisins and chickpeas and in a medicinal soup. Very nice. There was also an ultra hot habanero which i nibbled the end of before realising it was a mistake and my face, tongue and legs went numb.
Tamales - I'd heard the word before I think from songs (Hot Tamale?) but never known what it was. It's a traditional dish of the Yucatan region consisting of some kind of dough that is steamed in leaves. The Airbnb host had recommended us to try this, and so naturally we had to. It is remarkably cheap 45pesos each.
How were they? Ok. Hyped up too much. Not really worth having again in my mind.
Pan de espelon (pork fried with tomato, beans, egg) was quite nice. The outside was a bit crusty but edible at least. Maculan (wrapped with leaf maculan, pumpkin seeds, white beans) was essentially vegetables wrapped in a leaf. The flavour was very plain and the whole dish mushy.
Not for me.
After having a phone stolen at Dos Ojos cenote (sad but true), dinner was a more solemn undertaking. I still had a couple of places on the list and none higher than El Camello Jr. It's known for seafood and every single table in there seemed to have a giant plate of ceviche.
Naturally we ordered a small using shrimp, fish, octopus and snails (with tomato, onion, coriander, pepper, salt) 130 pesos. Small turned out to be not so small and easily shared between two (or potentially more) with the fried tortillas, hot sauces and limes to spice things up. it was fresh and delicious and nicely balanced.
Seafood soup (shrimp, octopus, squid, fish, crab) 140pesos was a beautiful mixed seafood stock similar to bouillabaise. It was truly delicious.
The tables next to us were loud and rowdy as a bunch of Mexicans sounded like they were being offered an investment opportunity. Who knows.
I'd go back happily for more of the same food.
After the reasonably poor choices at the taqueria in Cozumel, this one in Tulum sounded much more of a go-er. I had read that the suckling pig and black turkey was the ones to try.
It's a large space where you can sit at the counter where they dish up the tacos, or on more traditional tables. Food and service is naturally fast. You can choose a taco for 18pesos or a torta (bread roll essentially) for 38pesos.
I tried all of them. Relleno negro de pavo (marinated turkey in different smoked & roasted red chillis) was easily my favourite. Lechon al horno (suckling pig) was second, which I had in the torta as had been recommended online. Vegetarian was unusually expensive but a fresh combination. The pulled pork and poc chuc were fine too. Nothing was bad at all, including the horchata and tamarind juice in the bottles.
A cheap, fast and tasty meal.
Naturally I wanted to eat some traditional tacos. On my Cozumel list I had Cuatro Tacos, but for some reason walked past many times but never in, and El Amigo Mario, which I walked to multiple but was never open.
Instead one evening we walked past Jose and made a mental note that it looked quite local. And indeed the next night we went back and discovered it is. Maybe because of quieter times, the full menu list wasn't available, and they only had 3 types - surtida (mixed), maciza (beef I think brisket maybe?) and pancita (stomach). 14pesos per taco - not bad at all.
A soup was a very beefy consumme. Maciza was quite a plain beef and not too bad. Pancita was stomach or omentum and all soft and fatty. I ordered pancita instead of surtida by mistake (or they misunderstood me) and so ordered a surtida in the end. Lo and behold, it was just a mix of the maciza and pancita. It was served with white onions, hot green sauce, salsa not much tomato left.
Dessert flan was very nice with caramel at bottom.
Definitely not the best taco fillings I had. But it's a local experience (I think).
The morning time was already so hot and sunny that it was worth heading to a beach club. As the 3rd and 4th guests for the day, we had our pick of front row deck chairs and umbrella to the water. There's a very nice seating area on the edge of the pier, but the access isn't direct from there and it has rocks directly in front. So I think our choice was the best.
Beautiful waters, excellent snorkelling straight off the beach, not very busy.
There's no entry fee or equipment hire charge. You just buy your food and drinks instead. Whole coconuts 100pesos had a large amount of fresh young juice. Then upon request they cut them open so we could scoop out the delicious flesh.
The seafood platter (1100 pesos) firstly came as a big plate of fried tortilla chips with salsa and hot sauce, before the platter arrived. Lobster flavour was ok but overcooked. The prawns buttery and grilled perfectly with edible skin. Fried fish had an outstanding soft texture. Calamari and octopus were both good. Fries nice, seasoned rice excellent. The only poor bit was the grilled fish was sadly dry.
Not cheap, but for the overall setting and use of the facilities, well worth the experience.
An excellent beach club that I would gladly return to.