Visitng Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, Got Any Advice?

my friend tingting and i are visiting mexico end of next month. we are staying in cancun but will be traveling to chichen itza, valladolid, tulum, playa del carmen in yucatan peninsula as well. i did a decent amount of research and came up with this temporary itinerary. although im pretty set with the places to visit, i need suggestions on FOOD please! i prefer local food, restaurants, markets, etc. any advice is appreciated.

also, if you are traveling to mexico around the same time and need road trip partners. hit me up as well!

i seriously cant wait for this trip, being in the sun, chillen on beach, eating mexican food, sipping Tequila, snapping photos with the wide angle lens pork belly got me for xmas, checking out Chichen Itza’s El Castillo, one of the New Seven Wonders! i havent had a REAL vaca forever ever since i started working. it’s not a real vaca for me without the beach. i used all my vaca tim traveling to china visiting the fam and friends. now its about the damn time!

muchas gracias!!!!!!!!!!!!

Daikaya | Washington, DC

we went to check out daikaya, a ramen and izakaya joint, last time we were in town. daikaya is located right next to the verizon center in DC and right in or on the border of chinatown. daikaya consists of 2 floors: ramen on the 1st floor and izakaya on the more intimate 2nd floor.

unfortunately the izakaya section doesnt open on sundays so we could only try out their ramen. they serve sapporo style ramen which is distinguished by its chintan stock. according to their website, their clear soup base is made out of chicken, beef, and pork which requires 16+ hours of prepping.

we sat at the bar.

the place wasnt packed on a sunday

DC Brau

gyoza – fresh, nicely fried

shio ramen with their chintan stock, topped with roast pork, bean sprouts, oinions, ground pork, garlic, nori, scallions, nitamago, menma (bamboos), seaweed. corns.

i asked for a million toppings. i have to say this was the only a few times i got full from 1 bowl of ramen. maybe im just a pig or maybe the portion is pretty big esp with all that toppings. i loved the bean sprouts which had a smoky flavor! the broth was relatively light while remaining flavorful.

the guy stir frying the bean sprouts which gives a nice smoky flavor

shoyu ramen – dark rich soy sauce soup base with toasted garlic and slightly caramel tones.

barley miso ramen

i enjoyed my bowl of ramen at daikaya, maybe we ll return for their izakaya soon!

Daikaya
Category: Japanese
705 6th St NW
(at N G Pl)
Washington, DC 20001

http://daikaya.com/

The Fugu Truck | Boston, MA

i went to check out fugu truck the 1st week they got on the road after their pre-launch party.

they were at their BU west location (855 comm ave)

cold noodles with peanut sauce, shredded chicken, peanuts, carrots, cucumbers, and scallions.

very refreshing and light yet flavorful. the ingredients were mad fresh, you can taste it. noodles were al dente.

kimchi bulgogi panini
super tasty

their grilled pork buns featuring melt-in your mouth pork belly and fluffy buns

it’s only been 2 weeks since their their pre-launch party i already saw a lot improvements. they are constantly working on their menu to provide the asian street food with the best quality. i enjoyed everything we had. everything was exquisitely cut, prepared, and made. Bing, owner/chef of fugu truck, told me that he’s been staying up and prepping til 2 in the morning everyday. he’s exhausted but he has to ensure the quality of the food. like their name ‘fugu’, the preparation of fugu ‘requires an utmost level of devotion and rigorous training’. Bing and the fugu team are def dedicated to the same discipline.

def check them out! my office is actually moving to copley next month, i cant wait to catch them again at their copley location!

for their locations:

http://www.fugutruck.com/#!location/c1inx

https://www.facebook.com/FuguTruck

https://twitter.com/FuguTruck
stay safe everyone in boston!

Ford’s Fish Shack | Ashburn, VA

went to ford’s fish shack last weekend when we were in town.

this place is really popular.

i loved these corn bread!! so warm and fluffy!

there are corns and scallions in them! the scallions really enhance the flavors!

Angry Mussels
Chorizo, Tomatoes, Garlic, Onions, Ciabatta Bread

the broth of the angry mussels

Lobstah Roll

Double Billy’s Lobstah Tails
one fried one broiled
Thin Fries, Grilled Corn on the Cob, Melted Butter

Fish of the Day
swordfish

Fish Tacos
Blackened, Flour Tortillas, Napa Cabbage,
Marinated Tomatoes, Radishes,
Chipotle Lime Dressing
very well cooked fresh fish. i wish these were corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.

we enjoyed our meal at ford’s fish shack. everything was fresh and well made. i wish they had more boiled or raw seafood options instead of mostly fried seafood.

Ford’s Fish Shack
Categories: Specialty Food, American (New), Diners, Seafood
44260 Ice Rink Plz
Ste 101
Ashburn, VA 20147
(571) 918-4092

http://www.fordsfishshack.com/

Dish Crawl Boston | North Shore

i was invited to Dishcrawl north shore event last week. dish crawl is like bar crawl but with food. dishcrawlers get to explore four different restaurants in one night.

we started off with Palmer’s Restaurant and Tavern

the dishcrawl ambassador

John Palmer | owner/chef of Palmer’s Restaurant and Tavern

a seafood dish including oyster on the half-shell, shrimp tempura, and their signature crab cake.

Palmers Restaurant & Tavern
Category: American (New)
18 Elm St
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 470-1606

http://www.palmers-restaurant.com

next stop was Chef Matt and Alison Morello’s brasserie 28

they have live music on tuesdays. i enjoyed his songs.

springtime risotto with great spring vegetables like fiddle heads, ramps and sprouting herbs.

Brasserie 28
Categories: Wine Bars, French
2 Elm Sq
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 470-2228

http://www.brasserie28.com/

the 3rd stop was Sam Petro’s Dylan’s Bar and Grill

steak tips, pork spring roll, sweet potato fries with a special dipping sauce.
my 1st time eating a pulled-pork spring roll. i thought it was kinda interesting.

Dylan’s Bar & Grill
Category: American (Traditional)
22 Park St
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 470-1717

http://www.dylansbarandgrill.com/

last stop: pink tree sweets. they were featured on my blog a while ago -> post.

a crepe station with cherry jubilee crepe

their award-winning chocolate strawberry chiffon cake.

Pink Tree Sweets
Category: Desserts
89 Main St
Ste 123
Andover, MA 01810
(978) 475-2673

http://www.pinktreesweets.com

i thought the concept was cool. it’s a good social event that you can meet people from the same town or just a good night out with friends or family. you also get to try signature dishes and meet the creators of these dishes from four different restaurants in one night. the event was well organized, but as a food event, i think the food could’ve been stronger. ‘some of the food wasn’t really representative of the restaurant or the town’ as one of the dishcrawler said.

you can check dishcrawl out @
http://dishcrawl.com/boston/
for future events.

https://twitter.com/DishcrawlBos

http://dishcrawl.com/boston/
Disclaimer: I got two media passes and did not pay for going to this event. All opinions are my own.

Cherry Blossom Festival | Washington, DC

after all these years, i finally checked out the Cherry Blossom Festival in DC.

Kickass Cupcakes | Davis Square Somerville Boston, MA

so many new food trucks jus recently hit the roads of boston. Kickass Cupcakes food truck has been around for a while now. some time last fall, i checked out their actual store in davis square somerville.

mochiatto- Chocolate cupcake with a caramel center, mocha frosting topped with chocolate covered espresso beans

the Lucky Cupcake - Luscious lemon cupcake with white chocolate buttercream and candied ginger, comes with a fortune

S’MORES- Graham cracker cupcake with chocolate ganache and a toasted vanilla bean marshmallow

SUPER CHOCOLATE -Chocolate brownie cupcake topped with bittersweet chocolate ganache and chocolate shavings

i dont remember how exactly each one tasted but i do remember i did like all of them. i bought these to share with 2 of my friends, but i ended up eating all 4 of them myself and refused to share because i liked them so much.

i dont know how they’ve got some really terrible reviews on yelp, but out of all of the cupcakes ive tried in boston, i like kickass cupcakes the best. they are not the best looking cupcakes and def not cheap for the price, but i still enjoyed them a lot. my last visit was last fall tho, maybe they are not as good as used to be? you ll have to find out yourself.

Kickass Cupcakes
Category: Bakeries
378 Highland Ave
Somerville, MA 02144
Neighborhood: Davis Square
(617) 628-2877

http://www.kickasscupcakes.com

for their food truck info, schedule, and location:

https://www.facebook.com/kickasscupcakes.fans

https://twitter.com/kickasscupcakes

Tacos & Craft Beer Party with CityGusto

porkbelly and i attended Tacos & Craft Beer party hosted by CityGusto, a Boston based restaurant & event discovery website. the tasting event featured some boston’s best tacos from El Pelon Taqueria, Dorado Tacos & Cemitas and Patron’s Mexican Kitchen all expertly paired with Craft Beers by Sunset Grill & Tap.

Clown shoes tramp stamp
Cisco shredder

plantains

quesadilla

chimichanga

the sauce is super spicy!

famous fish tacos from Dorado Tacos

Founders ipa and Slumbrew cream ale

carnitas tacos from El Pelon Taqueria

Carne Asada taco from El Pelon Taqueria, the steak was tender and very flavorful.

we really enjoyed all the tacos we tasted especially the carne asada from el pelon taqueria. i have been to dorado a while ago, but havent been to el pelon yet which i will check out soon.

http://citygusto.com/

https://www.facebook.com/CityGusto

El Pelón Taquería
Categories: Mexican, Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
92 Peterborough St
(between Kilmarnock St & Jersey St)
Boston, MA 02215
Neighborhood: Fenway
(617) 262-9090

http://www.elpelon.com

Dorado Tacos & Cemitas
Categories: Mexican, Gluten-Free
401 Harvard St
Brookline, MA 02446
(617) 566-2100

http://doradotacos.com

Patron’s Mexican Kitchen
Categories: Bars, American (New)
138 Brighton Ave
(between Linden St & Harvard Ave)
Allston, MA 02134
Neighborhood: Allston/Brighton

BunnyandPorkBelly

life is always sweeter and yummier through a lens. https://www.facebook.com/BunnyandPorkBelly https://twitter.com/BunnyNPorkBelly