It was immediately apparent that we were going to experience something out of the ordinary when the keys to the apartment building the "restaurant" is in were thrown to us out of the second story window. With a hesitant look back at the humid DC afternoon, my friends and I ventured inside.
The interior of the building reminded me of my first New York apartment in Washington Heights (a tad dingy with a certain eau d'funk), and the room our food was prepared and served in was decorated with Virgin Mary statues, garish Christmas decor, and countless bottles of knockoff CK One. I have no idea what the quote marks in their name are about, or what the space looks like during the week, but it doesn't really matter, because we were in for a surprisingly delicious meal.
I love sauces! Score one for Taqueria Juquilita was seeing these cerarmic dishes of salsa lined up on our table. And by "our table" I mean the only table in the place.
I had their horchata to drink, which, though a bit more watery than I'm used to, was still really delicious and refreshing. Horchata is a sweetened rice drink. I know, I make it sound really great, but it is! If you like iced chai, you'll like horchata.
Chicken mole tamale. The masa was moist, the chicken was well-seasoned, and I was happy. Even though it could have stood alone on its own, I dressed mine up with guacamole and radish slices (not shown here). The tamale didn't last long after that.
Chipotle chicken tostada. This was probably the most attractive thing I ordered, but unfortunately the chipotle sauce was a bit too sweet. Nothing some salsa couldn't fix, though. The tostada's tender chicken, crisp lettuce, creamy beans, and crunchy shell, were very, very satisfying. 
Beef and cactus taco. The pallid color of the beef was a little off-putting (I like a little char, personally), but this didn't alter the flavor, and the cactus gave the taco an interesting texture. Cactus isn't a super adventurous ingredient like, say, beef tongue, but it is something interesting to try, if you haven't.
Squash blossom quesadilla. I. Love. Squash Blossoms. They are so delicate—in both taste and texture. Quesadillas aren't my favorite preparation for squash blossoms (I love them stuffed and fried), but this dish paired them with a salty, ropey white cheese which made a really tasty combination. 
The best part of the meal (aside from being with friends) was that we only paid $10 each for awesome food and a priceless experience. I mean, how many people have eaten out of an apartment restaurant?
1 comment:
I love nopales! It is my favorite vegetable(?) in Mexican food. My nana used to grow it in the backyard and would prepare it with pork in a kind of chile verde. Sounds like a great experience, keep up the great writing!
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