Kebab Chic and a Mexican Correction

One of the things I try to do with Eat Rio is publicise food-related projects that I think deserve support and recognition (my motives are entirely selfish – as a resident of Rio, I want the food scene to improve in terms of variety, quality and value for money). So when I hear about something interesting – someone making neapolitan style pizzas in a mobile pizza oven; a couple of guys making authentic Mexican food in a Favela – I’m always keen to know more.

Last week I had a call from Yves (remember the Cheese Maverick?), telling me that he was about to start doing something new – he was calling it Kebab Chic. My curiosity was well and truly piqued, so I took a friend down to Travessa do Comércio to find out more.

This is indeed one chic kebab! Tender hunks of beef, juicy tomatoes, a yoghurt dressing, sandwiched by a ciabatta style bun.

I’m not sure whether the Greeks/Turks would officially recognise this as a kebab, but it tasted delicious and that’s what counts!

Coccinelle (Yves’ restaurant) is located in the gorgeous little alleyway known as Travessa do Comércio – this really is one of Rio’s little gems and I can’t think of many nicer places to sip delicious organic wines (by the glass!) and enjoy a bite to eat with friends.

Perfectly chilled for a sunny day in Rio!

This cosy little alleyway is just right for a boozy lunch with friends.

The Mexican Correction

And now it’s time for me to eat something else – an extra large slice of humble pie! Back when I was writing about Danny and Luis’ amazing Mexican food (see link in first paragraph), I rather over-excitedly titled the post “The only Mexican food in Rio”. In retrospect I realise that using the world “only” would only have been fair if I’d tried every other Mexican restaurant in town (and found them all to be woeful).

Luckily for me, Aglika Angelova, the owner of Azteka in Ipanema, sent me a (very friendly!) message to let me know that there was another Mexican option in Rio. Azteka’s chef is from Acapulco and they go to a lot of trouble to import many of the most vital ingredients from Mexico.

So last week, my fellow Eat Rio Food Tour guide Diana and I decided to sneak in to Azteka incognito and see if the food lived up to our hopes and expectations. The results were delicious!

Tacos al Pastor – a Mexican classic, served up with a seriously spicy sauce!

The burritos were also delicious and big enough to keep a hungry Englishman satisfied!

I’ll finish by saying sorry to Aglika and her staff – there’s definitely more than one decent Mexican option in Rio. And I’ve never been so happy to be wrong!