el crispito

We took a taxi from in front of the hotel to go the distance that one could walk in about 15 minutes, and it cost us MXN $100 (a little under USD $10). (The "safe" hotel taxis end up costing a lot; it seems that MXN $100 is the minimum though, so if you're taking one to a place down the street, seriously consider walking.) As for the experience, we ran into the same problem that we run into a lot in trying to get vegetarian meals: three things are indicated on the menu as being vegetarian, one with fish, one with chicken, and the last being something as exciting as carrot broth, while a small notation at the bottom of the first page claims that they can make almost any dish to any dietary specifications.

When complaining about how 2 out of the 3 dishes marked vegetarian had chicken or fish, the waiter explained that they could be made without the chicken or fish. When we asked for items that were not labeled as vegetarian, but that could supposedly be made to our dietary specifications, we were told that, well, they really couldn't make them without meat. The waiter suggested a couple of very basic run-of-the-mill curries, and we got those, egg rolls and a soup that was supposedly made without fish sauce, although it tasted pretty fishy to me.

It took forever for the dishes to arrive. The curries were cooked well (not over- or undercooked), but they were nothing special. For MXN $168 (around USD $15.50), you want something pretty special. We were charged around USD $5.00 for about a cup and a half of jasmine rice. Worst of all, they did what I hate most. When preparing the dishes that were indicated as vegetarian but contained chicken and fish, did they use tofu instead of the chicken or fish? No. Did they increase the amount of vegetables at all? No. We ended up paying over USD $100 for about half of the food that we should have gotten, and apart from one attentive busboy, the service sucked.

So if you're a vegetarian visiting Mexico City and Thai Gardens comes up, be careful. Maybe we were there on an off night. Maybe you're one of those vegetarians that eats chicken, although I'd tend to argue that this categorically means you're not a vegetarian. Maybe you love to get ripped off and think it's a classy joint if you can't get a waiter to refil your drinks. If not though, you might want to skip Thai Gardens.