Authentic Mexican Food in Gwangju

I had the day off today and planned to spend every minute of it in my bed, watching TV and relaxing. I didn't get very far. I did sleep in, which was exactly what I wanted. I got paid yesterday, so during my mid-afternoon trip downtown to the bank, I stopped by the police station to get my fingerprints taken. I need to send them off to the FBI so I can come back next year on another work visa.

After that, I walked over a new Mexican restaurant that a friend told me about. It's only five minutes from my house, but I never need to go in that direction so I didn't see it. The restaurant is called Dos Mas. Inside was a very small kitchen about the size of my bathroom and a dining room about half the size of my apartment. This may sound a bit shocking, but it's actually pretty normal for Korea. It's a small country and floor space is limited. Plus, it seems to work well. The interior was designed fairly simply, with light chocolate/beige walls and black accents. The tables and chairs were espresso-colored wood, the floor was dark faux wood with the words 'Mexican Grill' seared into it, and there was a somewhat large flat-screen tv on the wall. The windows looking onto the street were closed, but had the ability to slide open in good weather (more on that later) to provide an extra two feet or so of dining room space and fresh air.

The menu was pretty sparse with only six items: burrito, taco, quesadilla, nachos, fries and Coca-Cola variety soft drinks. The only item that I had a choice of fillings was the burrito, and it was only chicken, beef, or a mix of chicken and beef. I got the mix. I also tried the taco and the quesadilla. My total was 7,000. Not bad. I got take-out, and when I got back to my apartment, I was pleasantly surprised by what I pulled out of my take-out bags.

Exhibit 1:  Burrito

Check out that pastry-like wrap, real nacho cheese, real chicken and beef, and the onions. This was a party all wrapped up and ready to eat. And who likes a party?

Exhibit 2:  Me and My Burrito

Ok, so it was a small party.

Exhibit 3:  Quesadilla

More flaky pastry, real cheese (an extremely rare find anywhere in Korea), green bell peppers and what tasted like authentic Mexican spices.

Exhibit 4:  Taco

The taco was pretty delicious for what it was, but if they failed anywhere, it was the taco. It was more like yummy beef, shredded provalone cheese, chopped lettuce, onions and bell peppers on a flat, thin pita bread. It was good, don't be fooled. It just wasn't that authentic.

I will definitely be going back to Dos Mas in the near future (read: tomorrow) for another burrito, and possibly the nachos.