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Restaurants: La Casita (愛咪媽美食坊)

La Casita has moved five times since it opened in 1988, but it still serves the best Tex-Mex in town. PHOTO: RON BROWNLOW, TAIPEI TIMES

La Casita is different than other Mexican restaurants in Taipei - its food actually tastes like Mexican food.

Or, rather, like Tex-Mex food. Mexican food differs from Tex-Mex in the same way that dishes served in many US Chinese restaurants won't be found on menus in Taipei or Shanghai.

That being explained, no other Tex-Mex place in Taipei has gotten it this right. Unlike Tequila Sunrise, the only competitor worth mentioning, La Casita understands that Tex-Mex is a dish best served in hefty portions. Refried beans, for example, should not be an artfully arranged dollop on a mostly empty, rectangular platter. Rather, they should be slathered on one quarter of a large round plate, with the entree and the rice occupying the rest.

The dishes that keep me going back for more are the wet burrito (NT$250) and super burrito (NT$300). These are huge tortillas wrapped around rice, refried beans and your choice of meat (beef or chicken), topped with sour cream, guacamole and salsa. Both are creations of beauty and balance, each bite revealing different textures and combinations of ingredients. These are not dishes to be contemplated. Dig in and hope you finish it before it finishes you.

La Casita (愛咪媽美食坊) Address: 7, Ln 64, Songjiang Rd, Taipei (台北市松江路64巷7號) Telephone: (02) 2531-9246 Open: 11:30am to 2pm; 5:30pm to 10pm; closed Mondays Average meal: NT$350 Details: English menu; credit cards accepted

All the standards - tacos, enchiladas, nachos, etc. - are served here. These can be ordered in combo meals for NT$220 to NT$300. They will fill you up and taste authentic but do not match the triumph that is the super burrito.

La Casita first opened in 1988. It has moved five times, most recently from Jilin Road (吉林路) to its present, cozy little storefront just off Songjiang Road. Inside, adobe-colored walls bear messages and colorful drawings scrawled by satisfied customers. A Frida Kahlo poster keeps watch from the back. The space holds only five or so tables, so call ahead for reservations.

I have always enjoyed the food and found the service friendly and efficient. A review of blogs and Web forums, however, revealed several criticisms. I agree with one: the refried beans are a tad dry, though I don't mind that they're made from pinto beans.

Several posters complained about unfriendly service. After years of visiting La Casita, though, I have yet to see anyone treated rudely. The gripe may be due in part to the fact that one of the owners is a former reporter with a permanently dour expression. He's actually quite friendly if you engage him, speaks some English, and can regale you with interesting stories about his days in Texas and at the United Daily News newspaper.
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