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RESTAURANT REVIEW: Eddy’s Cantina (艾迪墨西哥餐廳)

Eddy’s Cantina (艾迪墨西哥餐廳) Address: 151-1 Zhongshan Rd, Tamsui Township, Taipei County (台北縣淡水鎮中山路151-1號) Telephone: (02) 2628-2638 Open: Mondays through Fridays from 11:30am to 2:30pm and 4:30pm to 10pm; weekends from 11:30am to 10pm; closed on Tuesdays Average meal: NT$150 to NT$250 plus 10 percent service charge Details: Chinese and English menu; credit cards not accepted On the Net: www.eddyscantina.com

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Eddy Gonzalez’s burrito stand was so popular with customers that on most weekends he would run out of ingredients to make his burritos and quesadillas.

“People would travel a long way and to have run out of food would be a real disappointment,” he said earlier this week, adding, “So I’d usually give them a drink.”

Turning hungry customers away should be a thing of the past because Gonzalez has moved from Tamsui’s night market into new digs on a tiny cliff overlooking a small park, less than 15-minute walk from the Tamsui MRT Station (淡水捷運站).

The stand, where he used to ply his trade, sits on the terrace and serves as a kind of a reminder of his former life in the night market. Inside, prints of Mexican revolutionary heroes (copies of originals photos collected by his father) adorn the brightly painted walls — sunset orange, chili red and guacamole green — and serve as a reminder of Gonzalez’s Mexican heritage. Two-person wooden tables make up much of the seating. In the back there’s a sofa, and a bar where patrons can watch a flat screen television.

Although Gonzalez expanded the menu, he still applies the made-from-scratch ethos — tortillas rolled to order, guacamole made fresh daily — that was passed down from his mother and grandmother. The grilled chicken (NT$160) sets the standard for Taiwan: A crispy tortilla shell, an inner layer of refried beans, red rice and grilled chicken, served with a piquant hot sauce, sour cream and guacamole made from fresh lime, garlic and avocado. The steak quesadilla (NT$140) contains generous portions of seasoned meat and cheese. Other main course dishes included fajitas (NT$155 to NT$180), burritos (NT$140 to NT$180) and tacos (NT$140 to NT$185), all of which I will try when I return in the future.

As would be fitting for a place that bills itself as a Mexican cantina, there is Corona (NT$200 and NT$120), tequila shots (NT$90), tequila sunrise (NT$130), sombrero (Kahlua and milk, NT$130) and, of course, margaritas (NT$130 for a glass; NT$1,000 for a pitcher).

Can’t make it to Tamsui? Gonzalez said delivery is possible to anywhere in Taiwan. Call for more details.

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