Mexican and Northern Cuisine

Mexican cuisine is known for its varied flavors, colorful decoration, and a wide variety of spices and ingredients, which make it one of the most tasteful cuisines in the world.

The staples of Mexican cuisine are typically corn, beans, chilli, and other vegetables and animals native to the country.

Diversity is the most essential characteristic of mexican cuisine. Almost every Mexican state has its own recipes and culinary traditions; but there are certain dishes that were created locally and have become emblematic of Mexican cuisine. This is the case of pibil pork (from Yucatán), mole oaxaqueño and poblano, stuffed chile, pozole (from Sinaloa, Jalisco and Guerrero), kid goat “cabrito”, (from Coahuila and Nuevo León), menudo (from Sonora), are just a few examples of dishes that represent Mexican cuisine.

In the last decade of the 20th century, a new gastronomic movement has developed, known as “Mexican Haute Cuisine”, that uses an important part of the ingredients used in the traditional Mexican cuisine, and reelaborates them to give a new creative vitality to the country’s gastronomy.

The gastronomy of the Northern region of Mexico, has jewish, spanish and tlaxcaltecan influence, which have helped enrich the culinary scene.

We can appreciate these influences in the most typical dishes of the region, where we can highlight the kid goat, “cabrito”, that the Spanish-jewish used for their celebrations, as a substitute for the lamb. Cabrito is prepared by roasting it on a bed of charcoal or firewood, very similar to the Jewish cuisine. The famous “machito”, made with goat gut, very popular in Monterrey, is a derivation of “zarajo” from Castilla, Spain.

The semita bread, which is sweet with nuts and caramel, or milk candy, is also heritage from conquerors with Sephardic ancestry.

Another representative dish is “machacado” with eggs, which is prepared with dried beef, scrambled eggs, and occasionally with hot sauce. Some specialists say that the Tlaxcaltecas, given the harsh climate and poor agriculture of the region, had to find ways to preserve meat. Due to the lack of technology to preserve it, all they could do was to dry it in the sun, and the result of this primitive process is the delicious “machacado”.

You can try this Mexican cuisine, both traditional and new, as well as the northern cuisine, in the prestigious restaurant of Safi Royal Luxury Hotels.

As a starter, the traditional Dried Beef served with “pico de gallo” (mix of tomato, onion, and Serrano chili), and guacamole; or the northern specialty of Cheese Melt, with spicy Mexican sausage and tortillas.

For the main course, you can try the classic “Swiss style enchiladas” (whose name doesn’t relate to its origin), which are rolled tortillas stuffed with chicken covered in delicious green chile-cheese sauce. Or the Enchiladas “Poblano” style, that are also stuffed with chicken and topped with Poblano mole sauce. If you’d rather try the new Mexican cuisine, you can order a Tamarind Beef Filet, which is dipped in a tamarind peanut sauce with peanuts, served with asparagus; or if you prefer seafood, the Coconut Breaded Shrimp, covered with mango and tamarind sauce, are an excellent choice.

Another regional typical dish, that can’t be missed in our Restaurant is the Fajita Strip, a tender cut of beef, served with guacamole, baked potato and cambray onion, just as classic as the Strip Tendeloin “Tampiqueña” Style, a tender thin-cut beef served with 2 enchiladas, guacamole, and taco beans.

Our Restaurant also features varied Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Buffets, with a different specialty each day.

Our Breakfast Buffet is the most complete in Monterrey, where you can find the most representative breakfasts of Mexican cuisine, such as the famous “Machacado” with eggs, mentioned before; the chilaquiles, that are made with corn tortilla, chicken, and cheese, covered with green or red sauce, amongst many others.

If you want to taste the typical Mexican food, you can visit us on a Wednesday that is Poblano Buffet, and dishes such as Stuffed Chiles, Chicken in Mole Poblano, Veracruz-Style Red Snapper, Mexican Rice, Fried Beans, and the classic Red Enchiladas, amongst other typical dishes that are served.

In Barbecue Thursday, you can sample some typical Northern dishes, such as Marinated Fajita Strip, Corn Cream, Cheese with Slices of Chile and Corn, Chicken and Beef Flautas, grilled onions, among many others.

So on your next visit to Monterrey, and specially to Safi Hotels, don’t miss the opportunity to taste the delicious options that Mexican and Northern cuisine offer.