Related News
Home
» City specials
» Hangzhou
Just 1 Mexican restaurant in Hangzhou
By Xu Wenwen |
March 7, 2013, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE first and only Mexican restaurant in Hangzhou, Pancho's, was opened six years ago by Alexander Garcia from Michoacan, Mexico.
Hangzhou has far fewer foreign restaurants than big cities like Shanghai, though it does have Japanese, Thai, Italian and French cuisine.
South American and North American restaurants are scarce.
"It was weird when I began the restaurant," says Garcia. "Chinese people came and only looked for spicy foods, and sometimes they asked for chopsticks."
Some foreigners say it's not real Mexican style.
"To their mind, Mexican food should be in the style of northern Mexico which borders the United States, but there's much more variety and different cooking from middle and southern Mexico and coastal areas," he says.
Garcia, who is both owner and chef, insists its dishes are authentic in flavor.
The percentage of Chinese diners has increased from 30 percent to 70 percent.
"Running a Mexican restaurant in a city where there are not many foreigners, I need to lure more Chinese customers," Garcia says.
In the past, foreign customers brought their Chinese friends; now Chinese customers bring their foreign friends, he says.
The same is true for Angelo's, a New York and Italian-style restaurant and bar opened two years ago by Michelin-starred chef Benedetto Stella. There's also an Angelo's in Ningbo, a coastal city in Zhejiang Province.
"At the beginning foreigners came to the restaurant because it is run by a foreigner, and later on, more local people brought foreign friends, mostly for business dinners," says Sara Tu, the manager of Angelo's.
Customers' taste has become more sophisticated, she says. They used to think pizza was a machine-made pancake with a few toppings; now they know it's handmade with a thin crust, and there are plenty of toppings.
It offers Italian-style grilled steaks and lamb chops. Customers had been more familiar with American grilled steaks.
Even American-style brands don't do very well in Hangzhou. In the past decade there were four BBQ cafeterias offering South American-style food. Today only the Caribbean BBQ Cafeteria survives.
"The market is narrow. A local may go to a certain Chinese restaurant once a week, however, he or she would not go to a grill cafeteria so frequently, maybe once a year," says Shao Fu, the owner of Caribbean BBQ Cafeteria.
"The local market has not yet matured, as most Chinese people just want to try Western food, but they don't come back," says Rueben Marley, an American food critic and chef based in Hangzhou.
"It's about the time. At the beginning, it's rough for Western restaurants in Hangzhou but it's better now, and I think Western restaurants need to teach locals and get their support."
Shanghai Daily reporter tried some Mexican and American restaurants in Hangzhou.
Pancho's Mexican Restaurant
The decor is full of Mexican elements such as the national flag, Aztec paintings, banners and traditional costumes.
The authentic Mexican food includes burritos, tacos, tostadas, gringas and many other dishes. Mexican desserts are offered, as well as beer and tequila.
Address: 376 Gudun Rd
Tel: (0571) 8512-1219
Angelo's Italian-New York Restaurant & Bar
At the foot of Baoshi Hill, Angelo's serves a mix of Italian and New York-style dishes. Owner and two-Michelin-star chef Benedetto Stella is from Matera in southern Italy.
The cuisine is Western, with some innovation. Benny's salad (named after the owner), Peking pizza and all kinds of pasta are recommended.
Address: No. 6, Lane 2, Baochu Road, at the foot of Boshi Hill
Tel: (0571) 8511-1160
Caribbean BBQ Cafeteria
The buffet seafood, Chinese food, desserts and ice creams, as well as 30 kinds of BBQ meat and vegetables are distributed by servers walking around the restaurant. There's free-flow beer, wine and soft drinks. Prices are typically around 100 yuan (US$16) per person.
The house band starts performing at 6pm.
Address: 56-1 Yan'an Rd S.
Tel: (0571) 8780-9900
Amigo Restaurant & Bar
This is not Mexican or Spanish but a Western-style restaurant, cafe and bar offering American foods. The menu includes standard Western foods, as well as salads, pasta and pizza.
The restaurant is large and has six sections, including a main area, bar, booths and a garden. It's popular with foreign customers.
It offers a pleasant view of the mountains.
Address: 8 Yugu Rd
Tel: (0571) 8880-9599
Hangzhou has far fewer foreign restaurants than big cities like Shanghai, though it does have Japanese, Thai, Italian and French cuisine.
South American and North American restaurants are scarce.
"It was weird when I began the restaurant," says Garcia. "Chinese people came and only looked for spicy foods, and sometimes they asked for chopsticks."
Some foreigners say it's not real Mexican style.
"To their mind, Mexican food should be in the style of northern Mexico which borders the United States, but there's much more variety and different cooking from middle and southern Mexico and coastal areas," he says.
Garcia, who is both owner and chef, insists its dishes are authentic in flavor.
The percentage of Chinese diners has increased from 30 percent to 70 percent.
"Running a Mexican restaurant in a city where there are not many foreigners, I need to lure more Chinese customers," Garcia says.
In the past, foreign customers brought their Chinese friends; now Chinese customers bring their foreign friends, he says.
The same is true for Angelo's, a New York and Italian-style restaurant and bar opened two years ago by Michelin-starred chef Benedetto Stella. There's also an Angelo's in Ningbo, a coastal city in Zhejiang Province.
"At the beginning foreigners came to the restaurant because it is run by a foreigner, and later on, more local people brought foreign friends, mostly for business dinners," says Sara Tu, the manager of Angelo's.
Customers' taste has become more sophisticated, she says. They used to think pizza was a machine-made pancake with a few toppings; now they know it's handmade with a thin crust, and there are plenty of toppings.
It offers Italian-style grilled steaks and lamb chops. Customers had been more familiar with American grilled steaks.
Even American-style brands don't do very well in Hangzhou. In the past decade there were four BBQ cafeterias offering South American-style food. Today only the Caribbean BBQ Cafeteria survives.
"The market is narrow. A local may go to a certain Chinese restaurant once a week, however, he or she would not go to a grill cafeteria so frequently, maybe once a year," says Shao Fu, the owner of Caribbean BBQ Cafeteria.
"The local market has not yet matured, as most Chinese people just want to try Western food, but they don't come back," says Rueben Marley, an American food critic and chef based in Hangzhou.
"It's about the time. At the beginning, it's rough for Western restaurants in Hangzhou but it's better now, and I think Western restaurants need to teach locals and get their support."
Shanghai Daily reporter tried some Mexican and American restaurants in Hangzhou.
Pancho's Mexican Restaurant
The decor is full of Mexican elements such as the national flag, Aztec paintings, banners and traditional costumes.
The authentic Mexican food includes burritos, tacos, tostadas, gringas and many other dishes. Mexican desserts are offered, as well as beer and tequila.
Address: 376 Gudun Rd
Tel: (0571) 8512-1219
Angelo's Italian-New York Restaurant & Bar
At the foot of Baoshi Hill, Angelo's serves a mix of Italian and New York-style dishes. Owner and two-Michelin-star chef Benedetto Stella is from Matera in southern Italy.
The cuisine is Western, with some innovation. Benny's salad (named after the owner), Peking pizza and all kinds of pasta are recommended.
Address: No. 6, Lane 2, Baochu Road, at the foot of Boshi Hill
Tel: (0571) 8511-1160
Caribbean BBQ Cafeteria
The buffet seafood, Chinese food, desserts and ice creams, as well as 30 kinds of BBQ meat and vegetables are distributed by servers walking around the restaurant. There's free-flow beer, wine and soft drinks. Prices are typically around 100 yuan (US$16) per person.
The house band starts performing at 6pm.
Address: 56-1 Yan'an Rd S.
Tel: (0571) 8780-9900
Amigo Restaurant & Bar
This is not Mexican or Spanish but a Western-style restaurant, cafe and bar offering American foods. The menu includes standard Western foods, as well as salads, pasta and pizza.
The restaurant is large and has six sections, including a main area, bar, booths and a garden. It's popular with foreign customers.
It offers a pleasant view of the mountains.
Address: 8 Yugu Rd
Tel: (0571) 8880-9599
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
