All the way down Sukhumvit 22 on the bend in the road that joins up with Sukhumvit 20 you will find this festive coloured restaurant happily sticking out like a sore thumb among the drab shophouses lining this part of the street. This 20′odd seater is brightened up by funky wall to wall murals and a random selection of tunes which gives this place an upbeat vibe. There are a lot of changes going down on this soi recently and I’m happy to see a new restaurant offering a tasty alternative for the local Thai/expat residents who call this neighborhood home and the rest of us in bangkok who simply love Mexican food.
We were greeted by the extremely friendly owner Seamus and we had an interesting conversation with topics ranging from Creole and crustaceans to Chiang Mai and chillies. Before taking our order, Seamus hooked us up with a bowl of homemade chips and salsa on the house. The chips had a nice crunch to them but were a little heavy on the grease for my liking, however we both really enjoyed the freshly roasted salsa . The side order of guacamole (THB 75 / $2.50) was abundant and obviously fresh but I would recommend turning down the citrus knob a few notches to let the avocado taste have more of the spotlight.
For C.B.’s late lunch she selected the shredded pork quesadilla (THB 215 / $7) minus the pico de gallo vegetable salsa on top. The tortilla had a nice toothsome texture to it and the creamy melted cheese and well seasoned shredded pork formed a damn fine union together.
We sampled a chorizo soft taco (THB 70 / $2.25) and though we liked the presentation and variety of flavours, we did find the chorizo meat a little bit on the salty side.
The burrito has put El Diablo’s firmly on the map in their first location in Chiang Mai and I went with the carne asada burrito (THB 225 / $7.50 ) to see how it stacks up against the local competition in Bangkok. Top marks for presentation and I enjoyed having it served on a plate instead of wrapped up in tinfoil. The burrito was a fair size and I appreciated the fact that they didn’t load it up with a mound of rice just to make it bigger. The low rice to meat ratio actually allowed me to get a good taste of the nicely marinated pork in each bite and in my books this baby was clearly Made With Love.
Opened approximately 6 months ago, I did find it extremely odd that El Diablo’s Bangkok chose to open a restaurant without a proper guest bathroom. After the meal I made my way through the hot pans and oil and past the dirty dishes to the back where a bathroom slightly better than the one in Trainspotting could be found. The broken toilet seat looked like it was barely hanging on and you could forget about properly washing your hands as I couldn’t find a sink (I guess I could have used the shower head hanging off the wall?). Seamus did tell us that a new bathroom is on the top of their list but I still found it strange how they could allow customers to go through a small functioning kitchen to end up in such a sketchy bathroom. One other item that I think could be added to their list is a more powerful kitchen exhaust system that would surely help keep the dining room better ventilated when the kitchen is busy.
The few minuses above are outweighed by the numerous pluses such as the friendly down home service that makes you feel like you are not just a number at another cantina. Followed by ample portions of food that were brought out to our table at the same time (shocking in Thailand!) with reasonable prices to match. The number one reason though to come here would be the freshness and care they obviously have in preparing their food. When I Wiki’d the term ‘Devil is in the details’ I learned that this idiom is actually derived from the earlier coined phrase ‘God is in the detail’. ’Devil is in the details’ means that there is a ‘catch’ or something to be aware of in the details and ‘God is in the detail’ states that details are important or if you are going to do something then it should be done thoroughly. There is no ‘catch’ at El Diablo’s and once they get the bathroom/ventilation details ironed out this will be a great place to come for Mexican food whether you live in the neighborhood or all the way across town.
El Diablo’s
330 Sukhumvit Soi 20
02-663-8646
http://www.facebook.com/pages/El-Diablos-Burritos/188009641258603
Open Tuesday – Sunday
11:30am – 11:00pm
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Ah, I thought it looked familiar! Then I realized they do have one in Chiang Mai, which I ate at during our last trip. While waiting I was also served a huge (double, in my case) portion of complimentary nachos and salsa; just a tad on the oily side (compared to store-bought chips most people are used to), but still a nice service. I ordered a burrito as well, and agree it was tasty and quite substantial (definitely hit the spot). I think I waddled out of there with a very full stomach and satisfied with the price I’d paid. I wouldn’t exactly call it gourmet Mexican, but certainly a notch above usual fast-food style Mexican, esp. in Bangkok (would choose it over Sunrise Tacos any day). Anyway, just my two-bits~ Great review and pictures as always!
Btw, there’s a great little ‘hole-in-the-wall’ Burmese restaurant right beside El Diablo’s in Chiang Mai, also worth checking out~
C-Sha – good to hear from you. I have always wondered what Burmese food tastes like and now I have an extra reason to hit Chiang Mai again. Sounds like we were in sync with our review : )
Your review has made me crave the best Mexican this side of the pond. I will take you to Me Mexico in Bellingham when you get back, maybe you might even write a review about it.
Hey Snoopie – I bet you the portions in Bellingham are massive. Maybe we could share a dish hahaha
what a nice pictures and encourage me to try to eat a Mexican food
Thaifoodster – thank you for your compliment and hope you enjoy your 1st Mexican food experience!
I just decided on going to a Spanish place for my birthday… now your post made me hesitate. The pictures look so good! Do you know any good Spanish restaurants in Bangkok?
Hi Boberry – I haven’t been to any Spanish restaurants in BKK but you could check out Catalana on Sukhumvit soi 11 (across from Bed Club) or Tapas on the sub soi off of soi 11 (soi Cheap Charlie’s). They also have another branch on Silom soi 4. For Mexican, most people would recommend trying La Monitas @ Mahatun Plaza (BTS Ploenchit) but they are quite busy on Fri/Sat nights so be prepared for that.