We arrived in Bangkok and were staying in Thonglor, the trendy bustling part of the city, were the restaurants serve the latest culinary creations and street food tickle tongues and fill bellies. We only had a few days before we headed off, so we wanted to sample as many flavors as possible. 

Our first spot was theCOMMONS, a cool multi-level community space + garden, shops + spas, and a collective of restaurants at Thonglor, Soi 17. This is a one-stop kind of spot where international and fusion foods rule. We found freshly roasted coffee, great breakfasts, pho + spring rolls, fresh juices, pizza, kombucha, fried chicken, ramen, and more… I could go on and on but I’ll stick with the foodie food for now.

We came across Barrio Bonito restaurant and plopped down in their seats with very low expectations. Because who in their right mind would eat Mexican food in Thailand? Well, we would and we were blown away by this little Mexican haven! 

We hadn’t had Mexican food in 2 years since we lived in Merida, Mexico and when I sipped the hand-shaken fresh lime margarita, I stopped dead, and licked the salt off my lips, and looked at Bob dumfounded. He just smiled.

We sat next to the open kitchen where Bee Boy was cooking up the tasty goods and we listened as sounds of chopping and wafts of spices came our way.

We started with a basket of baked (not sure–they could’ve been fried but they were damn good) corn tortilla chips served with sides of chipotle + pico de gallo + super-hot green chili salsas + guacamole with crumbled cheese and red pomegranates. I know most people would mention the guac first, but I am a true tortilla chip addict.

Our main course arrived.

Bob had Tacos de Conchinitas Pibil (pork with orange + achiote spices), Tacos De Barbacoa (lamb + ancho chili paste cooked for 7 hours in banana leaves), and a Carnitas (braised pulled pork in a taco).

I had a freshly rolled burrito that was stuffed with sizzling hot, perfectly spiced vegetables wrapped in a delicate handmade flour tortilla topped with a drizzle of sour cream.

We were told that the owner and chef, Mariana, is from Mexico City and that her menu is based on traditional recipes with a few personal twists. We kept gushing about how excited we were that we found their place and when we left we gave them all hugs.

We rubbed our bellies and talked about our dinner all the way back to our hotel. Tasting Mexican food again brought up a lot of nostalgia and longing for Merida, Mexico where had we recently lived for 6 months. (Coming Soon: Merida Memories)

Barrio Bonito made us so happy that we just couldn’t wait to have it again. So, we returned the next day, and it all started over again with two fresh lime margaritas.

This time Bob ordered the Rajas Con Crème Y Queso roasted chilies + cheese dip + tortilla chips and Chalupas De Chorizo. And I stuck with the same same (a common saying in Thailand) salsas + guac + chips and the delicious burrito—yeah, it was that good!  

Phet and Ploy were so welcoming and happy to see us again. While we were savoring our feast, Phet took a secret pic of us and texted it to Mariana. Then he presented us with two tequila shots + salt + lime on the house and we threw them back with some cheers in Thank You.

I have to say that I would go back to Barrio Bonito in heartbeat. If you plan on going to theCommons, stop by for a little taste of Mexico—you can thank us later. 

P.S. We can promise you’ll have an amazing meal and drinks but we can’t promise you free shots of tequila…

***UPDATE***

Barrio Bonito has closed and been revamped into an amazing new restaurant La Cocina–still in the same spot with the same owner and creative tasty fare. We can’t wait to try the new menu on our next visit to Bangkok!!!

Visit Mariana’s Barrio Bonito Facebook Page and La Cocina Facebook Page

Check out theCOMMONS