Two Tickets on the Hot Tamale Train

If you don't watch So You Think You Can Dance, the title of this post sounds pretty stupid. Actually, even if you watch SYTYCD, it's still pretty stupid. But you still want to read about the tamales we ate today, right?

As an apprentice-operated business and job-training restaurant, Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe (2124 W. 7th Street, Los Angeles) welcomes local low-income residents who are home caterers and street vendors and prepares them for jobs in the food service industry.

When you visit the bright and cheery cafe, you will dine on fresh delicious homemade tamales, and you will feel good about supporting a great cause.

I started off with a fresh jamaica ($2.00). The refills were plentiful.

Mr. Monkey had an Inca Kola ($1.75).

We ordered six different types of tamales to share ($2.75 each, $2.50 each if you order three or more): chicken with black mole, chicken in green sauce, turkey, pork in green sauce, beef picadillo, and cheese and jalapeño.

The types of tamales vary daily, depending on which vendors contribute, but the array generally includes offerings of Mexican, Oaxacan, Honduran, Peruvian, Guatemalan, and Salvadoran origins.

Chicken with black mole. My favorite, hands down. The mole was rich and smoky.

Beef picadillo. Spicy and yummy.

Pork with green sauce. Good but not as good as the others.

Cheese and jalapeño. Loved this one! Cheese! Cheese! Cheese!

Everything was delicious, but we particularly enjoyed the tamales wrapped in banana leaves. These were especially moist and amazing. They were so outstanding that we got four banana-leaf-wrapped tamales to go: another chicken with black mole and another turkey, as well as a chicken with vegetables and a mixed vegetables. We had them for dinner, and they were fantastic!

We ended our meal with a shared pineapple tamale. I loved how the sweet cinnamon tones paired with the warm tang of the pineapple.

This was a lovely neighborhood find in a not-so-lovely neighborhood. I promise it's worth it. I only wish we'd taken home more than four extra tamales.

Every Day Is Like Sunday

When I was talking to Mama Monkey on the phone yesterday, she said she hoped that I didn't "have any activities" today. She reads my blog and thinks that I "do too much."

Funny.

We don't have any plans today, except to have our weekly meal with Little Monkey Niece tonight. But we did make a short neighborhood jaunt to pick up our Dodger playoff tickets from the closest Ticketmaster outlet, Ritmo Latino.

Ritmo Latino is close to the old beautiful Bradbury Building.

It's also across the street from Grand Central Market, where we grabbed a quick lunch to go.






These are times when I'm glad I always have a little point-and-shoot with me. I don't really "do too much," as Mama Monkey puts it. I just happen to document even my most mundane errands.






After surveying the premises, we decided on Sarita's Pupuseria today over my usual haunt, Tacos Tumbras a Tomas (which I highly recommend -- the gorditas are incredible).

I agree with this little newspaper clipping. So much tastiness for so little money! The article is a bit dated, though. A pupusa now costs a whopping $2.40.

The pupusas are made fresh to order. This pic is way blurry because the owner of the little stand was giving me the stink eye, and I rushed to snap.

What can I say? I prefer asking for forgiveness instead of asking for permission.

We took our food to go and had a feast at home. Mr. Monkey, who is enamored with corned beef hash, was intrigued by the comparatively expensive salpicon ($7.25). It was ok, but I advise sticking with pupusas.

Here's our stack of pupusas ($2.40 each) and accompanying curtido and hot sauce. We sampled four different kinds: shrimp and cheese, carne asada and cheese, chicken and cheese, and a revuelta (pork, cheese, and beans).


One pupusa is enough of a meal for me, but I nibbled on a little of each for comparison's sake. Needless to say, we have lots of leftovers. I liked the shrimp and cheese the most today.

Pupusas Are My New Favorite

********THIS RESTAURANT IS NOW CLOSED.********

Giggles, Prim, and I tried Pupusas y Mas (3133 San Gabriel Blvd., Rosemead) on Tuesday. I've often driven by it and wondered what was inside.

I wonder no more!


The restaurant is simple but clean and well air-conditioned! The service is warm and friendly! The food is fantastic and inexpensive!

Horchata ($1.60)!

Jamaica ($1.60)!

This is curtido. It is pickled cabbage that you eat with your pupusas. I found it remarkably similar to the pickled cabbage common in Chinese and Japanese cuisine.

I got two pupusas revueltas ($2.20 each), which included cheese, beans, and chicharrones (fried pork, rinds to be exact).


I also put a thin, red, slightly spicy tomato-based sauce on my pupusas. They were so freakin' good! I am already making plans to bring them home to Mr. Monkey next week. In fact, I raved about them to Mr. Monkey so much that he was sad I didn't bring any home on Tuesday!

Giggles, Prim, and I also shared some platanos fritos con crema. Majorly sabroso!

I totally overate. I think one pupusa would've been sufficient for me. Or maybe no fried plantains. Or maybe less jamaica. Hard to say.

What I can say, though, is, if you are anywhere close to this place, go, go, go! You won't be disappointed!