# Chinese Food with a Mexican Twist: Mexicali



## Longford (May 25, 2012)

I listen to public radio (NPR) as I travel by elevated train on my way to/from work each day in Chicago and one of the programs, "The World", featured a story a couple of days ago about Chinese food restaurants in El Centro, CA and more specifically those situated across the border in Mexicali, Baja California.



> This food is even more prominent on the Mexican side of the border, as I learn taking a drive across the border with George Lim. He lives in the US, but commutes every day across the border to Mexicali, Mexico, home to as many as 200 Chinese restaurants. Lim helps run one of the city’s oldest: El Dragon.


The report reminded me of the time I spent in the Coachella Valley of CA in the late 1960s with Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers, and my visits to El Centro, Calexico ... and my first visit to Mexicali. It also reminded me of the history of the region and the presence of the Chinese population there ... and why they located along the border. 



> The Chinese invented undocumented immigration from Mexico,” Romero says. “Smuggling with false papers, in boats and in trains, the infrastructure for that was all invented by the Chinese.”


Click on this link to read the story and there's a link embedded in the story which will allow you to listen to the approx. 5 minute report:

Head to the US-Mexico border and find a Chinese food scene like none other | Public Radio International

Considering his fondness for Chinese food, and the challenge of finding decent Chinese food in Mexico ... maybe we should pass the 'hat' and send forum participant Anonimo and his Mrs. on a field trip so that those two foodies can report back!


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Longford said:


> I listen to public radio (NPR) as I travel by elevated train on my way to/from work each day in Chicago and one of the programs, "The World", featured a story a couple of days ago about Chinese food restaurants in El Centro, CA and more specifically those situated across the border in Mexicali, Baja California.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


An interesting story. Guadalajara is filled with Chinese restaurants and they all seem to be uniformly bad. They all serve buffet style and the selection of food is all various fried stuff that is not at all reflective of real Chinese cooking. You would think a city the size of Guadalajara would have a real Chinese restaurant, but if it does, I have yet to discover it. I am glad to hear that elsewhere in Mexico there is real Chinese food.


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## AlanMexicali (Jun 1, 2011)

El Rincón de Panchito

The best and most famous Cantonese Chinese food restaurant in Mexicali is El Rincon de Ponchito. 

Last time we ate there about a year and a half ago a meal for 3 with a container to go just was under $400.00 peso. There are definately much less expensive Chinese food restaurants in the city but for me not near as good. I bet the average meal for 4 in most are about $300.00 pesos.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

TundraGreen said:


> An interesting story. Guadalajara is filled with Chinese restaurants and they all seem to be uniformly bad. They all serve buffet style and the selection of food is all various fried stuff that is not at all reflective of real Chinese cooking. You would think a city the size of Guadalajara would have a real Chinese restaurant, but if it does, I have yet to discover it. I am glad to hear that elsewhere in Mexico there is real Chinese food.


Most of the Chinese restaurants in Mexico City are like the ones in Guadalajara, inexpensive and bad! There are a few nice ones, but they're too pricey for my eating-out budget. I'll be in the States at the end of this month, and one of the things I'm looking forward to doing is going to the local Chinatown and enjoying a tasty meal!


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

I did a Blog post on that NPR article along with lots of "Chinese in Mexico" stories
Chinese in Mexico: The Chinese-Mexican Cuisine You’ll Find Only Along the Border

I inherited the Blog from Rich from Mexfiles when a bunch of us from the old Lonely Planet were collecting Chinese/Mexico stuff


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

I hope the restaurants in Mexicali are better tan those in Tapachula and in that part of Chiapas. It seems that anyone who could not cook was sentenced to build the railroads and open bad restaurants...We have a new wave of Chinese coming intoChiapas one in The Soconusco, they are tied to the export business down there and one in Simojovel where they buy any good ambar. In Simojovel they are building a restaurant and some other shops for the Chinese who are doing business there..maybe the new wave will bring decent food..the old one certainly did not. 
Cannot wait to get decent Asian food next week in the Paris Chinatown.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

citlali said:


> . . .
> Cannot wait to get decent Asian food next week in the Paris Chinatown.


I'm looking forward to the same while I'm in Phildelphia in another week or so. Bon appetit, mon amie!


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Bon appetit to you too!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

citlali said:


> Bon appetit to you too!


Merci beaucoup!


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