Adventurasia Community

(Written by: Patrick McCoy, 2001)

You may have come to the conclusion that it is difficult to find good authentic Mexican food in Tokyo. El Paso mostly caters to the Japanese palate with many of its dishes, but it stands out among Tokyo Tex-Mex eateries due their attention to details.

El Paso is located just a stone\’s throw from the Koban at the intersection of Omotesando dori and Aoyama dori. The western theme is inexplicably reflected in the Native American Indian pictures adorning the walls near the bar. According to the friendly manager, Jun, these pictures are a holdover from the space\’s previous occupant, a native American Indian theme shot bar.

For an appetizers our party ordered nachos, chips and guacamole, and buffalo wings. The nachos were not very elaborate and came in a typically small portion despite the large order size being 200 yen more than the small size(1400 yen). However, the guacamole is made fresh at the time of the order and was very tasty. As were the not-so-Mexican buffalo wings(900 yen), which were authentically spicy.

There\’s a set menu of typical Tex-Mex dishes like quesdillas, burritos, enchiladas, taquitos, which range from 900-1200 yen per dish. The chicken enchiladas(1200 yen) were good, but a bit skimpy in portion. Which was followed by the chicken quesdillas(900 yen), which were as well-prepared as any I have had in Japan. There are some interesting nontraditional ingredients like squid and octopus, obviously geared for the numerous Japanese patrons. The menu states that all of the seafood is brought in daily from Tsukiji. We tried the tangy scallops cooked in jaolapeno juice(1100 yen) from the seasonal menu, which is changed about every few months or so.

We washed it all down with the delightful blended margaritas (frozen margaritas(both 1000yen) are also available from the extensive cocktail menu). I was impressed by the size and variety of the wine list, and the number of Mexican beers available including my favorite Negro Modelo(800 yen). On Mondays everything is 50 per cent off for ladies. Overall the friendly and helpful staff, wonderful margaritas, fresh guacamole and fish-show the attention to detail that Jun puts into making El Paso an enjoyable dining experience.

El Paso 3-5-17 Kita Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Open 11-2pm (No lunch on weekends), 6pm-2 am Mon-Sat, 5-11:30pm Sun, Holidays

Filed under: Japan, Taste of Asia