¿Tacos y la playa? ¡Si por favor!

By month two, our craving for Mexican food had gotten out of hand.  We were ecstatic when we discovered a “Mexican” restaurant practically right outside of our apartment.  Upon closer inspection however, we realized it was simply a Korean restaurant.  Oh I'm sorry, a Korean restaurant with chicken.  The nerve.

You may ask, why not prepare Mexican food at home?    We managed to find tortillas a month and a half in, the cheddar cheese that we discovered at Costco has been replenished twice and salsa and tortilla chips are available.  However, some fundamental components of a true Mexican meal are still missing.  The one time we found black beans (other than kidneys) they were over $20.00 for less than half a pound.  Sour cream is available at Costco, but only in EXTRA large quantities.  Have I mentioned our cold food is stored in something only slightly larger than a mini fridge?

When our co-worker told us there was a fairly authentic Mexican place in town, we asked that he alert us to his next trip so we could tag along.  Last Saturday he delivered on his promise. 

Resembling nothing more than a literal hole in the wall, Taco Señora was a fifteen minute bus ride away.  Located near the popular Hauendae Beach, it’s one of those places you wouldn’t see unless you knew it was there.  Down an alley we went, and soon we arrived at the simple stand.

A menu outside advertised the goods.

Inside, the female middle aged owner worked behind the counter, serving the two current patrons at a narrow bar top with seats for eight.  Another menu revealed Mexican beer was also served here.  ¡Sauld!

From floor to ceiling, the walls were littered with post-it notes, (mostly in English) from past diners.  They proclaimed “Greatest Mexican food in Busan”, “Matt and Alicia’s one month anniversary”, and “My mother thinks I’m at a convent in the South of France.”

Someone before us had staked their claim to Oregon.

When we saw the unfortunate signature of a future OSU Beaver, we knew we had to take action.

After ordering our taco and burrito, we anticipated the first bite.  When the food came, I was impressed.  It looked like Mexican food, and it smelled like Mexican food.  We took our first bites and it tasted like Mexican food too!  Success!!

After we’d gotten our fill, we decided to head down to the beach.  On our way through some tented vendors, we saw these poor guys in nets directly in the sun.  Dinner?  As we were leaning in to get a good look, one attempted a jumping escape, and just about made us jump out of our skin.

Next door to the frogs, we spotted a vast selection of dry beans and rice.  We were on the hunt for garbonzos, which we’re told are available on rare occasions, but have had no luck as of yet.  We did however locate some reasonably priced dry black beans there.  (YAY!)

We purchased the beans and continued toward the beach. 

Although it was windy, the weather was beautiful.

So was the beach!

We’re told that in the summer months, umbrellas fill the sand and it’s crammed with people.  If we want to visit Hauendae we better get there early.  It’s the most popular beach in Korea.  We may stick with Gwangali, the beach we visited Sunday.  Weather permitting, we’ll be at one of the two on Wednesday, which we have off for a holiday.  
¡Y mas tacos pronto!