Tortilleria Nixtamal Review
Posted by Scott on January 12th, 2011
Rating: 4 paws out of 5
Spent:. $15 per person
Chain: No.
Date Friendly: Yes, informal ones.
Note: There often are specials.
104-05 47th Ave
Corona, NY 11368
(718) 699-2434
http://www.tortillerianixtamal.com/
This guy heard of a place in Queens where they make their own tortillas from their own freshly ground mesa. This is something that should be investigated and inspected thoroughly by this nosy ferret. Usually something fresh equals something really good, hopefully. Hey it is Mexican food with real fresh ingredients, what can possibly go wrong?
Nixtamal sometimes will have imported beer from Mexico that might be hard to find elsewhere in New York City. On this day, they had Victoria.
Victoria beer has a beautiful amber color and very clean taste to it. It went excellently naturally with Mexican food.
They also have Mexican Coke, which is quite good. Whats different you say about Mexican Coke, it made from real sugar. Yes REAL sugar, which has more layers of flavor versus corn syrup which is just sweet.
Horchata Cinnamon Rice Milk is made here and served from a giant glass jar. This popular drink is refreshing, but may require an acquired taste. It is kinda like not very sweet rice milk with touch of cinnamon.
Menu here comes in two languages, Spanish and English. Take care not to mix them up or ask for the language you can read. They are very similar looking and easy to mix up. The number of items are not overwhelming and easy to read. It should not be very hard to decide what you would like to eat.
Special Wings, this day there were a special item, chicken wings. They were very moist and plump with a touch of spicy. I wish it had a little more caramelization on them, but very good overall.
Carnita here are a weekly weekend special that can sell out pretty quick near the end of the day. They comes 2 ways. They can be made individually or can be ordered by the pound.
One pound of carnita meat is good for a couple of friends, if they are hungry. It is cheaper to order them by this method if a large amount of them will be consumed.
The tortillas are also ordered by the pound (15). This is to match your pound of carnitas. I recommend 2 pound of meat per 1 pound of tortillas.
In the pound of carnitas you get a tray full of parsley, onions and limes.
You are probably sold on the carnitas, so how does it taste you might ask. Lets start with the outside tortilla. The tortillas are made fresh on site with their own freshly ground masa. You basically can taste the freshness of the corn. The meat is very tender and has a nice level of fattiness that many people enjoy with the carnita. Mix in some onions, parsley, lime, and red hot sauce, you got REALLY good.
Fish Tacos are very tasty here also. The bread pieces of fish come hot and ready to work with the taco. Mix in some lime juice and hot sauce and you are in business. The fish has the taste of being freshly made, it does not taste like it been sitting around. I have no confirmation if the fish itself is fresh, if it was, I would not be surprised. Tomato is also a small nice touch.
Tamalas here are a treat, they comes in a decent size nicely wrapped up.
The one I got here is the chipotle which contains pork and chicken. This one is pretty spicy, and should watch this one with a bit of caution. Not to worry though, it will be bearable for many people. It is extremely well seasoned item, the chicken and pork inside taste of a high quality cut and moist. Again you can taste the fresh mesa with this dish.
Chile relleno with tuna is a strange one, nonetheless it is very good treat to have if you have grown tired of all this pork. The hot pepper is well grilled and has all the nice flavors without really the spiciness what you would expect.
Pepe’s al Pastor here is good also. This is a very good pick for who like the more grilled taste of meat. This dish is also available by the pound, I recommend the 2 meat to 1 tortilla ratio. The flavors in this are more savory than the carnitas with the touch of sweetness from the pineapple.
Note: I had some chips and guacamole, I like the guacamole, but the chips are thicker than I am used to and wasn’t too fond of that. Order this if the chip thickness doesn’t bother you.
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