For those that pay close attention to this blog, you may recall that I took MamaVamp to South Philly a couple years ago to indulge in sublime Mexican food at Chef Christina Martinez's Casa Mexico.
We were more than overdue for some killer Mexican in the City of Brotherly Love. This time around, I took her to a spot called El Chingon.
This place is not just a gem - it's a full-on treasure.
Just take a look at our app above, Remolacha. At the base is Sikil Pak, a creamy, smoky dip made of pepitas. Piled on top are perfectly marinated beets, along with avocado, darkly roasted and sliced thin. Add a bit of goat cheese crema and caramelized sesame seeds, and I promise that you won't give a moment's thought before grabbing one of the crispy Totopos to start scooping it into your trap.
As if that wasn't enough, we had two entrees.
Whoa.
Let's talk about the Tacos Arabes. As pictured below, these were sourdough tortillas filled with pork marinated in fresh herbs, a spoonful of chipotle salsa atop. A few rings of grilled onion sat alongside, a caramelized, sweet addition if desired...
And then there was the Cemita - a classic Pueblan sandwich - which in this case was a Cemita Pierna Adobada.
This was a thing of pure beauty. It started with the bread. That's right. This is served on a homemade roll made by El Chingon's Chef/Owner Juan Carlos Aparicio who used to bake bread at Rittenhouse Square's Parc. This bread was gluten-filled gloriousness. It was stuffed with Adobo-rubbed pork butt, a slathering of ayocote beans, red onions, avocado, a slice of grilled pineapple, and a shower of shaved Oaxacan Quesillo cheese.
To be clear, I plan on eating each and every item that Chef Aparicio offers. It won't happen any time soon. But it will happen.
A birdie told me that he wouldn't say "no" to opening a branch in New York City. Well, I would not say "no" to that.
I have a feeling that El Chignon would fit in with the NYC food scene quite nicely. After all, the name translates to "bad ass." And the food that Chef Aparicio serves is bad ass, indeed!
Comments