Only Death and Taxes and Lakeside Restaurants

As certain as one may predict that one may experience something delightful at a Lakeside restaurant, one may predict that that experience was ephemeral and that, one may depend on that nice meal as an experience unlikely to be repeated. This disappointment is slated to be repeated over and over again.

Not long ago, I praised repeatedly the fine bistro-style Mediterranean seafood served up by Tabarka Restaurant in West Ajijic and I was pleased that such a sophisticated place, actually a branch of a Chapalita restaurant, had opened in our midst. Then, the inevitable happened as it always does in Ajijic. Last night we went there after several months since we had been out of town, and to say the food was overpriced and underserved and bland would be an undue compliment. We are not prone to review the food in a restaurant based simply on price but tasteless, bland, room temperature, greasy, expensive shellfish prepared without care is another matter. Imagine five small shrimp prepared in a bland and tasteless "tangerine" sauce with no accompaniments but a couple of sauteed red peppers at $140 Pesos. Five Tough, rubbery and tasteless fat and bland, indistinguished "scallops" also with no accompinaments except those red peppers also at an exhorbitant cost. Those meals plus a couple of glasses of red wine and two margaritas came to $510 Pesos before our propina.

What a let down from the fine Spanish seafront bistro fare this place could take great pride in in the past. Then, a unique and rewarding experience, now, at least last night, a tired and uninteresting ghost of its former self. Maybe the chef who turned out such good food in our past visits was off that night.

I would like to see this place survive but will not return there unless there is a clear return to their past excellence. I don´t know how we could gauge that without risking another disappointing, even sort of sad night similar to our´s yesterday. We´re off to Chiapas for a few months but maybe they´ll be back to preparing their formerly good food when we return.

WOW!!! Such a disappointing review as it was always excellent in the past. Methinks you should have spoken to the Chef and sent the meals back.

Our Dinner Group is scheduled to go there in May. I'll be sure to post the results.

johninajijic wrote:WOW!!! Such a disappointing review as it was always excellent in the past. Methinks you should have spoken to the Chef and sent the meals back.

Our Dinner Group is scheduled to go there in May. I'll be sure to post the results.

That´s good, John:

We´ll be in Chiapas from about February 1 until June so we look forward to the review of your dinner group´s experience. I sincerely hope you find that this restaurant has improved over what we experienced last night as it has tremendous potential. Based upon the critiques of your dinner group in the past, I expect an honest and forthright review although, I must say, I may disagree with your group´s conclusions from time to time. Your recent review of Hacienda Ajijic indicating a diminishment in the quality of the food as experienced in the past is in keeping with our most recent experience as well. Let´s keep them honest.

I´ll say some more regarding Chiapas food when we return to Jalisco.

Dawg

Dawg - Drive safe and be safe on your journey.