Food for Thought: Skinny girl who is a foodie

I am a foodie but, there have been several occasions where I have been questioned and got surprised looks from people on mentioning that. Why? Well, because I am skinny. I am one of those individuals on this planet who can eat like a pig yet, never gain weight. This has been the story of my life.

The good part of being blessed with high metabolism is that I can eat all I want without any fear of gaining weight. The bad part? Well, it’s all those comments you get to hear.

No, this isn’t going to be a blog post where I crib and cry about those comments I hear but, rather introspection. (Ok, I might crib a little, just a little)

Someone can be a foodie only if they are fat? What kind of logic is that! Being a foodie has nothing to do with one’s weight! You might weigh 100+ kgs or just 50 kgs, being a foodie has got to do with your love for food, and mind you it’s not necessary that that love for food should be physically seen in the body. That is the most ridiculous thing ever if you ask me.

Getting shocked/surprised look when you eat more than everyone at the table is something I have faced so many times and those looks are followed by statements such as – ‘Oh my god, you eat so much, where does it all go?’, ‘how can you eat so much’, ‘I am surprised you managed to finish that’ and, I could just end up writing a book on the various comments one gets. What I don’t understand is, people have a problem if a skinny person eats a lot and they have a problem if they don’t eat a lot, I mean come on, make up your mind people!

Being skinny doesn’t mean you can’t eat large portions and being skinny also does not mean you don’t enjoy the food. The whole point of being a food enthusiast is that you enjoy and relish food a little more than others do and by doing so if one does not put on weight, well that’s just a bonus.

This leads to one of the biggest misconceptions among people about foodies. A lot of them think being a foodie means someone who eats a lot and is always ready to experiment with their palate. Well, probably this is where the problem arises from. Foodie is not just someone who is always up for trying out various cuisines, but a foodie is someone who has an ardent interest in food and seeks out new experiences and learning when it comes food and beverages. Yes, I agree that in recent past the word ‘foodie’ has been used exhaustively to an extent that it has lost its meaning hence, I have settled for calling myself a food enthusiast and just not a foodie.

Like Julia Child once said, ‘people who love to eat are the best people’, and I couldn’t agree with her more. And, if I had to sum up all my thoughts in a sentence it would be, don’t judge people on their interest in food and their love for food basis their body weight, instead eat and make merry and continue to spread the love for food. Sounds good, yeah?

Let’s do Mexican – Chinita Real Mexican Food

I have realised that good food is probably the solution to all life’s problems. Well, at least most of them. And for me, a plate of lip smacking nachos can do the trick.

I completely agree when one says, ‘life without Mexican food is like no life at all’. If you ask me, it’s difficult to find a cuisine which is as colourful as Mexican food. One look at any of the Mexican dishes and it evokes feelings of happiness because it is just so vibrant to look at, full of life.

Yes I know, I am going overboard here, but if you are someone who loves colours, you’d understand what exactly I am trying to say here.

Chinita is one restaurant I had heard raving reviews of since it started. Serving Mexican food, I was obviously very keen on trying this place out with a tad bit of nervousness. Nervousness because, it has so happened to me that every time I hear excellent reviews about anything, be it restaurant/movie/book, anything at all it has in fact disappointed me. My expectations get really high and when it does not match up to it, it is indeed very disappointing. Hence, I have always tried to not raise the bar high no matter how good people tell me something is. So, did Chinita live up to my expectation? Let’s find out.

Ambience

Chinita is a small place packed with wooden tables and chairs. A huge blackboard on one side of the wall and a few plants on the other side, and that’s it there is nothing more to the ambience. Was this disappointing? To an extent, yes! I expected the place to be more lively and appealing. Well, the place is lively with conversations but there is nothing really about the ambience which makes you go ‘Ah, this is nice’! This doesn’t imply that the ambience is bad in all, it’s decent but could have been better.

Food

No brownie points for guessing what I started my meal with, nachos of course. One look at the menu and the first thing I placed an order was for that.

Serving real Mexican food, being a vegetarian what I really liked about their menu is the fact that they have really tried to include 2-3 vegetarian dishes under each category. From enchiladas to burritos to tostadas, they have it all. Hence for someone who really wants to explore Mexican food, Chinita is could be a place to try out.

Virgin Margarita and Iced Café Con Leche graced the table first. Margarita was well, Margarita, the same old taste. Iced Café Con Leche, a fancy name for a simple cold coffee drink with ice cubes in it. Then came the nachos and oh the happiness on my face!

Virgin Margarita 

Iced Cafe Con Leche

The nachos looked so tempting. Beans, onions and cheese being the main toppings it looked absolutely mouth-watering. Did I like it? No, I loved it!

Yes, the beans were a little spicy but, the chips were nice and in all it left a lingering taste in my mouth, hence no complaints.

Nachos be like #nomnom

Next up was Tostadas, the Soyrizo and Potato one. We were served with two corn tortilla chips which were dressed with pico de gallo. Pico de gallo, also called as Salsa Fresca is a Mexican dish which is nothing but an uncooked salad. Chopped vegetable mixed together were the toppings of the tortilla chips along with sour cream, potato mix and tomato salsa.

The dish looked colourful and inviting but, one bite and it left me not wanting to have more. The chips were fine, so was the pico de gallo but what spoiled the broth was the potato mix. It had an ugly taste to it which forced me to remove all the potato on my tortilla chips and have it just with the Salsa Fresca.

Tostadas

This did ruin my mood a bit but I was hopeful that the chocolate chilli cake I had ordered for would do some magic! As delicious as it looks, the cake was just alright. It tasted like the usual chocolate cake and once you were done eating that piece of cake that’s when the taste of chilli peaks. So it tastes all sweet when you start eating the piece cake but gradually that sweet becomes spicy. Interesting change of flavours in the mouth but, the fact that it didn’t really excite me makes me say that the cake was just alright!

Chocolate chilli cake

Service and Pricing

The service was attentive and the waiters did take the initiative several times to check if we were enjoying our meal. This is something I really appreciate.

I am a little dicey about the pricing here. Seems reasonable at first look but then if you are looking at enjoying a full-fledged meal and just not a snack, then it could come turn out to be a little more than a reasonable affair.

Verdict

I have mixed feelings about this restaurant. I wasn’t quite happy with the ambience and the food was average. Service is probably the only thing I would give this place a thumbs up. However, having said that, I wouldn’t deny the fact that they are indeed serving some real Mexican food. For someone who enjoys Mexican food, you should give this place a try and for people who don’t I would suggest to give it a miss.

Quick Bites

Rating – 3.5/5

Cost for two – 1500/- inclusive of taxes

Why you should go here – To taste some authentic Mexican food

Location - 218, near BDA complex, double road, Indiranagar, Bangalore