El Papi in Nuenen

Ik spreek een beetje Nederlands dus deze beoordeling zal in het Engels moeten...

My Mexican friend and I heard about an "authentic Mexican restaurant" in Neunen and to be honest, found it hard to believe that such a small village off the beaten path would have quality Mexican food. Authentic international food is usually only reserved for the bigger cities in the Netherlands however, both of us were very pleased with the presentation, taste and authenticity of the food.

We ordered the "dag menu" which included an appetizer, main dish, and dessert. For the starter, I had ceviche which was prepared with inkfish, avocado, big shrimps, lime, and cilantro accompanied by ketchup, chipotle sauce, and additional lime for flavoring. My friend had the tortilla soup. The ceviche was wonderful: fresh, delicious, and my friend tells me prepared very authentically (I never knew you ate it with ketchup but it was actually an excellent addition). My amigo was very happy with his tortilla soup.

For a main course, I chose the carne asada which proved to be another superb selection. The beef was flame grilled and tender, the guacamole very fresh, the beans delicious, and the rice cooked just right. Although different than what I was used to in the United States, the dish was very nice. I was told the cook at this restaurant incorporates some modern Mexican cooking techniques into his creations and while maybe not always classic, it's authentic nonetheless.

Being lactose intolerant, I needed to steer away from the usual fare for dessert but ordered a rasperry sorbet which was served with mint garnish. My friend ordered the "tres leches" cake. He gave me a description of this classical Mexican dessert before it arrived at the table and I was surprised at how accurate his description was compared with what came to the table. He loved the cake and I was very happy with the sorbet.

The atmosphere was very relaxed and secluded (it is in Neunen) but very comfortable. The staff which consists of a husband-wife team is very friendly and very happy to explain more about the food if you ask them. The wife, who's Mexican, will also very happy to practice Spanish with you if you wish. Overall, we were very happy with our choice to try out this restaurant and hope to make it back there soon!