Today, on a complete and utter whim, I hopped in my Suzuki Jimny and drove over 2 and half hours south to Misawa, Japan. Misawa, as some people may know, is home to the United States Air Force Base. Suffice to say, it’s a hub where you’ll find lots of English speaking (short trimmed haired) guys and gals to chat with. However, that wasn’t exactly my number one mission today..

Rather, I was told by a couple here in Mutsu that down in Misawa near the front entrance is a quote, “Tex Mex Restaurant.” This tex-mex place apparently isn’t bad either. So lately, I’ve been having the urge to beat this myth that I live in a 100% Mexican food free place– so it’s natural that I’d drive through windy farm roads, crazy junctions, and half built highways…(lol) to get to this place.

The name of this place by the way is “Mikes” and here’s a pic (click the picture once then again for a bigger size):

The place is actually no bigger then a dry cleaners store and I happened to show up at 2pm when “Mike” and the gals go on a three.., yes “3 Hour!!” siesta to gear up for the 5pm-10pm dinner rush.

Three hours really wasn’t that bad though. Between Mikes and the Air Force base was an “American Plaza” (or so the sign said) where a mini concert event was being held. Next to that was also a big liquor store where I found a bottle of jagermeister (rare around where I was).

Overall, before I get to Mikes, I think Misawa town is an ok town, but nothing really special about it. Well, other then the fact that one grocery store I walked too had two isles of imported food including Taco Shells, and Old El Paso Salsa (I’ll blog about that later).

Ok on to Mikes.. 5pm rolled around and I strolled into a festive place with cheapo Mexican movie posters pinned up and mexican mariachi band music playing what I’ll call “the best hits of Mexican music when you think of the stereotypical Mexican song.” In fact, Mikes could best be described as the absolute stereo type of a Mexican cantina that you’d see in say a Roy Rodger’s or B Grade Cowboy movie. In other words, I liked it!

The menu was a complete Americanized Mexican fair including: Chips with Guacamole (or salsa), Tacos, Burritos, Casadias, Enchiladas, and soft tacos. There was probably more too, but again just think of a stereo typical generic Mexican food place.

Being that it’s Japan and I was driving, I didn’t order any of the margaritas or any of the special drinks. Instead I ordered a coke that came in a glass coke bottle of all things. On top of that I ordered chips with Guac. only because First: the salsa I knew came from some Old El Paso can, and Two: I believe in judging a tex-mex restaurant by how they make their Guacamole. For my main dish I ordered a burrito and hard taco set..

When the chips and guac came… The presentation was excellent. By that I mean it looks like a plate of tortilla chips and guacamole. However when I dipped the chip in the guac and ate it.. The Guacamole had a very sour taste. Either it was the tomatoes they added to it or perhaps they added lime, but on a scale of 1 to 10 I’d give it a 4 or 5.. Only because I couldn’t finish it. The chips and guacamole, by the way, I had to pay for.

My “Burrito and Taco” actually was a enchilada with a taco on top. Perhaps they got confused, or perhaps they thought it was a burrito.. but in any case I was surprised to see it. The beef enchilada was very good and countered any negative feelings I had about the guac. The taco was also very good, however they went ahead and over filled it.

I’m not complaining, however, Mexican food in any form (Tex Mex, taco-shop, or even what a Japanese cook might think up) is good stuff here.

On the whole, Mikes rocks for what it is. Mikes is an idea to try to make Mexican food outside an Air Force base in an area where most of other restaurants’ targeted audience would never eat at. In fact, at one store I popped into today (an American surplus store of all things) I asked the owner if he’d had gone into Mikes. “Eh? Mexican Food?!” (Waving his hand back and forth infront of his nose) “No way too suu-paai-shii (Spicy)” he said.

So kudos to Mikes for existing. If I’m in Misawa and have a few bucks and an urge to go again for Japanese stereo-typical “Tex-Mex” you know I’ll be headed for Mikes. In the mean time, I’ll be right here in my apartment using my imagination and the two boxes of taco shells I bought back there to come up with, yet, more Mexican food experiments.

It must be a west coast thing…

~J out

(photos taken by me on my LG Docomo Phone)

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