Viva ?La Diferencia? - A Restaraunt Review

Last Thursday, a group from Discover Baja Travel Club went on a dinner outing to start exploring the restaurants listed in the Frequent Diner Passport Program offered by the Tijuana Convention & Visitor?s Bureau (more on that later).

We met at the DB office in Clairemont at 6:00pm. There were 13 of us and we carpooled to the border parking lot ($7.00 ) and walked across. Three taxis ($8.00) took us to ?La Diferencia? located on ?Restaurant Row?, Blvd. Sanchez Taboada near Cien A?os & La Espada?a.

I wish they had had a ?take home? menu, so I could relate some of the never-seen-before dishes that were offered. In a post a couple of weeks ago we were discussing Chiles Rellenos, so for the first time since my disappointing experience in the mid-70?s, that?s what I ordered. It had a filling with a hard to pronounce Indian name (It began with a C. I promise to take notes next time). When I asked what it was, the waiter was at a loss for words. Carol said, ?It?s a corn fungus. It looks awful but it?s very good?you?ll like it?.

I started with a tortilla soup. I was served a bowl of flavorful stock and a side dish of cubed cheese, avocado, onions (sin cilantro, por favor), and crisp tortilla strips. It was wonderful (the quality of the soup is always a good indication of what is to come)

The Chile that I was served was huge, lightly battered and was covered with a yellow squash blossom sauce. I dived into it and Carol was right, the filling was an unappetizing, black mess. ?I?m trusting you!? I said as I lifted that fork of unknown black goo, not having a clue what it would taste like. It was heaven?.($102. pesos)

Everyone ordered something different and there were raves all around. The wine was an LA Cetto cabernet and was wonderful. The woman next to me had a sirloin dish that was comprised of three different pieces, all with a different sauce, and there was much sharing and ?You gotta try this? all around the table. Most entr?es were very moderately priced. No one ordered the crocodile.

I would love to go back, but I have 8 other restaurants I need to go to first in order to attend the Gourmet Gala and to enter the contest for the Luxury dinner for two.

The passport is available for DB members at their office ($10) or at the Tijuana Convention & Visitor?s Bureau office.
http://www.tijuanaonline.org/restaurants/passport.html

This entitles you to a free appetizer, a glass of wine or beer, and cab fare back to the border. They also offer other activities that I mentioned above and are outlined on their website. One visit pays for the passport, and then you have 8 other restaurants to try (including Palma Azul and Hacienda Cien A?os).

Enjoy!

That's it!! It comes in cans??? I'll look for it! And where did you find that website? Too funny!

P.S. I think I'll like all the restaraunts. I'm a total foodie....

Delicious review, Jeans; now I'm hungry! A digital camera set for close-up shots is great for taking menu photos for later review. Sometimes takes more than one picture per page to get it all, but well worth the effort.

Thank you, Jeans

La Diferencia....

This restaurant serves mostly dishes native to central Mexico... if anyone of you want to have a little taste of these strong tastes.. then La Diferencia is the way to go.....

They are only missing the dry crickets and the cooked warms from the menu.....!!!!

Now, if you want to taste these cricket and warm dishes, then there is a restaurant in Mesa de Otay in Tijuana....is your stomach.....

Now, in the other hand, if you want to taste the best shrimp tacos in Tijuana, then, give me a call when you are down here, I will gladly take you to that taco place... they are very spicy though.....

Antonio

Do you know of Jr's Tacos in Rosarito ? Shrimp tacos better than Puerto Pe?asco!
And, I think you meant worms. Guzanos, No? And, in spite of my travels, no thank you on the worms. jejejejejejejeje

[Edited on 7/25/2004 by jrbaja]

Gusanos & Chapulines....

I've had'em in Oaxacca. Really not bad if you can get over what it is you're eating.

The menu was a definite overload...so many unique things to select from. There was talk of crickets, but none produced. I'm not sure what I would have done.

We had the cheese spread little tamales, and some of the rolls had chiles inside.

I was too stuffed to order my own dessert , but I had a bite of a crepe & creme marvel with shaved white chocolate on top.

Natalie Ann... That's as good an excuse as any to buy a digital camera

Doug...did that appetizer look like black bean dip? We were served tortilla chips with a black bean dip that was very tasty yet I could not identify what made it so different. (I wasn't thinking fungus)

Baja Cactus...I would love some spicy shrimp tacos!

Shrimp tacos....

JR... I do not know the ones in Rosarito.... Puerto Pe?asco I do, I have a cousin there that has a couple of boats that catch shrimp.... if a guy who gets fish is called fishermen.... then one that caughts shrimps is called shrimpermen.....???.....

They are good JR... but they are not in Baja.....

Jeans.... when you come down here... give me a call.... I will gladly take you there... they are very good....the place is less than fancy.. it is a taco stand... but the shrimp tacos are the best.....give me a call.. I will take you there...!!

Everybody else is also invited....!!!!