Comida Picante: Go South of the Rio Grande at Hot & Spicy Festival 2020
We couldn’t be more excited to host Mexico as our country of honor at this year’s sizzling celebration of all things peppery and piquant, Hot & Spicy Fest, Aug 14-16 at Galaxy Soho. Not only will veterans of Beijing’s culinary scene from "south of the border" be turning out and turning up the heat on unsuspecting tastebuds, but a couple of other restaurants from around town will also be doling out fiery goodness from the region. To get your sweat glands salivating ahead of this weekend’s festivities, we’ve put together a list of all the Mexican goodies you can expect to sink your teeth into.
El Nido x Taco Stop
Whereas El Nido will be pouring all the cervezas necessary to keep you cool throughout the day, Taco Stop by Palms LA will be serving up their classic street-style tacos. Taking their cue from Los Angeles, arguably the greatest taco Mecca outside of Mexico itself, they promise to bring that West Coast flavor to Beijing’s hottest festival with mouthwatering hits such as the honey grilled chicken taco with sriracha cream and crispy cheese carnitas taco (pictured above on the right).
Boxing Cat
Largely known for serving up craft beer alongside hearty American pub grub, Boxing Cat Brewery will be wading into a world of Southeast Asian and Mexican fusion with their “Hurts Twice” Northern Thai Empanadas, filled with Chiangmai sausage, red curry, and herbs. When it comes to soaking up the margaritas in your system, these fried pockets are just the ticket.
Yeyo
Frozen yogurt may not seem like an item that belongs at a Hot & Spicy Festival, but then again, Yeyo is all about shattering expectations and blowing minds, which they’ve artfully done once again with their new Mexican hot-cocoa-inspired chocolate chili froyo. And it just so happens to be vegan too.
Q Mex
Q Mex is the Tex-Mex food of Beijing. From fajitas to burritos and tacos to nachos, they doubtlessly carved out a niche in the city and have been celebrated ever since by expats and locals alike. This year, they’ll be melting tongues and hearts with a classic spicy chorizo burger and chicken adobo tacos, neither of which are available on their regular menu and will be Hot & Spicy Fest exclusives.
Homeplate BBQ
As masters of the homey backyard barbecue, Homeplate will be putting their grill skills to the test with a taco trio that includes chicken, brisket, and pulled pork, plus a spicy chili con carne and some ice-cold margaritas to wash it all down. You can expect some mesquite perfection from these ones and a taste that takes your tastebuds on a journey deep into the heart of a Mexican desert on a cool summer evening.
Aurora
Our resident DJs Pancakelee and Mario Yu will be dishing out some hot tracks to keep you on the dancefloor well past your bedtime. Perhaps the only thing hotter than their tunes, however, will be their and Aurora's food, which leans heavily into no-filler all-killer Mexican favorites including nachos, tacos, quesadillas, and street style corn on the cob.
US Meat
It’s no secret that a taco is only going to be as good as that which it is filled with, so the thought of US Meat loading up their tortillas with beef steak and chili con carne should be enough to set any meat lover’s heart aflame.
READ: How to Get to Galaxy Soho for the Hot & Spicy Festival Aug 14-16
Images: Uni You, courtesy of the restaurants
