Best Mexican food in China

It's safe to say I've been to Q Mex at least 50 times this year. I've had just about everything on the menu—burritos, tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, taquitos, fajitas, paella, steak, chicken, soup, salad—and can't recall a single bad experience. If you want a real critique of this restaurant (and not the angry ramblings of a spoiled exbrat, or the embarrassingly expired review over at Time Out), this is probably the most thorough and thoughtful review you're going to get.

I grew up in the Southwestern United States where quality Mexican food wasn't hard to find. Our family visited Mexican restaurants on special occasions, and I usually ordered the cheese enchiladas, smothered with cheese and baked to perfection. My favorite part was that little part of cheese that got sprinkled on to the edge of the plate that got melted down into crispy, gooey, salty candy. The first thing I'd do was scrape off that little slab of cheese and twirl it around with my fork in the rice and eat it. [Drool...]

When I first came to Beijing in 2004, The Mexican Wave near Silk Street was the most acceptable Mexican food around (that I knew of). Then came Peter's Tex Mex, The Saddle, Luga's, Saddle Cantina, The Rickshaw, Side Saddle—but none of them, in my view, delivered Mexican food that I found myself actually craving (Saddle Cantina came close).

Enter the new Q Mex. (Damn you.)

I had been to the old Q Mex (2012) and enjoyed the food, but then moved away from Beijing for a few years. The day I arrived back in Beijing, the first place I visited (straight from the airport, in fact) was Q Mex. The staff had been replaced. The interior had been redone. The menu had been updated.

I ordered the cheese enchiladas and had a "Ratatouille moment" (the part when the sinister food critic takes a bite of ratatouille and is instantly transported back to his childhood). I sat silently and ate the entire meal. I stared down at the empty plate, wondering how long I'd have to wait before it was socially acceptable to order another. Since then, I've been scheduling all of my Sanlitun meetings around this location.

But it's not just the cheese enchiladas that keep me (and several friends) coming back. My steak-loving friends love the steak tenderloin. Friends who normally don't order chicken can't get enough of the habañero chicken. The burritos (and smothered burritos) are the best burritos (and best burrito deals) in town. My girlfriend's father tried the tequila chicken pasta once and refused to try anything else because he loved it so much. A Scandinavian friend who loathes spicy food thinks Q Mex's margherita pizza is sensational. The salsa trio alone will fill you up, because you won't be able to decide which salsa you like the most until you've finished them all.

As for service, I've seen servers come and go, but mostly, I've seen them stay. They recognize me when I come in (and are surprised when I don't order the cheese enchiladas). There used to be a guy there named Ryan who would recognize you and call you by name and get you a seat and attend to any problems you might have. I was sad to see him go. But then a guy named Chris came along and exceeded by expectations when it came to customer service. When you order something, you're immediately given small plates, forks, knives, napkins, salt, pepper and Tabasco. I appreciate this attention to detail, because there are so many restaurants these days that scowl when you ask for something (or flat out ignore you). Somebody upstairs has trained the staff not to take away your half-finished plate or drink, but to arrive at precisely the right moment and quickly remove dishes at precisely the right moment. They even remember your drink order (or my drink order, at least) and ask, by name, if you'd like another.

Alright, here are the food items I personally love the most (in no particular order, except, of course, the first one):

1) Cheese enchiladas (either the mineras or verdes—I honestly can't decide);

2) Habañero chicken (you'll be glad you tried it—even if chicken's not usually your thing);

3) Steak (especially on half-price steak night—best steak deal in town);

4) Shrimp tacos (deep fried and smothered in pico de gallo);

5) Huevos rancheros (the only thing of its kind in Beijing, but only on the weekends, sadly);

6) Paella (first paella I've ever tried, surprised by how much I liked it);

7) Margherita pizza (amazing sauce, and mozzarella that goes all the way out to the crust);

8) White cheese and spinach pizza (blew me away);

9) Jalapeño poppers (deep fried jalapeños stuffed with cheese);

10) Guacamoles and salsas (try any or all of the various options).

The things I don't like:

I don't care for the hamburgers or for the ultra-thin pizzas (though I seem to be literally alone in this assessment among my friends). I don't like it when the margherita pizza is taken out of the oven a bit too soon, leaving the crust slightly soft. Turn the AC on in the summer time. I want to be blasted by cold air when I walk in the door, especially if I'm about to order something spicy.

And that's about it.

I've been thinking over and over about every detail of the Q Mex experience—from food, to service, to price, to presentation—and I can't think of anything else that bothers me. If I do, I'll add it as a comment. Suffice it to say, this is a review of a Mexican restaurant from someone who truly loves Mexican food. I didn't vote for them during the burger cup (Katchup) or pizza cup (La Pizza), but they have my vote when it comes to Mexican food. In the meantime, all this reviewing has got me hungry. It's our anniversary tonight, and we're both craving some cheese enchiladas.