Acapulco
04 April 2008 | Acapulco
charlotte tracy
The day in Acapulco. was especially good. I chose a cooking tour that was really wonderful. We were taken to a new restaurant up in the hills above one of the smaller bays connected to the main bay that we were anchored in.
This was after a drive along the main business section of the city: they even had a Walmart Superstore. This street was at beach level giving us glimpses of those in addition to hotels, bars and discos. It is certainly a thriving place!
The restaurant Zibu opened about 18 months ago. The owner is the son of the most famous chef in Mexico City. He used to work with her but decided to try this on his own. His English was excellent and he was charming to boot. The location was incredible and the restaurant was built from the ground up.
Most of the seating was open air and it was on several levels overlooking the sea. At first we sat in an area by the bar for Margueritas, plain, mango or tamarind while he talked about how he got his start. There was a moat that flowed over the edge, endless pool style around the cocktail area separating it from the outdoor eating area. After that we were taken into the kitchen where there were chairs set up facing the stoves and counters.
He did some of the work and his chef de cuisine and sou chef finished up the production of the dishes and plated them so we could all have our own full portion. The first dish was chicken taquitos with guacamole-taquitos being little rolled tacos. The second was pecan soup with chipotle and the third was fish fillets baked in banana leaves and foil with cilantro, tomatoes and red onions. They were outstanding and I am looking forward to trying my hand at recreating them at home. The owner also shared a cookbook that his mother had written, Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook which had a wealth of other interesting dishes. The real secret is the seasonings and it surely isn't Tex-Mex.
On the way back we were taken to a very exclusive area of homes that led to a lovely chapel built on the highest point in Acapulco by the parents of young men who were killed in a tragic accident when they were in their twenties. It was very modern but also very welcoming. The houses surrounding this hillside were generally concealed behind high walls so there wasn't much to be seen unless someone had a door or gate open. The only people we saw were gardeners and what I presumed to be maids or housekeepers and quite a few guards.
The weather was very hot and somewhat humid so we were all happy to be back on the ship where it was cool and I laid down for a nap. Dinner and part of the entertainment followed. I couldn't manage the whole Lounge scene. It was a piano player and a banjo player with band backup so I had an early night.