They Have A Thing Here Called Seenko Day Maiyo

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo in New Zealand. Or as they call it, “What did you just call me?”

I’ve talked before about NZ’s tragic lack of Mexicans (and their yummy yummy food), but for Cinco de Mayo we felt obligated to go to Palmerston North’s one and only “Mexican” restaurant, El Gusto.

We’ve been there a couple of times before, and each time had a less than optimal experience. They’ve definitely improved since the bad old days of making everyone wait two hours to get served food that gave them diarrhea, but they’d easily lose in a competition against, say, Taco Bell With Waiters And Tequila.

(Which is a hell of a business idea. Someone work on that.)

But at least they’re trying. For example, they teach their customers how to speak Spanish with a Kiwi accent:

If you said “Or-La!” to a Mexican, they’d just look at you funny. And then offer to mow your lawn.

The food was pretty good this time around, though they still use Feta instead of Monterey Jack or Queso Fresca, but I think that’s because most cheeses here cost $987029834750987.42 per ounce.

The high point of the night was when Cece got to compete in a blindfolded taco-making contest.

That’s Cece on the left. The Head Chef comes from a Mexican family but was born in Chile, and somehow made it to NZ. I’m sure there’s a story there…

The Most Interesting Man In The World: “I don’t always make tacos, but when I do I make them blindfolded.”

This dude had his game face on.

Cece was the last to compete, but but then I was too drunk to aim the camera. But she was awesome.