Let’s get this out of the way: you just can’t beat La Monita, in Mahatun Plaza, for Mexican food in Bangkok. Senor Pico does have the seniority, the live band and the we-aim-to-please hotel service, but even Sunrise Tacos was an improvement on the food when that landed in town. Today, Senor Pico’s tacky (and, for some long-time Bangkok residents, nostalgic) décor is no more. Instead, the December 2012 makeover saw the cartoonish Senor Pico character turned into a slightly gloomy corporate logo and a gazillion tequilas added to the menu, not that the staff can tell them apart or that the food has improved. There remains the band (good singers, tight clothes) and the smiling waitresses, all of which you’re paying those plus-plus prices for. You’ve also got a few premium touches, such as the fact that the fresh, chunky and well-balanced guacamole is made tableside (B250). That means you get to taste it and tweak it before it gets plopped onto your table. But other fancy add-ons are just silly, such as the duck tacos with foie gras (B495). Perhaps an interesting idea if well executed, the result here is pretty dry and bland, and the quality of the foie gras terrible. Another seemingly appetizing taco, with crispy pork and pineapple (B350), had us dreaming of crispy skin pork, with decadently fatty meat balanced by tangy fruit. Instead, the chewy bits of pig were more like bacon grits. (At least you can get all of this with soft-corn flour tacos, our favorites). Margaritas start from B250 and work their way up to four-figures depending on the tequila, although that might be a waste of the good stuff given that we had to send our drink back on our last visit (way too sweet). Our experience with the queso fundido (warm cheese dip, B250) is a mixed bag, too, a bit rubbery on one visit, very good on another. We have had luck with more elevated dishes, such as the tender lamb cutlets with fried rice (B695), but overall, Senor Pico’s slick revamp is lacking in substance. Although the live band can make it a pretty cheerful spot to down margaritas while chowing down on guacamole, we’ll be sticking to La Monitas’ tacos and quesadillas for the foreseeable future. Corkage B500.
- Senor Pico
