Full-on nachos from Downtown Cafe July 19 2011, 4:42pm via nisekotourism.com

I’ve long lamented the lack of plentiful Mexican food in Japan. Where I grew up, Mexican food was cheap, plentiful, filling, and delicious. There’s a lot of fabulous Japanese food around Hirafu, but sometimes I just want a big plate of chips or a quesadilla.

You can imagine how excited I was to hear that Downtown Cafe would be renewed with a Mexican menu for the summer! A couple of days ago I stopped by for lunch, where I settled on a plate of nachos. As you can see, I was not disappointed. The oven-torched chips were perfectly singed and topped with a mix of onions, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. Underneath, much to my surprise (and delight!), was more cheese as well as a layer of well-simmered, spiced meat. The meal left me full, and Sai (who enjoyed the rice and pork in the background) left satisfied, too. This is real Mexican, loads of coriander and mixed herbs to provide just the right hints of flavor.

Needless to say, Downtown Cafe comes highly recommended. Make sure to check it out as soon as you can!