I went 3.5 years without Mexican food, apart from that Sri Lankan chorizo.

So when I returned to the States for a quick visit, Mexican food was one cuisine that my stomach was begging me for. Phoenix, Arizona, is where is satisfied myself.

There are random restaurants serving semi-authentic Mexican food in Asia, but I just nearly always chose to stick with local Thai street food and not disappoint myself with Mexican food in Asia.

Above is a messy take out foam container filled with a carne asada burrito drenched in enchilada sauce with rice and beans on the inside and on the outside!

It was astonishingly amazing, each bite was a shocking jolt of Mexican food power that I hadn’t experienced in so long.

There’s a little restaurant in Tempe, Arizona known as El Pollo Supremo – or The Supreme Chicken. The restaurant has a very simple menu that includes, chicken (sold by the bird), beef, beans, rice, salsa, pickled onions and tortillas — that’s it!

It’s the real deal – pure Sonoran food cooked by expert Mexican street chefs. Even though the restaurant is known for their chicken, the beef was equally satisfying.

It almost resembled tandoori chicken from the outside, but it was fully Mexican in taste and ferociously delicious. Each hunk of chicken was moist and flaky – perfect when stuffed into a tortilla and smothered in homemade salsa.

I was able to spend some time with a few of my best friends (who are from Mexico) and I had the privilege of dining on a few flawless plates of huevos rancheros for breakfast.

This is the way to start your day off well!

But… just before breakfast – we chomped on this pre-breakfast snack.

Can you guess what it is? (Hint: It’s called “lengua” in Spanish)

The greasy chunk of pure flaky meat was absolutely stunning. The meat was so tender and so flavorful that I had to close my eyes to savor the moment with every single bite. Normally I enjoy lengua tacos, but I won’t complain when faced with an in-tact hunk.

I’ve had random bags of chips throughout the world. Sichuan peppercorn Lays in China, tom yum goong chips in Thailand and just about every meaty salty flavor you can imagine. But I have to give the golden chip award to Mexico.

Seasoned with Mexican spices and doctored up with chili sauce and a squeeze of lime juice, Mexican Tostitos and Doritos are the absolute BEST!

Sometimes all you need is a simple bean burrito. Salty refried beans, lots of cheese, and hot sauce wrapped in a tortilla is a perfect hand held treat!