It was in 2009 that La Monita Taqueria started out, marking it as one of the first Mexican restaurants in the capital. Twelve years have passed and the restaurant is still a favorite in Bangkok’s busy eating-out scene. City dwellers continue to flock to the welcoming space for amazing Mexican fare that never fails to add more flavor to their lives.
Kasama “Oh” Laopanich and Billy Bautista are the two lovebirds who gave rise to La Monita back in the ’00s. Seeing that delectable comida mexicana was underrepresented in the city pushed the duo to put up their own place at Mahatun Plaza in Ploenchit. And they haven’t moved since.
The restaurant is decorated in the style of a Mexican cantina—the walls are painted in a vivid yellow and colorful bunting hang from the ceiling. The chairs and tables are simply made of wood, which enhances the casual yet fun vibe in the 75-seater space.
Like most Mexican restaurants, La Monita offers staples from south of the border, from tacos, to burritos, to quesadillas. But Billy has added a hint of California to the dishes, and you can see this in the wide variety of fillings and salsas.
House specialties include sauce-oozing enchiladas (from B330), nacho fries (from B330) and churros (B65). But you can also customize your own wrap and choose your own fillings. The servings are generous and meant for convivial sharing with friends and family.
To celebrate its 12th year in the biz, the Mexican eatery has started rolling out new dishes every first and third Thursday of the month. Leading the bunch are Mexican Shrimp Cocktail (B240) and three types of La Monita Baja Tacos (B180/2 pcs).
The first is a light summer appetizer that pairs fresh juicy prawns with a “spicy tomato sea breeze sauce” bursting with hints of lime and avocado. Meanwhile, the tacos is the product of the eatery’s latest experiment. Salsa fresca is combined with salsa amarilla—a tongue-burning sauce with an incredibly refreshing aftertaste—to top your choice of battered fillings such as fish, prawn and veggies.
The fact that La Monita Taqueria is able to persist and persevere in Bangkok’s humongous restaurant scene for over a decade must mean something. Fact is, they’ve never stopped putting out lip-smacking Mexican comfort fare, which couldn’t be more ideal on a day when food is the only thing that could enliven you.