Mercado International 2000 Tacos

[Update - 11/8/09...original outing was mid October but is finally being posted]

The weekend we got back from Chicago, we were itching to try the tacos at Mercado Internacional 2000 in Chula Vista. Kirk's post last month (for some reason I can't do a link, something fishy with this computer!) made me want to visit my old stomping grounds. We were in the area that weekend and took the long way up Main Street after coming from Bert's mom's place in Otay Mesa. This is the BoBar liquor store on the corner of 3rd and Main St. There's three of them (the others are in IB on Palm and in Chula Vista)... BoBar comes from the owners' names, Bob and Barbara.
As you travel up 3rd Avenue, you'll pass by Los Taquitos Taco Shop which is right before this really old church...You'll also drive past Senior Pancho Mexican Grill...There is no shortage of fast Mexican food in the South Bay. Seriously, just throw a damn rock and you'll find a place.
Now you're getting closer. This location is right on 3rd and Orange. There is a Chinese (but owned by Filipinos) baker next to the corner. A few doors to the left is a beauty salon with the most excellent fkg name of "D'Sexy Look". C'mon! Don't you want to get your hair DID at D'Sexy Look? I know I do!!!!!

Immediately above that tiny little strip mall is Mercado International 2000, which used to house the former Woo Chee Chong Asian grocery store. This is the store that my parents considered a godsend back int he 70's all the way up the mid 90's. Prior to Woo Chee Chong (heretofore referred to as WCC) in Chula Vista, most Filipinos had to rely on really tiny mom and pop food stores to buy specialty vegetables (unless they grew them in their own back yard, like eggplant, bittermelon, opo squash, winged beans, etc) or ingredients (like patis, bagoong, palm vinegar, etc) and other Filipino stuff. Unfortunately a lot of those small places had bad produce and were roach ridden or reeked of fish (which was actually the norm).

The other Woo Chee Chong (the original one) was in downtown. My brother, sister and I would accompany our parents to WCC after church and wander the aisles as they selected their items. We would also press our faces against the glass meat counter and marvel at the strange cuts of meat there like "Hog Maws", "Intestines" (for menudo), "Pigs Feet", and what not. We really grossed out over the "Pig Snouts" because you could see the nostrils. They also sold whole sides of pig skin so you could make your own chicharron (makes the house smell really bad by the way).

Anyhow, I believe Woo Chee Chong closed in 1994 and was reborn as Mercado International. I remember I wanted to go buy some sushi ingredients and lo and behold! WCC was gone! It had to have been around June 94 because that was the time that O.J. Simpson was on the run! Yes, that long ago! Thane was in town actually and I was just hired to start as a counselor at my school site. I wanted to make sushi for a little get together Thane was planning that evening. He rented a hotel room somewhere near Poway and we were going to all hang out there, eat dinner and drink.

I remember phoning Bert at work saying, "Hey, OJ is going to turn him self in". Then later on, "Oh my God! OJ is on the run in his white Bronco!". Since WCC was closed and became a Mexican market, I had to buy my ingredients at Hiro Shoten, a tiny Japanese market on 3rd and Oxford St. in Chula Vista. It's a few blocks up from this place and I had no other nearby choice

They were also selling pupusas, so we bought a couple ($2 each). They were filled with meat and cheese but because they weren't freshly made, they were kind of soggy. Not as good as the ones I've had at El Salvadoreno, but the man selling them was super nice and really pursuasive.

There is a tent where you put in your orders and pay. To the right is a window where there is a cook making the tacos. The al pastor meat wasn't ready at that time so we ended up getting something else...

This was a carne asado tacos I ordered for Bert (using my passable broken Spanish). I wasn't too keen on this. The meat seemed kind of dry. If it weren't for the toppings, I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much.

These were the tacos de Barbacao....OMFG. So good! The sauce was really red and rich and flavorful! The meat was so soft and fall apart in your mouth.

These were the adobado tacos....I liked the barbacoa much better!

We'll have to come here again next time when the al pastor is available...but yeah, we'll definitely be back!