Mi Canton Latino Restaurant
1827 SW Green Oaks Blvd, Ste 149
Arlington, Texas 76107
817.375.0101

Hungry Chick’s Rating:  8 of 10 chickens

So my husband and I were running errands — everyone’s favorite time sucking, soul sucking event — and we decided it was time for something to eat.  We did our usual “where should we eat” dance, which always goes something like this:

“Are you hungry?” (Usually me)

“I could eat. Are you hungry?”

“I’m starving. What are you hungry for?”

“I dunno. What sounds good to you?”

“I picked last time. It’s your turn.”

“I pick going home and fixing something.”

“I’m afraid I’m entirely too hungry for that. It’ll be 2 hours until we eat. I’ll be dead on the floor by then. I think we need to stop somewhere.”

“Well, where do you want to go?”

About this time, we noticed a strip mall sitting adjacent to the Kroger that we’d never paid attention to before.  The primary business on this strip is Mi Canton Latino Restaurant, and with all of the brightly colored signs advertising various dishes, it’s hard to miss once it catches your attention.  Since I’d just been talking to a friend on Facebook that very day about starting a restaurant blog, this seemed like a sign from the food gods.  “Let’s go in here!”

With locations in both Irving and Arlington, Texas, I almost decided not to blog up Mi Canton Latino Restaurant, especially as the inaugural post for the Hungry Chick’s blog.  But it turned out that the place provides much of what I appreciate about a hole in the wall restaurant:  excellent food that’s individually prepared to order, a cozy environment that’s not a replica of the 27 others in town, and a friendly staff.  Mi Canton Latino Restaurant offers all of this in a relaxed atmosphere, complete with televisions showing Spanish-language programming in three corners of the dining room.

We were greeted with a blast of cool air when we opened the door, a well-appreciated welcome on a 100+ degree day.  To the left of the foyer is the sizable dining room. Booths line two walls, as well as either side of an island in the middle of the room with a large aisle running in a square between the two seating areas.  The hostess told us to sit where we liked, so we selected a booth by one of the plate glass windows.

Since the Hungry Chick is on a budget, we ordered water to drink so that we could devote our pennies to the wide variety of menu choices.  The options are extensive, ranging from a la carte items like pupusas and tamales to seafood and traditional Mexican dishes.   They also have a full section of the menu devoted to egg-based dishes like huevos estrellados and huevos rancheros, available anytime the restaurant is open, which will appeal to folks who like their eggs outside of breakfast hours (that would not be the Hungry Chick, who eschews anything egg-y.  More in the world for the rest of y’all). Since we were in a Salvadorian establishment, we honed in on the items that the menu identified as authentic Salvadorian food. The primary listings were in Spanish, with the English translation in smaller lettering underneath, and since the descriptions were a bit superficial, we weren’t 100% sure what we were ordering. It’s ok, though — we were here for an adventure!

We munched on chips and salsa while we waited for our food to arrive.  The first round of chips was the slightest bit stale, but when the second basket arrived, they tasted like they were freshly made. The chip baskets are small, a good idea, since we didn’t fall into the trap we often succumb to at Mexican restaurants — eating so many chips that we are nearly full when the dinner arrives.

I have loved pupusas since the first time I tried them at Gloria’s Restaurant, a local chain that is quite tasty, but pricey. These pupusas come in a wide variety of combinations, ranging from cheese, to cheese combined with pork, beef, loroco, or chicken.  In addition to a couple of pupusas, I couldn’t resist the fried plantains, which were absolutely delicious and came in the largest serving I’ve ever encountered. They split a whole plantain in half lengthwise down the center and then prepared it with brown sugar and cinnamon; it was still steaming when it made it to the table.  My husband ordered Tamales de Elote con Crema, a corn tamale served with Salvadorian sour cream, which is not as tart at the sour cream we are accustomed to in Texas and has a thinner consistency.  These tamales come either fried or steamed, and although the steamed version is perhaps healthier, the process of frying turns an interesting taste into an irresistible one:  crunchy on the outside with a soft texture on the inside.  Dredged through the cream, this was so delicious that I immediately ordered one for myself so my husband would be able to eat his food in peace.  He also ordered Enchiladas Salvadoreans, which would remind you of what Tex-Mex fans would call a tostada.  The base, though, was a stronger, crunchier version of a tostada shell and the vegetables on top included the homemade vinegar cole slaw, avocado and tomato slices, and a slice of fresh radish on top.

We finished off the meal with an Empanada, a fried plantain puff with a thick custard filling.  I wasn’t sure what to expect when we decided to order it, but it came out piping hot, and had a light but crispy texture on the outside that revealed an inch thick layer of custard that held together even after the pastry was cut open.  Like everything else, the Empanada was made to order. No heat lamps to keep food warm in this establishment.

We didn’t try anything that wasn’t absolutely delicious. My challenge now will be to try something different the next time I go back, since I have this bad habit of finding something I like at a place and ordering it every time I go there.  I’m thinking it would be a good idea to move off of the first page of the menu and sample some of the other yummy looking offerings.

The best surprise of all:  even with all the food we ate — and it was a lot, and we ate it ALL — we spent $15, including a decent tip (a little better than 15%). We laughed on the way home about how we couldn’t have eaten anywhere else for that small sum, except maybe Taco Bell, and the food surely wouldn’t have been nearly as good!

Hungry Chick gives Mi Canton Latino Restaurant 8 out of 10 chickens.