Travel to Cancun, Try the Local Cuisine

Getting the most from your vacation in Cancun also means trying out local cuisine. A pleasant variety of restaurants line the streets of Cancun waiting to show off it's cooking to a hungry tourist.

For Caribbean flavor, then La Habichuela is your meal stop. Its romantic setting under the stars has been in operations for over 29 years and it is a favorite return for tourists who come back especially for the "Famous Cocobichuela". A house specialty made with chunks of lobster and shrimp cooked in a curry sauce, served in a coconut shell and topped with tropical fruits. Their menu offers a excellent variety of seafood prepared with ingredients only found in tropical regions. This family owned restaurant boasts of it being a place "Where you are treated like a Mayan King."

If "south of the border" is your food fare, then La Casa de las Margaritas will have you in awe as you walk thru their doors. Each area of the restaurant has immense detail to the Mexican culture. From the architectural design, to the costumed wait staff, you are reminded that your are in old Mexico. Music plays as you feast on their dishes so indulge in shrimp tacos or tequila chicken and they also offer a full "cantina."

For authentic Mayan cuisine, consider Pacal's. The owner Augusto Pastaccini spent years studying the ancient exotic cuisine of the Mayans and now brings it to current day cuisine. The "Cochinita Pibil" is a favorite of locals as it is tender shredded pork baked in banana leaves with Mayan ingredients. Also popular are "Papadzules", corn tortillas filled with hard boiled eggs, covered with a pumpkin sauce and garnished with fried tomatoes. Pacal's loyal customers say you will never get a meal like this "back home."

Some of the best Yucatan cuisine comes out of a little place called Labna. It is located on the side of La Habichuela and this restaurant combines Mayan fare with Mexican flair. On their menu is deep fried turnovers filled with shark and blanketed with tomato sauce. For the experimental soul, they create a cactus salad, pork rinds and cream cheese. They also offer classic cuisine such as chicken in mole sauce.

The most fascinating ingredients are found in this region's cooking with recipes not found anywhere else. Many of Cancun's restaurants have in common the use rare spices and tropical fruits native to their country. Cactus, bananas, and poblano peppers grace many dishes as seafood is abundantly available and is prepared creatively in a wide diversity of menu items.

If you love lobster, you are going to see it in almost every restaurant in Cancun. You will witness it prepared in ways beyond the traditional methods at the Lobster Shack. You may also have a unique visitor from the lagoon on which the Lobster Shack sits. Crocodiles frequent the restaurant, but they are kept at safe distance from the diners. This restaurant makes for a unique dining experience.

While in Cancun, venture out and experiment with local cuisine. The dishes may make your vacation complete.