I had to try the Mexican food while in Malmö, Sweden. While hardly anything that would excite me in California, it really wasn’t a bad post-workout snack.
Mexican Food In Malmö
After arriving into Copenhagen, I spent a day in Malmö and, as I like to do wherever I am in the world, tried out the “local” Mexican food. Malmö has a few options, but I settled on Zócalo based upon the recommendation of a friend.
What is Zócalo?
We are a chain of high-quality Fresh Mex restaurants in Europe with 25 locations in The United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark & Iceland.
Our food is inspired by the taquerias in San Francisco’s Mission District. We call our food Fresh Happy Mex – it is our version of Mexican food made from scratch with high quality ingredients.
I had never heard of them, but it is a Stockholm-based chain. The Malmö location is directly in the city center.
After an intense workout, I was looking for some protein and a few carbs and jogged over to Zócalo, despite the heavy rain. At 6:30 pm it was empty inside…perhaps a telltale warning sign, but I proceeded to order.
Rather than order from a live-person, you order your meal via a screen…we have really seen that proliferate lately across Europe and North America.
I ordered a chicken burrito, taking a seat while I waited for it to be prepared.
It took about 10 minutes before my number was called. I picked up the burrito, which was not served with any sides like salsa, coriander, lime wedges, or onions.
The tortilla was not great…it tasted like some of those gluten free tortillas that resemble paper more than a true flour tortilla. Inside, there was more lettuce than chicken and I would have preferred a strong flavor or spicing. That said, it was not bad and was quite a nice snack (at around $13.50 it was not exactly cheap either).
Would I order it again? Doubtful. But I’m glad I tried it.
This is part of my Long Way To Germany trip report.
A lettuce burrito is not value for money spent .
Ought to go to a Scandinavian smorgasbord , which is value for money spent .
The first warning is that it takes its inspiration from … San Francisco. That’s like a Chinese restaurant in Africa taking its inspiration from the Panda Express in Glendale, California.
@AndyK … Very funny comment . You example is the best , but here is another .
Or … A Congo restaurant in China taking its inspiration from a French restaurant in Sweden .
@Andy Mission Burritos are a distinct type of burrito, with their own food history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrito#San_Francisco_Mission_burrito
@SF … Very interesting . However , the Mission burrito in the article looks nothing like the lettuce burrito in Sweden. The Wet burrito in the article looks most appetizing because of the mole sauce .=
6:30pm on November 1st? No surprise it would be empty then, even as I’ve never seen that location extremely busy during that time when no big event is nearby. At that point in the day, the office day is already well over for most people, and Swedes typically go home for dinner instead of staying around the office for dinner. Lunch out is more of a bargain than dinner out in Sweden.
Especially on that day and during that week at dinner time, I would be more surprised if it were busy. A lot of people would cut back hours in offices for work that week because schools in the area were closed that entire week. That too would make it be less busy than usual at that time.
I’ve been by the fast food burger joint Max around the corner from it more. That is far more often packed at odd hours. The (Scandic) Kramer hotel was the first hotel I ever used in Malmo, and it was the grand dame of hotels in the place around World War 2 and for years before. I haven’t used the Kramer in many years, as I became more of a Choice hotels, Radisson/Carlson hotels and even Best Western for stays in the area. Since Story became part of Hyatt, I have piled up a bunch of Salad and Smoothies vouchers from the Story Malmo.
Speaking of the Hotel Kramer in Malmo, I am curious if anyone has looked into its guest history during World War 2. I suspect some Nazis to have been customers there at around the time, as there would be SS and other German officers hanging out over toward Hollivken and Skanor beaches trying to hook up with the local females at the time and they would be coming in from Malmo,
I always get a good chuckle with your sadistic desire to try Mexican food far away from its native habitat. Personally I won’t touch it north of the Red River, east of the Sabine, or west of the Pecos.
Also, while I’m sure you get the reference, before I get called out by the humorless curmudgeons that hang out here, this is a sarcastic reference to Tex-Mex, not actual Mexican food.
You should see what has passed for “Chinese” food in Sweden. I had to get around to preface it by saying this is “Swedish Chinese” food, “Swedish Indian” food, “Swedish Mexican” and so on.
At least nowadays the food scenery is more varied and generally at least somewhat better in the country than it was 20 or 30 years ago.
One place I want to check out in Malmo is the hummus bar Hummosson.
Despite the influx of “Thai brides” into Sweden and all the Thai food places that have popped up in Sweden in the last 30 years, I much prefer Thai food in the US to Swedish Thai food. I am the person who goes looking for Thai food in every country I visit, not Mexican.
I think my first Mexican food place in Scandinavia was in Copenhagen around 20 years ago. It came soon after a visit to Mexico. You don’t want to know my disappointment between the taste and price difference then.
West of the Pecos? So no Chicos in El Paso?
I don’t mean that literally. There’s no other river reference that fits the rest of the joke.
You mean masochistic? Sadistic is pain inflicted upon another, while masochistic is self-inflicted pain.
Pardon the painful vocabulary lesson.
Fair enough, though the after effects of bad Mexican food can inflict plenty of pain on others, if you know what I mean.
The offensive power of frijoles refritos-generated “gas” are indeed legendary.
Hummusson is the name of the place.
I’ll try it next time. Need to return before SAS leaves Star Alliance!