San Francisco

I'll never get sick of Mexican food. But much as I love tacos, huevos rancheros, and mole, sometimes I need a little change of pace, but without having to completely abandon the flavors of Mexico. Which means that instead of walking down Mission or toward Valencia, head in the opposite direction after exiting the 16th St BART station along 16th Street, past Van Ness until you get to Poc Chuc, where you'll find ancient Mayan cuisine with contemporary twist. Traditionalists will be pleased to see carnitas and carne asada tacos, but the specialty here is the restaurant's namesake dish, a citrus-and-spice-marinated grilled pork with black bean puree. The goods don't end there--the menu also includes panuchos, a black bean puree-filled tostada topped with shredded turkey and lemon-marinated cabbage, and tacos de escabeche, with pulled turkey in black mole sauce. If you order the pescado frito, you'll get the entire tilapia, with the head, scales, and fins intact. Whatever you fancy, you can't go wrong. Wash it all down with a giant mug of agua fresca--I highly recommend the jamaica.

Photo:  Valerie Ng