This establishment is located at the center of French Concession in a unique villa constructed in the year 1920. Mi Tierra combines traditional Mexican flavors with an elegant design and an agreeable ambience, that altogether provide an unforgettable experience for its patrons. Mi Tierra, is the only 100% Mexican restaurant in Shanghai, with Mexican owner, chef and staff. The restaurant was founded at the beginning of last year by Mexicans that wanted to bring to China the real flavor from Mexico. Nowadays they have become famous for they All-you-can-eat taco nights on Thursdays and their classical Sunday. In just one year Mi Tierra has achieved outstanding landmarks like becoming the official restaurant of the Mexican Pavilion at World Expo Shanghai 2010, hosting the Mexican Miss Universe 2010 Jimena Navarrete, winning the contest for best taco in Shanghai and Best Latin American Restaurant of 2011. Mi Tierra is proud to share not only the authentic Mexican cuisine with the whole world, but also the culture, the hospitality and the passion of Mexico.

New Eats | Keeping It Real

Mexican cuisine was practically nonexistent in Shanghai three years ago, but today it’s become a real battle of the titans. Mi Tierra recently arrived on the dining scene promising to deliver real traditional, homestyle dishes, so we brought along a Mexican friend and put them to the test. The restaurant passed with flying colors–this is as authentic as it gets in Shanghai.

Standing three stories tall in the heart of the former French Concession, Mi Tierra brings Aztec suns to mind with its warm lighting, open courtyard and earthy dishes. Savory beef coyotas (¥65), beef and chorizo sandwiched between thick corn tortillas, got our meal started right. Topped with sour cream, avocado and white cheddar and served on top of a scoop of refried beans, this trio of miniature bites had us salivating early. Unfortunately, the flautas (¥65), deep fried corn tortillas, flopped–they missed the boat both on flavor and consistency.

Our main course, an impressive portion of poblano rellenos (¥165), made us real believers. The dish of poblano chile peppers is packed full of Mi Tierra’s special homemade cheese and fried on top of a bed of Mexican rice and smoky salsa. It's heavy enough for two, but make sure you save room for dessert: the pan de elote (¥55) helped us overcome our negative stereotypes about cornbread with a moistness that stunned our table into silence. In our Mexican dining partner's words, it’s "just like mom used to make it". Wanting to savor every last bite, we fought off the waiter who threatened to take our plate away one forkful too early.

With the majority of the restaurant gabbing away in Spanish and the Mexican Consul’s arrival halfway through our meal, it seems the city agrees that Mi Tierra is the spot for an authentic taste of Mexico in Shanghai.

Jamie Barys