Letra CH Restoran Del Mar

Address: Carretera San Nicolas #4, Chapala
Phone: 331 117 2325 or 331 007 0216
Hours: Open daily, except Wednesdays, 1:00pm to 9:00pm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/letrach-restorandelmar

Credit Cards not accepted

Directions: From WalMart, drive east on the Carretera and turn left at the stop light in Chapala. Take Madera north to the next stop light. Turn right, onto Calle Venustiano Carranza, which runs at a 45 degree angle to Madera. Turn right on Avenida Pepe Guizar.  Avenida Guizar dead ends at Calle Gonzalez Gallo. You will see Letra CH on your left, the second building on the left. Parking is in front of the restaurant.

First Impressions

Letra CH, Restoran Del Mar

If I had not read the rave reviews of this restaurant I might never have eaten here. First of all, it is not easy to find, and once you know where it is, you are still not sure if it is really a restaurant from the outside.

I have posted a picture of the outside so hungry readers will know what this place looks like from the outside.
And, you definitely do not want to bypass Letra CH. It is a hidden treasure.

But not for much longer, once the word gets out about the scrumptious food prepared inside this tiki-hut looking structure. 

Park in front of the building and walk through the front toward the back of the restaurant and then up a flight of stairs to the thatch covered dining room. There are about ten tables in the dining area, a bar and a nice view of the lake.

Fried Calamari

We went with friends on a Thursday evening. There was one other diner in the restaurant and she left shortly after we arrived. After that we had the entire place to ourselves. The weather was pleasant so we were comfortable sitting in the outdoor dining room.

This is a family owned and operated establishment, with a small boutique hotel and spa at the back of the property.

Menu

The menu is printed on material, and one of our friends found it difficult to read.

The selections were limited to about ten tantalizing selections of seafood and chicken dishes, uniquely prepared. This place has a very interesting concept. Your meal includes the choice of an appetizer and a side dish included in the price The waiter, also one of the owners of the restaurant, took our drink order and brought out a basket of bread and herb butter.

L'Orange Salmon

Starters included salmon mousse on crisp wontons, asparagus in tequila sauce, fried calamari or soup of the day. We decided to each try something different and  share between us, and found them all delicious.

The one drawback was the very small size of the asparagus, especially considering that there was an extra $20peso charge for this appetizer.

There was also an extra $20peso charge for the fried calamari. The salmon mousse was flavorful, but we were all most surprised and impressed with the crunchy fried calamari. It was lightly battered and deep fried with not a hint of the rubbery texture I have grown used to expecting.

Nutty Sea Bass

The entrees were tantalizing and it was hard to choose between them. Fortunately, there were four of us dining so we each could order something different and share.

The menu presented us with a number of tempting choices, Nutty Sea Bass, prepared with a pistachio and pecan topping, Four Cheese Chicken, Coco Shrimp, L'Orange Salmon, Octopus, Letra CH Pasta and Citrus Tuna.

The side dish selections, included scalloped potatoes, sweet potatoes, wild rice or a green  salad.

We ordered the scalloped potatoes and wild rice, but the waiter also brought a bowl of sweet potatoes for us to sample, convinced we would love it. And we did. It was so delicious, and sweet, almost like dessert.



Brownie with Ice Cream

I had read another diner's review, raving about the Nutty Sea Bass and so this is what I ordered. I was not disappointed. The fish was fresh and lightly cooked with a delicious nut topping.

The other hit of the evening was the L'Orange Salmon, a thick piece of salmon cooked perfectly, topped with a  light citrus sauce.

We also had the Four Cheese Chicken and Coconut Shrimp with mango sauce. Several of us ordered a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to accompany our meals.

The waiter replenished our basket of bread, during the meal, which we greatly appreciated. We capped off the delicious meal with brownies and vanilla ice cream. The brownie was made in house, rich, dense, and chocolaty.

Ambience and Price

The outdoor dining room is pleasant, with interesting decorative walls made from pallets and PVC pipes filled with live plants. There is a good view of the lake from the dining room. The only drawback was, as night fell, we were annoyed by mosquitoes.

There is a short flight of stairs to get up to the dining room, which may present a hardship to those unable to climb to the second floor dining room.

The prices are very reasonable, ranging from $106pesos to $149 pesos. The ingredients used to prepare the meals are high quality and the price included an appetizer and side dish. Our meals, including wine and dessert, came to $450pesos, less than $35USD.

Our Recommendation ****

Find this place and eat here. The food is so good and this family has a very interesting and unique concept that sets them apart from the rest of the restaurants in Chapala. Make sure to go before sunset to avoid the annoying mosquitoes.

Peacock Garden

Address: Calle Colon #8, Ajijic
Phone: (376) 766 1381
Website: thegardenajijic.com
Contact: thegarden_ajijic@hotmail.com

Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 11 AM to 8 PM;  Saturday 9:30 AM - 8 PM; Sunday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday Breakfast  9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Credit Cards Accepted

Directions: From Walmart, drive west on the Carretera to a right on Calle Juarez, one block past Calle Colon in Ajijic. Turn right onto Calle Flores and right on Calle Colon. Drive toward the lake. The Peacock Garden is on the left 1/2 block past the Central Plaza. Parking along Calle Colon is limited.  

First Impressions

The Peacock Garden is located in the heart of Ajijic on the main road to the malecon. The walls of the entrance are decorated with murals of Indios fishing the waters of Lake Chapala.

Beyond the walls, birds sing in the garden and a parrot squawks as you pass into a lush green outdoor dining room.A fountain bubbles up in the corner while peacocks and multiple varieties of chickens roam among the guests.

If Alice in Wonderland inspired a restaurant, this would be it. Peacock Garden is a fantasy restaurant come to life.

Menu

Once seated in the patio area, we were given a menu, in English, with multiple pages of tempting dishes that included appetizers, soups, salads, hamburgers, club sandwiches, and baguettes. We could also choose from the lunch menu or an entire dinner menu.

The theme is eclectic, with some Italian dishes such as alfredo and pizza, seafood, chicken dishes and steaks. We felt like having Italian food the afternoon we visited, and ordered Shrimp Alfredo and a small three cheese pizza.

The thin crust pizza was served bubbling hot.  The parmesan cheese over-powered the other tastes, which was disappointing.

I especially like the taste of goat cheese on pizza, and if there was goat cheese on this pizza, it was lost in the strong flavors of the other cheeses.
The small pizza was large enough to feed both of us. We ended up taking most of this dish home with us.

The Shrimp Alfredo was served in a creamy, well balanced  sauce with lots of perfectly cooked shrimp and accompanied by garlic toast.

We paired this meal with 2 glasses of a very nice Chilean Merlot.

The Peacock Garden has a full bar and good selection of beers and wines. They also offer an interesting selection of desserts, including fried ice cream and the ubiquitous flan, but this time we were too full to order even one dessert to split.

The restaurant is open every day, and opens early on Sunday for breakfast, which is served from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

 

Ambiance

The Peacock Garden is like no place else lakeside. Dining here is like eating in a tropical aviary. You will almost feel guilty ordering chicken. We couldn't resist spreading crumbs around our table to summon the chickens and peacocks to dine with us.

There are arbors hanging with plants, lush stands of bananas on the borders of the garden, tables are arranged under a patio or al fresco, in the middle of the garden. A large fountain flowing at one corner blocks out any sounds of the village that may escape over the walls. This is a beautiful setting for lunch or dinner, for special events or romantic meal.

Price and Service

Service at Peacock Garden is laid back and pleasant. You can spend a long, leisurely lunch here and never feel rushed. We were well taken care of by staff, yet not bothered or rushed.

The prices are in line with the other fine restaurants in the lakeside area. A pizza was $110 pesos, the Shrimp Alfredo, $120 pesos, and wine was priced at  $40 pesos per glass.

Our Recommendation ****

I would eat here for setting alone. It is fun to spend the afternoon dining outdoors, with chickens and peacocks roaming around your feet.

The food selections are not necessarily creative, but rather standard fare well prepared. If you want to impress guests with a setting that is unique, different than you would find anywhere else in Lake Chapala, then this is the place to eat.