Latin – Now Shenzhen

Mexican cuisine is one of the most loved foods in the world, and it’s not hard to see why there are so many restaurants now. As popular as these places are, outside of Mexico, they rarely truly represent what Mexican cuisine is. There are so many more ingredients, shapes, flavors, and colors. By looking deeper, you can find the real Mexico. At Bésame Mucho , you can try Mexican food like you’ve never experienced before.

From the moment I heard about Bésame Mucho, I knew I was in for something special.

The first thing that caught my attention was the location. Situated in the up-and-coming area of Nanshan, the restaurant is surrounded by the offices of the biggest tech companies in China. Bésame Mucho occupies a relaxing spot in the new Kaide Park shopping mall, just off the high street.

The restaurant boasts a cool outdoor seating area, which on the evenings is occupied with expats and locals alike enjoying dinner or just chilling with a couple of drinks. Inside, it’s clear that they are going for a modern, clean style. From the open kitchen and slick bar top to the windows the length of the wall and the second-floor stage that looks down on the restaurant. Think less family taqueria, and more hip bar.

The second thing that made me stand up and pay attention to the restaurant was the people involved. Bésame Mucho is the idea of Christian Saldaña. When it comes to introducing Mexican cuisine and culture, Christian has shown over the years that he is a true ambassador for his country. What’s more, the guy knows how to organize a party.

The third thing was the food. When I started seeing photos all over my social media of what was coming out of the kitchen there, I knew I had to get myself down to Bésame Mucho. These were dishes I had never seen before. There were so many vibrant colors and the sort of presentation that demands your attention. This was Mexican food, but not as we knew it.

So there we were, to find out for ourselves. After several looks of the menu, we still couldn’t settle on what to order. So, we deferred to Christian to decide for us. We were not disappointed.

The first dish to arrive was the Aguachile. This is a real seafood treat originating from the north of Mexico. They take fresh shrimp, marinate it in citrus juices and pulverized chili, and then submerge it along with onions and cucumber. Think of it like the spicier, older sister of Ceviche that you wish were dating instead.

Next up is the Tuna Tostada, but with a brand new makeover. The chef has taken this old classic and has given it a modern twist by completely inverting the presentation. Where the tostada should be on the bottom, here it is on the top, and the toppings are on the bottom. And what toppings they are. You have the freshest tuna and avocado marinated with a tangy Ponzu sauce along with carrots, cucumber, and spring onions. By the time I’ve finished, it makes me wish I’d been eating all my tostadas upside down all along.

As we finished off our Tuna Tostada, the next dish arrived. It’s the first time I’ve ever laid eyes on a Tlayuda, but I like what I see. Originating from Oaxaca, It’s a large crispy corn tortilla topped with chorizo, grilled tomatoes, refried beans, onions, and homemade mole sauce. The tortilla can be easily broken up to share amongst a group and is a perfect party starter.

Of course, no trip to a Mexican restaurant can be complete without trying the tacos. The menu has six signature tacos and while reading the descriptions makes me want to order all of them, we end up limiting ourselves to the Carne Asada and Mayan Pork. The Mayan Pork drips with habanero chili, red onions, and lemon, which is so good it makes me want to order another just to wipe up the first with. Still, I think the Carne Asada has to be my favorite. The slices of grilled beef steak are really something else.

Finally, is our dessert, the Avocado Popsicle, which is a mouthwatering mix of avocado, dulce de leche, some lemon zest and dried berries, and the smallest amount of chocolate. In appearance, it looks like an ice pop, but it’s actually soft and can be scooped with a spoon much like a mousse. I think the Avocado Popsicle from Bésame Mucho is my favorite dessert in all of Shenzhen. For the freshness, for the creativity, for the originality, and quite simply, for the taste.

While as amazing as the food is – and it is amazing – Bésame Mucho is more than a restaurant. It’s a place for people to come and just hang out and meet new people.

If you are feeling lucky, then on Wednesdays you should head down to La Loteria nights. Think of it like bingo, but instead of using numbers, they use some cool retro illustrated cards with even cooler names. The games are free for customers to join and you can win anything from a drink to 10% off your bill and more.

On Thursdays, Bésame Mucho makes the most of its stage space with their Acoustic Session by Mark’s Music & Art Jam. Every week, some of the city’s most talented and creative musicians come down to jam and experiment. You may even catch Christian up there singing a tune or two.

Bésame Mucho is the place to be on Fridays. From 7 to 9:30 pm, there is an international meet & greet, where people hailing from all over the world can get to know each other. The evening continues with live music from 9:30 pm and then a Latin party from 10:30 pm till late, late into the night.

Bésame Mucho is not solely about partying though. Every Sunday from 4 pm, there is a free Spanish class available to customers. You can come, learn a few words, and then feel free to practice with Christian and the rest of the staff.

So come and stop by at Bésame Mucho. Experience Mexican food like you’ve never experienced it before, and stay to enjoy the fantastic company and, who knows, you may even make a friend or two you didn’t have before the evening had started.

Address: Chuang ye Lu 3023 Ipark, Nanshan District 深圳市南山区南海大道，创业路3023号交汇處 凯德公园一号L1-06号铺

Opening Hours: 17:00 – 02:00

Tel: 13828721312

Every Sunday afternoon at the Civic Center, you can hear the sound of Latin music. If you follow that exotic sound, you will find a group of people from all over the world dancing. Watching from the sides will be a larger group of locals, who are fascinated by the music and dancing, but are perhaps just a touch too shy to join in. If you do happen to be one of the spectators, don’t be shy. Just join in because that’s exactly what the group is all about.

The Latin dance classes are a free course started by Patrice Guilemond, a French engineer who has been living in Shenzhen since 2011. The classes are now organized by Oswaldo Loor, while Patrice focuses his time on his family after the birth of his child.

In the beginning, Patrice used to invite his friends to dance, but they didn’t know how, so he taught them. “At first it was between friends, but little by little, friends invited their friends and it grew like this,” explained Patrice.

According to Patrice, salsa, and dancing in general, is a great way to meet people and make new friends. It’s also an activity where you can have fun while also burning a few extra calories

He also said that dancing can help us discover our true self and gain confidence. “Of course at first, the shyness will prevent you to achieve your true potential, but you’ll see you’ll gradually raise your self-confidence and improve yourself.”

Oswaldo comes from Ecuador, the heart of Latin America, but he admits he didn’t know how to dance before coming to China. “In Ecuador, we learn to dance since we are little kids, but my only interest back then was reading comics and adventure books,” said Oswaldo, adding that he kept postponing learning to dance for different reasons.

“When I came to China, at the beginning I was bored with nothing to do as I didn’t have many friends, and someone told me there was a salsa party at Coco Park. I thought that in Ecuador I was a terrible dancer, but here for sure it would be ok, but after I arrived at the party I saw that everybody was dancing so elegantly, so again I was sitting at the party just looking at the others dance,” Oswaldo recalled.

Step by step, however, Oswaldo learned to dance better and better by attending different dancing parties across the city. One day, he joined Patrice’s course and the two began to invite more friends to join the classes.

“We do not only teach salsa, but also bachata, kizomba, and a bit of reggaeton, and we are looking to add other cool dances. We currently have more than 660 members in our group and every day it grows more and more. It’s scientifically proven that dancing works in the brain to make you happier,” said Oswaldo.

Currently, there are four instructors teaching the class in rotation, namely Adrian Esquivel from Colombia, Daniel Canosa from Spain, Jenny Wu from China, and Amga Gamboa, whose parents originate from both Colombian & Mongolia.

Amga grew up in Colombia where he learned to dance salsa, merengue and other dances with his family since he was a child. “Now I am dancing all the time, be it cooking, showering or cleaning the house,” said Amga.

For Amga, Chinese people are a bit shy. “When I first came to Chia, people just passed by or stood there watching us dance. But gradually, after they listen to the music and feel the passion, they fall in love with dancing and Latin culture.”

Amga Gamboa, of Colombian-Mongolian descent

“Some people feel lonely, but when they dance in the group, they feel comfortable and not lonely anymore, some even find their life partner via dancing. Others come becaue it is a kind of sport for them, but later they realize that it’s also a hobby with passion and more feelings,” said Adrian.

Daniel said he fell in love with the atmosphere of dancing when he first joined a party in Madrid in 2014. “People from all ages were smiling, dancing…The vibe was amazing. From then on I started taking classes every week,” said Daniel.

Daniel Canosa, another one of the talented instructors

“Salsa makes people happy so I want to spread happiness throughout the world. It’s also amazing to see the student’s faces when they are finally able to make a difficult step successfully,” said Daniel.

For Jenny, salsa is a kind of interesting and joyful dance. She wants to make more people join the salsa community in order to enjoy themselves.

Isabel, one of the students joining the group, commented that she benefits from the course a lot and always invites her friends to join.

“I met Adrian, one of the teachers from the Salsa Beginners Group, in the elevator of my building and he invited me to join the class,” said Ginevra, another student of the course.

“The activity is really well organized. The location (Civic Center) is beautiful. The classes vary every week, trying to cover different styles and aspects of Latin dances, from basic steps to musicality, interpretation, and self-expression,” said Ginevra.

Yannis from Greece found the class on ShenzhenParty.com and joined the group. “All the guys that run the salsa group – Oswaldo, Amga, Adrian, and Daniel – are great guys, and very helpful and willing to offer great advice. They are cool, upbeat, and fun guys. Like most Latino people I’ve met in my life, they are so optimistic and expressive!” said Yannis who started dancing salsa and bachata about two years ago.

Additionally, the group has now their own party, every Wednesday and Friday at the Mr. Wong Bar at the Hilton Futian. They also invite different instructors with rich dancing experience to share in the class from time to time. For example, Aaron from Colombia with 15 years of dancing experience. Stephanie and Vivian, who both have their own studios have also been invited. Also, Alex, a Chinese national that organizes salsa parties, also sponsors drinks for the class.

If you want to join their group, feel free to add Oswaldo Loor on WeChat. His ID is ‘osloor’ and his phone number is 13380386829.

Tag: Latin

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