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There is nothing that I love more than delicious food, served by friendly people, in a friendly restaurant. Friday, January 18, 2007, found me strolling down Tijuana's Articulo 123, otherwise known as first street, just a half block west of Calle Niños, in Tijuana's famous red light district. It was late afternoon, and after a day of wandering the streets of Tijuana, I was ready for a delicious meal. During the day's travels, I'd had the pleasure to enjoy several delicious tacos, but I was tired, and I desired to find a restaurant that featured sit-down dining, and importantly, a baño, which at times can be a precious commodity in Tijuana. Restaurant La Jaibita de Jocelyn appeared to be just what I was looking for, as their hand-printed signs announced that they serve a variety of items, including a combination plate featuring fried chicken, which was exactly what I was in the mood for. As with all restaurant reviews I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Jocelyn's facade, along Articulo 123, in downtown Tijuana, is located next to Hotel Juarez, in Tijuana's notorious Zona Norte. Jocelyn's differs from many small, family owned and operated restaurants in Tijuana, and Baja California, in that it's not open to the street, and that you actually enter the restaurant through a door that you have to open. The restaurant is staffed by two friendly women, Melissa, who in the friendly waitress, and the person who keeps the place spotlessly clean, and Jocelyn, who is the owner, and the person who actually cooks the meals. As you walk into the restaurant, Melissa greets you with a friendly smile, and makes you feel at home. Menu choices are posted on the door and outside windows, but Jocelyn's features a menu, which further differs it from many other small restaurants in Tijuana, and Mexico in general. After I exchanged pleasantries with friendly Melissa, and was presented with a menu, I made up my mind immediately: "Combinacion de Pollo Frito," which was a combination plate of a fried chicken leg, refried beans, rice, green salad, and a stack of tortillas, for the mere price of MEX $28.00. Lately, it seems like every time I visit Tijuana I have a tendency to find a small restaurant that serves Tijuana-style fried chicken, as there's just something about it that I love. I asked for a beer, but Melissa said that they don't serve any alcoholic beverages, and she offered to furnish me with a soft drink from their cooler, but I declined, as I was in the mood for a beer.
Photo: Jocelyn's dining room. The kitchen is behind the wall to the rear, under the welcome sign. Why didn't I ask for a kitchen tour? Jocelyn's doesn't feature fancy decor, as it's rather plain and basic, but it's clean, family-friendly, and very comfortable. The restaurant features comfortable wooden tables and chairs, tile floor, and plain, florescent lighting, which is quite typical for small restaurants in Tijuana. Towards the rear of the restaurant, there's a counter and a refrigerator, where soft drinks are kept chilled. Melissa brought chips and salsa to my table, shortly after I was seated, which I always enjoy as an appetizer to my meal. The chips were "puffed" corn tortilla chips, and the salsa was a runny, red salsa. I asked her if the salsa was made in-house, and she was proud to tell me that everything they serve is made in-house. However, I didn't see a chicken coop in back of the restaurant, so I assume that there are exceptions... Since Restaurant La Jaibita de Jocelyn is located several blocks west of the gringo tourist zone, English is not spoken in the restaurant, as you're in Mexico, not Kansas, Dorothy! It never ceases to amaze me that you never see gringo tourists west of Av. Revolución, which is the main tourist zone of Tijuana. The tourists are missing the real Tijuana, and many delicious restaurants, such as Jocelyn's. Knowledge of the culture of Mexico, and at least a basic understanding of the Spanish language will be the keys that will unlock the fascinating world of the people and the country of Mexico, far beyond the tourist zone. During my visit to Jocelyn's, I took full advantage of the knowledge of the Spanish language, and my love for the culture of Mexico. I also love to talk to beautiful women!
Photo: Jocelyn, entrepreneur and owner of the restaurant, to the left, along with friendly waitress Melissa. Restaurant La Jaibita de Jocelyn specializes in seafood dishes, but their menu also features fried chicken, tortas, enchiladas, tacos, soups, and just about any other sort of Mexican "comfort food" that you can imagine. Entrées are sold separate, or in combination dishes, and the combination meals present the best value, but any item at Jocelyn's is an excellent value. Melissa brought my delicious combination meal to me, after only about 10 minutes after being served my appetizer of salsa and chips. For a mere MEX $28.00, besides the puffed tortilla chips and salsa, I was treated to a delicious combination plate featuring a whole fried chicken leg, rice, beans, a salad consisting of diced lettuce and chopped tomatoes, and a tortilla warmer containing six, steamed, corn tortillas. Salad dressing is almost unheard of in Mexico, so two haves of key limes were used to garnish the salad, for a healthy, yet tangy additive.
Photo: I asked Melissa to pose for the photo, after she brought my delicious meal to the table. The chicken was fried, Tijuana-style, in a large wok-like bowl, over a propane burner. The chicken leg wasn't coated with flour, as it was simply fried in oil until it was a crispy, golden brown. The refried beans were well-mashed and runny, which seems to be the preference in many restaurants in Tijuana. The rice was also typical Tijuana-style, as it was simply white rice, cooked in homemade chicken broth, which gives the rice a very earthy flavor, and a nice light brown color. Outside of the cities of Tijuana or Mexicali, it's quite unusual to enjoy a combination dish that includes a salad with lettuce, as cabbage is more commonly used in other parts of the country. The salad was simply diced lettuce, sliced tomato, diced white onion, with a couple of lime wedges for seasoning. When it comes to the fresh salsa, it was on the spicy side, which is the way I love it, which made an excellent appetizer with the fried corn tortilla chips. Not meal in Tijuana is complete without a stack of warm, corn tortillas, and La Jaibita didn't disappoint me, as I received a stack of warm tortillas, lovingly wrapped in a soft towel. This is NOT the sort of Mexican food you get north of the border, as this IS Mexican food, the way it's served in Tijuana, and Restaurant La Jaibita de Jocelyn serves delicious Mexican cuisine. I absolutely LOVED everything about this wonderful lunch. As I was enjoying my delicious meal, Melissa approached me and asked if everything was ok. I felt like chatting, so I asked her a little about herself and the restaurant. At the time of my visit, business was slow, as there was only one other party enjoying the fine cuisine, so Melissa dragged Jocelyn out of the kitchen, and introduced her to me as "the boss lady." Jocelyn is the "boss," as she's the owner of the restaurant, and she's owned it for about five years, and Melissa has been working there for nearly that long. I love to patronize small, family-owned and operated restaurants, as that's the way you get to enjoy the real taste of Mexico, and you get to meet the people who make it happen.
Photo: I'm ready to enjoy a delicious meal of Tijuana-style fried chicken. Thanks, Melissa, for taking the photo. The ladies were absolutely fascinated by my digital camera, and I got the impression that they'd never seen a digital camera before, nor had they see someone who is a shutterbug addict, such as I am. Getting them to pose for my camera was not a problem, and they certainly were not shy in front of the camera. I love people who will allow me to take unfettered photos! I was so snake-fascinated by the whole affair, that I forgot to invite myself into the kitchen to take photos. Really, I think I need to tie a string around my finger before I enter such friendly restaurants.
Photo: My lunch of "Combinacion de Pollo Frito," is Tijuana-style fried chicken, refried beans, Mexican rice, corn tortillas, along with fresh salsa and fried tortilla chips. Like most small restaurants in Baja California, La Jaibita fries their chicken in a large wok, in vegetable oil that is usually very dark - and very rich - as the oil is seldom changed. That's the way it is here, and the way it's done... The refried beans were very runny, as is the way most refried beans are served in Tijuana. The Mexican rice was delicious, and made for a great side. The salad was diced lettuce, sliced tomato, diced white onion, with a couple of lime wedges for seasoning. The salsa was on the spicy side, which is the way I love it, which made an excellent appetizer with the fried corn tortilla chips. During your next visit to Tijuana, you owe it to yourself to pay a visit to Restaurant La Jaibita de Jocelyn, as you'll never find a friendlier restaurant, and you can't beat the food for quality, quantity, and price. I highly recommend that you pay a visit to Jocelyn's Restaurant. As an aside, this article was written, and uploaded to the web site, using my notebook computer, at the San Diego, International airport, while waiting for my flight to Sacramento. Is that cool or what? Restaurant La Jaibita de Jocelyn Copyright(c) 2020 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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