What is New Mexican cuisine?
We get this question SO much at Bang Bang Cafe, we thought this would be the best way to start our blog! For starters, let’s introduce ourselves! My sister and I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We lived a couple blocks away from our favorite restaurants, Los Cuates and Hurricanes. Hatch Chiles are everywhere in New Mexico, from burgers, and pizza to eggs, jams and jellies, and even sushi! When we moved up to the Pacific Northwest we were shocked that we couldn’t get Hatch Chile’s anywhere up here!
In 2009 we had the opportunity to start the Bang Bang Café in Belltown. It was so fun and amazing, Yuki was able to bake everyday. I would cook and we found inspiration daily in the Belltown community.
With no local Hatch chile distributors available, we found a way to sneak up 50 lbs of green chile once a month. I would pull my little red Ford Ranger up to the huge loading locks at Southwest Air Cargo next to the semi trucks and pick up our precious cargo!
New Mexican cuisine is a fusion of Pueblo Native American cuisine, Mexican and Hispano-Spanish cuisine. Hatch Chile refers to a variety of the anaheim pepper that is grown in an area around Hatch in southern New Mexico. The soil and growing conditions in the Hatch Valley create a unique terroir which contributes to the unique flavor. New Mexican cuisine developed in fairly isolated circumstances which has allowed it to maintain its Indigenous, Spanish, Mexican, and Latin identity. It is unlike any other Latin food originating in the US.
In 2019, we had an amazing opportunity to expand our concept to South Seattle.
At Bang Bang Kitchen, we have a full kitchen and a full bar so in addition to the Cafe staples like the Bang Bang Burrito, we can offer Margarita’s, red chile chicken wings, Fried Ice Cream, Chile Relleno, and so many other New Mexican staples.
We also offer weekend brunch with everything from Cornbread Pancakes to Stuffed Sopapillas!
We have a variety of items to accommodate any preferences, dietary needs, with a focus on vegan items. Don’t worry if you don’t like spicy!
Located one block from the Othello Light Rail station, we have a validated parking garage, so transport to us is easy no matter how you commute!