Now this was love at first sight. Before even being seated I saw a woman, sitting outside with this indigenous looking stone pot, sizzling with a deep purple and oozing with melted cheese. I knew I just had to try it. My companion, who actually lived in Mexico for over 10 years, was surprised that I'd never tried (name of dish) before. And boy, was this a real show stopper. It was so spicy it made your eyes tear with joy. It was so cheesy it left a queso must...

My friends and I excitingly inhaled two servings of chips and salsa (the second serving will cost ya, how European of them) to tide us over until our jamon y pollo tacos came. On soft corn tortillas, the chicken and ham were chopped and grilled with a touch of oil, salt, lime, and cilantro. Its simplicity not only validated the high quality of the meats, but also made a perfect pair with the lively green and spicier red salsa that came earlier with our chips.

Despite popular belief, Spanish and Mexican food have nothing in common. Tortilla is a dish of eggs and potatoes. Late night cheap and greasy food is not tacos but kebabs. Chips and salsa are a rare commodity, sometimes costing up to 7 euros at a supermercado. And don't even try to make a Spainards food spicy: give them some bread and anything soaked or fried in oil, and they're happy. Just about every Erasmus student from the US is on the hunt for a piece of n...