Mexican Food Makes Heaven Supermarket Even More Awesome

Heaven Supermarket's new digs come with a new Mexican food menu, taking the liquor store one step closer to a veritable heaven on Earth.

I'll be honest, the food isn't amazing, but it's good. For those of you who've spent time in Wudaokou, it's roughly similar to the quality of food that La Bamba is putting out.

A plate of nachos (RMB 50) came piled high. It was a bit jumbled, so much so that I couldn't necessarily pick out the discrete components, but it was definitely munchable. A beef burrito (RMB 45) came with shredded beef and little else inside, but you could assemble more well-rounded bites if you gathered the accompanying beans, rice and vegetables together. The burrito was stringy, and I much preferred the nachos.

By the way, the location is around the corner from the old one, on Xindong Lu next door to the James Joyce. It basically replaces the chuanr bar that Heaven's owners opened a while back. You can still order chuanr if you want it, though homestyle Chinese food is no longer available. Heaven staff (should I call them angels?) told me that they've decided to stick to simple foods, like chuanr, Mexican food and french fries and wings.

Stocks of Dr. Pepper and Root Beer (RMB 8 per can) also caught my eye. The owners seem to have read my mind on what I'd like to see in an expat heaven. Inventory of cigars, scotch and candy bars at the back of the store pretty much sealed the deal.

Heaven's new location has two levels of seating, so it's better equipped to entertain than its predecessor.

At this point, purists might point out that all these vice-related offerings aren't exactly heaven-suitable material, but if they have a problem with it, they can just go to hell instead.

Heaven Supermarket 14 Xindong Lu (next to The James Joyce), Chaoyang District (6415 6513) 朝阳区朝阳区新东路14号

Photos: Josh Ong