Unique gesture by the Mexican president.
By Sreekanth A. Nair
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi got warm reception in all the four nations he has visited so far, as part of a five-nation visit. But Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, in a truly unique gesture, drove Modi himself to a restaurant for dinner.
Nieto drove Modi to Quintonil, a Mexican restaurant which was included in the list of world’s top 50 restaurants of 2015.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup took it to Twitter and shared the photo of Nieto at the driver’s wheel, with Modi beside him.
“In a very special gesture, President @EPN personally drives@narendramodi to a restaurant for Mexican vegetarian fare,” he wrote.
In another tweet, Swarup posted another photo of both leaders sitting at a table at the restaurant. “Bonding over bean tacos! President @EPN and PM@narendramodi share a meal,” tweeted Swarup.
Situated in Mexico City’s high-end Polanco district, Quintonil is well-known for its vegetarian dishes.
“Though meat is a feature on the tasting menu, (Chef Jorge) Vallejo aims to highlight the value of fruit and vegetables, as much for their flavor as for their nutritional value. Dishes on the tasting menu include huazontles, a green vegetable that vaguely resembles broccoli, with chiapas cheese and red tomato, and nopal cactus snow,” a write-up intheworlds50best.com says about the restaurant.
The environmentally conscious restaurant sources produce from local farmers for its daily use.
“In addition to a highly contemporary take on Mexican cuisine, Quintonil strives to use ingredients derived from the nation’s small-scale producers to create dishes that take every day, home-style flavors to an even higher level, all in a warm, unhurried and welcoming atmosphere,” says the website of the restaurant.