We’d been there before. Back in April 2020. Then again in December 2020. And now we’d made the difficult decision once more. We were heading back into hibernation. Back down the rabbit hole.

It was a little different this time. More contagious. But less dangerous. But we thought it was only a matter of time before we not only had a record number of cases but a record number of hospitalizations and deaths. Unlike the previous times, the restaurants here in San Miguel de Allende were wide open, with no restrictions, but this time we thought we had to be proactive not reactive. It somehow seemed even more important this time to not get or give covid.

So, apart from a charity dinner we’re involved in and occasional short walks to the butcher or baker, for the next month, we’re not eating out, we’re ordering in.

But where to start?

Don Day’s Wife decided Asian. I decided a feast. It was settled, an Asian feast. Now that usually meant one of four San Miguel spots, Dragon Chino, Chikatana, Bhaji or Dila’s, with the first two usually topping the frequently dialed list. But there was another restaurant that did Asian, one where, thanks to a rooftop with a view, we’d always eaten in front of the library, not in front of a Netflix series.

It’s called The Inside Cafe and it’s an unusual restaurant. Each day, around 4:00 pm, the smell of SMA’s best grilled cheese sandwiches is replaced by the aroma of bubbling curries. And, somehow, it works. And works very well.

Now there’s one thing I don’t like about The Inside Cafe’s evening menu. It’s all over the map, hopping here, there and everywhere throughout Asia. It’s much easier to choose your dishes when there’s only one single Asian cuisine.

Now there’s one thing I like about The Inside Cafe’s evening menu. It’s all over the map, hopping here, there and everywhere throughout Asia. It’s much easier to choose your dishes when there’s more than one single Asian cuisine.

A bottle of bubbles went into the freezer and off we went to Uber Eats. I like Uber Eats. I like that the food arrives hot and hasty. I like watching Juan Carlos or Alejandra Guadalupe riding the Uber map up my street and knowing they’re two minutes away. I like not having to fiddle and diddle with a credit card or cash.

Butter Chicken

First stop for the feast was in India. The dish was what I used to call murgh makhani but now is known as butter chicken. It works well for us because it fulfills my need for a hit of curry and Don Day’s Wife’s need for an Indian dish that won’t result in smoke coming out of her ears.

The Inside Cafe’s butter chicken is a little different than most. A little more tomatoey than buttery. A little more pasty than creamy. The meat was cubed breast; we would have preferred a little dark meat but realize that white not brown is the popular choice. We did like the addition of some toasted seeds (an Inside Cafe signature) and cilantro. Our score was a 7 out of 10.

Vietnamese Fresh Rolls

The Inside Cafe’s cold rolls are very traditional and very chubby. Lots of minced chicken with a nice hit of chile plus basil, mint, cucumber and cilantro in a so-thin-you-can-see-through wrapper.

Our complaints were minor: Their hefty size made them hard to handle and the dip was too vinegary (but the rolls were fine without it). Our plaudits were major. An order-again 8 out of 10.

Satay Chicken

I was a little disappointed when I first opened the container. One of the joys of eating satay is nibbling the meat from the stick. The satay from The Inside Cafe arrives off the sticks in a styrofoam tub. Squeezing the wedge of lemon helps a little but the sauce the chicken swims in is still overly dominated by the taste of sweet peanuts.

If you love peanut butter, then you might rave about this Thai satay chicken. If you don’t, then you might agree with our 6 out of 10.

Hong Kong Brisket Noodles

We weren’t sure of what to expect with this dish; there isn’t a famous “Hong Kong Noodles” that we know of. But there was this other word “Brisket” and we wanted a change from chicken, plus beef just doesn’t get much better than brisket.

Now we usually stay away from Hong Kong beef dishes because the Chinese usually tenderize their beef with baking soda which affects the texture and the taste. The Inside Cafe’s beef appeared to be softened simply by slow cooking and was tender and very tasty. The noodles appeared to be Japanese wheat, probably ramen, and were an ideal choice. The wonderfully rich broth was also very ramen-like but would work just as well with a pho. The spinach and onions were appropriate accompaniments. The only thing I might change about this dish is the name. It scored a rare 10 out of 10.

Burnt Almond Broccoli

The Inside Cafe has a few vegetarian sides on their Asian menu. I liked the intriguing word “burnt” with their broccoli.

The almonds paired wonderfully with the greens and the dish made a fine companion for both the butter and the satay chicken dishes. I’m not that big on broccoli but this dish still scored a hefty 9 out of 10.

We think it’s probably going to be at least early February before we come out of hibernation. Which means a lot more Asian delivered to Casa Donde. Which means a lot more deliveries from The Inside Cafe. I’m already dreaming about the miso ramen paired with smoked barbecue pork dumplings.

In San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, you can order from The Inside Cafe at https://www.ubereats.com/mx