Entre Zanka Restaurant in Zihuatanejo – The Best in Vegan Dining
By: Patricia Ann Talley, Editor
Ceci Santos may not have been trained as a professional chef, but she is known throughout Zihuatanejo as one of our special culinary personalities. Tourists and residents in the Zihuatanejo area enjoy her vegan food at Eco Tianguis Organic Market, every Saturday morning across from the museum in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero.
Now, she has her own restaurant serving delicious vegetarian and vegan food – “Entre Zankas” in central Zihuatanejo, behind Mito’s and the Silver Surf Shop.
Ceci is originally from the Costa Chica region of Guerrero where there is a large population of Afromexicans. She started working in Zihuatanejo as a waitress in a resort hotel, then branched out to start her own catering business, and later her own restaurant.
Besides cooking and operating her restaurant, Ceci and her assistants can cater up to 1,000 people. She is the wife and assistant to Chef Paco Isadora, the owner of Milo’s Restaurant in Zihuatanejo. She’s a wife, mother, community worker, and businesswoman!
Ceci invited me to her home to “COOK.” She said, “Bring your traditional southern (USA) spices. Let’s experiment. Then, we can have lunch.”
When I arrived at her home, I was speechless (rare for me!). Talk about a KITCHEN TO DIE FOR! OMG!
Ceci’s kitchen is on the rooftop of her home, overlooking the Zihuatanejo Bay.
She has an area dedicated to growing her own herbs, a stainless steel kitchen, every appliance you can imagine, refrigerators, pots and pans, and a helper to wash the dishes!
Absolute heaven!
Refrigerators!
Pots & Pans and Cooking Utensils!
And a helper to wash dishes!
“Let’s experiment!”
Ceci tried making my southern-style sausage using my spices but substituting the pork meat with a soybean mixture. It was really good!
Now, I would have served it with some grits and cheese eggs, but vegan chef Ceci served it with a healthy salad.
Ceci (second from right), me (center), and Ceci’s family from Costa Chica.
Thank you, Chef Ceci! We can’t wait to taste what you invent next!
And, if you are in the Zihuatanejo area, visit Entre Zankas on Calle Hermenegildo Galeana # 26. Phone 01 755 113 7580, or go to Facebook: Entre Zankas
Related Article:
Eco Tianguis Sanka Beachfront Market in Zihuatanejo Offers Organic Foods, Art, and Entertainment