Manuel Sánchez Villalpando, better known as “El Cuchupetas”, says it with simplicity when mentioning the presence of characters from France, Spain, the United States, Canada and of course Mexico in his restaurant in Villa Unión; their dishes based on fish and seafood are known in the country and the world.
Former presidents such as Carlos Salinas de Gortari, Vicente Fox, Felipe de Jesus Calderón and the current Chief Executive, Enrique Peña Nieto, have been in the “Cuchupetas” restaurant in Villa Unión or have been served in Mexico City. In fact, every year, Salinas asks him to prepare the best sandwiches from the sea. Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the president-elect, has eaten at Villa Unión.
Photographs of personalities from the business world, such as Carlos Slim; or of journalism like Lolita Ayala and Adela Micha, or of the cinema like José Ángel Espinosa “Ferrusquilla”; Governors such as Quirino Ordaz and former presidents such as Francisco Labastida, Juan Millan, Antonio Toledo Corro, Jesus Aguilar Padilla and Mario Lopez Valdez, as well as former governors of other states of the Republic, have passed through the tables of the “Cuchupetas”.
Manuel Sánchez Villalpando, at almost 70 years old, is the name of our character who, 31 years ago, with the support of the family and especially of the mother-in-law, started the “work” of food based on fish and shellfish. He says that the nickname “Cuchupetas” comes from “cucho” of a shorter arm, but that he is a “man blessed by life”.
The illustrious mazatleco tells us that what sells the most in his business, where 60 people work, is the shrimp in ceviche, aguachile and the fried and tossed fish, the governor quesadillas; He has 45 dishes to offer his customers and many of his friends.
The “Cuchupetas” tells us that some marine products are aphrodisiac like oysters, but the best of all is the crab pulp (meat).
He even tells the anecdote that Don Cruz Lizárraga, Jesus Kumate, José Ángel Espinosa “Ferrusquilla” and Jaime Labastida and told them “eat crab to roll up the fence because they are old pastors.” Once Don Cruz told me we are going there for the “fantastic four and we want to cuddle because if our women do not get angry …”
Source: SEL, EL Financiero
The Mazatlan Post
