A tasty brunch at Wahaca

Last weekend my boyfriend and I wandered over to Charlotte Street for Sunday brunch. We'd planned to try out Lantana - the brunch menu there looks absolutely amazing - but unfortunately were met with a queue spilling out onto the street and "at least 30 minutes wait" for a table.

Hungry (and in my boyfriend's case, extremely hungover), we decided - on this occasion at least - to try out one of the area's many other eateries instead. Wahaca - the Mexican eatery everyone has been talking about - caught our eye with it's brightly coloured facade (and availability of tables!), so we headed inside.

Free tables :-)

While Wahaca does offer a breakfast menu (featuring Mexican favourites such as huevos rancheras and breakfast burritos), we were drawn to the Street Food section of the main menu, which boasts a tempting assortment of tacos, tostadas, taquitos, and quesadillas.

Following the instructions of our waitress (who recommended ordering 2-3 dishes per person), we opted for the pork pibil tacos, the tender marinated chicken tacquitos, and the black bean & cheese and chiptole chicken quesadillas from the Street Food menu, along with crispy squid (the special of the day) and a side dish of fried sweet potatoes.

Soft shell tacos, topped with a smear of delicious sauce, a mountain of tender shredded pork, and a red onion and fresh herb garnish, went down a treat! Fresh and light, this was an unexpectedly successful rendition of a dish which can so often be greasy or overly spiced.

The black bean and cheese quesadilla - redolent with both cheddar and mozarella - was an oozey delight. We both agreed that the pocket of crisp toasted tortilla, filled with flavourful refried bean paste and an abundance of melting cheese, was better than anything we had on our trip to Mexico earlier this year!

Chicken chipotle quesadilla was equally good: while lacking the glorious gooeyness of its cheesey counterpart, the tangy chipotle sauce and bounty of tender shredded chicken served as apt compensation.

Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the marinated chicken tostada, but you'll have to take my word for it: this was a very good-looking dish. Two deep fried tortilla cyclinders, housing a tasty filling of tender chicken breast, were topped with shredded lettuce, tasty tomato salsa, and a sprinkling of crumbled cheese. Delicious.

Given the absence of decent Mexican restaurants in London, Wahaca is a revelation. And, at only £26 for two (both of us stuffed to the brim by the end of the meal), it was stunningly good value too.

http://www.wahaca.co.uk/flash/main.html