Mexican Food In The UK

[Dino Velvet]

Being from LA I'm a big fan of Mexican Food. I like it and it sits in my stomach just right. I could eat it 3-4 times a week.

I know Indian Food is very popular there so you guys are OK with a certain type of spicy. Are there many good Mexican Restaurants/Cantinas in the UK? A big plate of that food would be great on a cold night.

[GroobySteven]

No - Mexican food is lagging in the UK even though it's one of the new "in" foods, we don't have it like the quality and as popular as in LA.
I made pulled pork tacos last night though which were pretty fucking close to an LA food truck style.

[manatarms]

In London, there are plenty of places to get a decent burrito. Wahacca is a chain that's good for Mexican cantina style food and apparently authentic, although I have never been to Mexico or the states, so you might think it's all shit. There are a few other nice independent Mexican restaurants around too, though I don't think you are going to find much outside London.

[Stavros]

The first Mexican food I ate was in a so-called Mexican restaurant on Trinity St in Cambridge, no longer there; how authentic it was I do not know, and I assume the market is just not strong enough to sustain it. A large Mexican place in the west end of London (near Stringfellows) opened to dismal reviews last year or the year before, not sure if it is still there. Wahaca survives because it is apparently a genuinely good restaurant and was the first outlet opened by a winner of the Masterchef competition on tv (Thomasina Meirs). There is a Mexican place in my town that has been there for 20 years which must be a UK record, I have never eaten there. I had a pleasant Mexican lunch in Sausolito a few years ago, and a light lunch is as far as it goes, there is nothing special about Mexican food. The Mediterranean region offers far superior uses of natural ingredients resulting in better food.

[tsadriana]

I need to try mexican salad

[GroobySteven]

In London, there are plenty of places to get a decent burrito. Wahacca is a chain that's good for Mexican cantina style food and apparently authentic, although I have never been to Mexico or the states, so you might think it's all shit. There are a few other nice independent Mexican restaurants around too, though I don't think you are going to find much outside London.

The problem is a decent burrito in London, is nothing like a burrito or taco in Los Angeles which arguably has some of the best Mexican food. Wahacca is great and purports to being street food - but it's expensive (therefore defeating the $1.50 taco!).

The street food/lunch wagon scene in LA is awesome.

[Jericho]

I need to try mexican salad

I think Nikka's volunteering!

[up_for_it]

Yeah, good luck with Mexican food in the UK, or Europe in general. There are some decent places scattered around, but I agree with Seanchai, the burrito is the real insurmountable issue. For my money, I'd rather whip one up with the Old Elpaso kits from the store next door to my apartment than spend three times as much going out and being totally bummed at the result. For me its a comfort food that reminds me of home and has to be done right. Thank God for Indian, whenever I'm in Europe for a long period of time I hit the local spots once a week, it's the best food going in my opinion.

[Prospero]

Best mexican food I ever had was in New Mexico and other places in the Southwest. (But alsos ome of the worst food - in Navajo restaurants in one horse towns) Never had good mexican food in London (not managed to try Wahaca yet). There are scarcely any Mexicans here so all we get is rubbish like Taco Belle.

It is the poor quality of Mexican cuisine in the UK that provoked the comedian Alexei Sayle to once characterise it as "pre-digested food."

p.s. I want Seanchai to cook for me!

[Dino Velvet]

I need to try mexican salad

That would be a tostada. Girl sure loves her salads.