Wahaca - Soho

Last night I went for dinner with my friend Anna who’s just returned from an 8 day sponsored bike ride to Berlin, very impressive! We went for dinner at the fantabulous Wahaca on Wardour St. It’s a Mexican restaurant, specialising in street food. They do serve main courses, which look delicious, but whenever I go I like to order a few small plates to share. It’s more fun to try a little bit of everything and when you’re as useless at making decisions as me it means you can have everything you want. Wahaca was set up in 2007 by Thomasina Miers, who won Masterchef the previous year. After travelling around Mexico she wanted to create an authentic experience of Mexican food, rather than the Tex-Mex which is usually served in ‘Mexican’ restaurants in the UK.

Grilled Steak Tacos

As usual Anna and I shared the guacamole and frijoles (refried beans). As I’ve mentioned several times, I LOVE guacamole, given the opportunity I would eat it every day. Whilst the somewhat slimy texture of avocado is something I hated as a child, I’ve now grown to love the smooth, creamy taste. The coolness of the avocado with the heat of the green chilies is a winning combination. I only recently discovered refried beans; at Wahaca they’re served topped with either chorizo or crumbled cheese both of which are amazing. Whilst the thick, brown paste doesn’t look particularly appetising, the rich, saltly taste is just delicious. I also ordered 2 small plates from the street food menu; grilled steak tacos and bean & feta quesadillas. The tacos were topped with juicy pieces of rare steak, guacamole (yum!) and grilled cheese and were pretty much perfect. The quesadillas contained broad beans, peas, feta and mint which is a great spring combination, however they were a little dry and could have done with a touch of sour cream on the side.

Broad Bean & Feta Quesadilla

Overall Wahaca is a great experience; the food is excellent, thoughtfully made with ethically and locally sourced ingredients and they serve an array of Mexican beers, tequilas and soft drinks. When looking for a quick, cheap meal or snack in central London I don’t think you can do better. The service is always excellent, the food is on your table within 10 minutes of ordering and the staff are friendly. This is fast food at its best; fresh, original and authentic. I’d also highly recommend the Wahaca cookbook, the squash & chorizo tacos are incredible.

Anna's Pork Pibil Tacos