We try Mexican Vegetarian Fare at Wahaca, Shoreditch
Co-founded by Thomasina Miers in 2007 (winner of MasterChef 2005), Wahaca is a restaurant chain serving Mexican-style street food. They have around 25 branches all across the UK with more than half of them located in London. The growth of the brand since its inception indicates that they have been successful in popularising the classic flavours of Mexican street food in the UK.
Last weekend we headed to Wahaca in Shoreditch to sample their vegetarian fare. Located on Tabernacle St, the restaurant is just a short walk away from the Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch.
The restaurant is laid out over two floors with an open kitchen setting, on the upper floor, allowing you to watch the chefs as they prepare your meal. The decor is quirky, fun and colourful with beautiful street art murals adorning the walls. Although there is plenty of seating, it is advisable to book in advance as the restaurant can be quite busy.
The menu was great. There is a lot of variety - nibbles to get you started, small plates of street food, set menus, salads & bowls, bigger plates, a variety of sides and Mexican-inspired desserts. The drinks menu was also good, with a range of beers, cocktails, wines, spirits and mocktails.
The cocktails with a Mexican twist sounded inviting but we opted to try out their mocktails and juicy waters instead. I loved 'Hibiscus Flower' which was a Cranberry-flavoured Mexican flower cordial, served with a squeeze of lime. Bhavin settled for the Strawberry and Mint Cooler, served with ice and bubbles. The drinks were delicious.
We started off with Nachos - everyone's favourite Mexican sharer. The veggie version was lovely. Topped with cheese sauce, tomatillo & avocado salsa, the nachos were delicious.
The Crispy Cauliflower Bites which are a new addition to the menu were also amazing. Crispy buttermilk-battered florets were served with roast serrano allioli. I would have preferred them to be a little more on the crispier side but they were quite flavourful. And the dip was fantastic.
Next, we tried two of Wahaca's Specials - Sweet Romano Pepper and Crispy Mexican Tetela.
Amazingly tasty, the Sweet Romano Pepper was my favourite. It was filled with organic squash, herb rice & olives with ancho relish & a cashew nut mole. The dish not only looked gorgeous but had fab flavours as well.
Bhavin loved the Crispy Mexican Tetela which was a large, thin Mexican 'samosa' filled with seasonal vegetables, mushroom, black beans, avocado salsa & cashew crema. The crisp texture of the outer shell complemented the soft and flavoursome filling. It was good!
The staff and service both were excellent. The waiting staff were friendly and knowledgable and suggested some other vegetarian dishes for us to try but by now we were almost full and it's always worth leaving a room for a little sweet treat, isn't it? And so we ordered, Churros. These were light and crisp and served with a rich chocolate sauce and dulce de leche caramel. Delicious!
I chose vanilla ice cream & raspberry sorbet to finish my meal. It was served with a crispy cinnamon-dusted buñuelo (a deep-fried pastry) and hibiscus syrup and was excellent.
If you are visiting London, we definitely recommend visiting one of Wahaca's branches to try out their Mexican fare. The food is fantastic & reasonably priced, the service is great and the atmosphere lively and fun.
You can visit Wahaca's website to find a restaurant near you.
Advertisement feature
Last weekend we headed to Wahaca in Shoreditch to sample their vegetarian fare. Located on Tabernacle St, the restaurant is just a short walk away from the Courthouse Hotel Shoreditch.
The restaurant is laid out over two floors with an open kitchen setting, on the upper floor, allowing you to watch the chefs as they prepare your meal. The decor is quirky, fun and colourful with beautiful street art murals adorning the walls. Although there is plenty of seating, it is advisable to book in advance as the restaurant can be quite busy.
The menu was great. There is a lot of variety - nibbles to get you started, small plates of street food, set menus, salads & bowls, bigger plates, a variety of sides and Mexican-inspired desserts. The drinks menu was also good, with a range of beers, cocktails, wines, spirits and mocktails.
The cocktails with a Mexican twist sounded inviting but we opted to try out their mocktails and juicy waters instead. I loved 'Hibiscus Flower' which was a Cranberry-flavoured Mexican flower cordial, served with a squeeze of lime. Bhavin settled for the Strawberry and Mint Cooler, served with ice and bubbles. The drinks were delicious.
We started off with Nachos - everyone's favourite Mexican sharer. The veggie version was lovely. Topped with cheese sauce, tomatillo & avocado salsa, the nachos were delicious.
The Crispy Cauliflower Bites which are a new addition to the menu were also amazing. Crispy buttermilk-battered florets were served with roast serrano allioli. I would have preferred them to be a little more on the crispier side but they were quite flavourful. And the dip was fantastic.
Next, we tried two of Wahaca's Specials - Sweet Romano Pepper and Crispy Mexican Tetela.
Amazingly tasty, the Sweet Romano Pepper was my favourite. It was filled with organic squash, herb rice & olives with ancho relish & a cashew nut mole. The dish not only looked gorgeous but had fab flavours as well.
Bhavin loved the Crispy Mexican Tetela which was a large, thin Mexican 'samosa' filled with seasonal vegetables, mushroom, black beans, avocado salsa & cashew crema. The crisp texture of the outer shell complemented the soft and flavoursome filling. It was good!
The staff and service both were excellent. The waiting staff were friendly and knowledgable and suggested some other vegetarian dishes for us to try but by now we were almost full and it's always worth leaving a room for a little sweet treat, isn't it? And so we ordered, Churros. These were light and crisp and served with a rich chocolate sauce and dulce de leche caramel. Delicious!
I chose vanilla ice cream & raspberry sorbet to finish my meal. It was served with a crispy cinnamon-dusted buñuelo (a deep-fried pastry) and hibiscus syrup and was excellent.
If you are visiting London, we definitely recommend visiting one of Wahaca's branches to try out their Mexican fare. The food is fantastic & reasonably priced, the service is great and the atmosphere lively and fun.
You can visit Wahaca's website to find a restaurant near you.
Tip | Wahaca Stratford is perfectly placed for those visiting the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Wahaca Shoreditch | 140 Tabernacle Street, London EC2A 4SD
Phone | 0203 889 0483
Have you been to Wahaca? What is your favourite Mexican food?
Wahaca Shoreditch | 140 Tabernacle Street, London EC2A 4SD
Phone | 0203 889 0483
Have you been to Wahaca? What is your favourite Mexican food?
I have never visited Wahaca and though I love Mexican food my husband doesn't so not very likely I will. My favourite when I get the chance is pulled pork fajitas.
ReplyDeleteChurros is my favourite Mexican foor but I never visited Wahaca although it sounds lovely.
ReplyDeleteI love tacos x
ReplyDeletei havent visited wahaca but the food does look delicious x
ReplyDeleteYes, visited Wahaca and thoroughly enjoyed it. My favourite Mexican food is refried beans but I have never tasted any as good in the UK as those they serve in Mexico.
ReplyDeleteWe are not lucky enough to have a wahaca local, my favourite mexican dish is Chilaquiles
ReplyDeleteI've never eaten at Wahaca, although I love Mexican food. My favourite is refried bean burrito.
ReplyDeleteI have never been but I love Mexican food.
ReplyDeleteI have not yet visited Wahaca, but have been to Oaxaca - the place the restaurant is named after. Fish tacos are my fave Mexican food. But I would so love to try more
ReplyDeleteI've never been to Wahaca, but would love to! There are many Mexican foods I love, though we haven't eaten Mexican for quite a long time! I do love a Burrito x
ReplyDeleteThe Churros look wonderful as a special treat! I must persuade my husband to take me there!
ReplyDelete