Review - Wahaca

 

I was a big fan of Thomasina Miers when she was sweating it our on Masterchef and knew she would go on to great things.Secretly I felt she was miles ahead from day one of the various amature cooks the show picks from it’s 20,000 odd applicants. Now as Co- founder and chef of Wahaca a fast expanding empire, she really has embraced the food journey. So when I recently found myself at Westfield Shopping Mall in Stratford and a whole array of food choices to tempt me, I just had to try her food. Most of the food outlets are situated inside the shopping Mall so a bold move on Wahaca’ s behalf to take the outside unit especially as on the day I visit, it’s pouring with rain. Admittedly it’s situated next to the route to the Olympic stadium and other venues, but I guess only time will tell how good the decision on location choice was. My companion and I are met and welcomed as soon as we enter the door by a very pleasant lady who happily leads us to our table. The outside sign says “ Mexican Street Market” Frankly, once inside, I think it should say “messy kids creche” .I’m afraid I am not a fan of the interior and it’s design. There is pretty much graffiti scrawled everywhere and multi coloured seating and I feel it just lacks any authentic atmosphere or warmth. From the outside, again it’s very confusing what lies within and it’s only the familiar signage that tells us it’s a restaurant.

Our waiter gives us a run through of the menu options taking care to circle with a coloured crayon (it’s that kids creche thing again!) what dishes we can choose as small plates or nibbles. We opt for a dish from the Nibbles section of Guacamole, after reading it’s made using their secret recipe and is served with tortilla chips. It’s nice and has small pieces of red onion, but lacks a bit of seasoning or any citrusy tang. The tortilla chips taste fresh and have a nice crunch. We then choose tacos with British steak and a chipotle salsa which is excellent with just the right heat for me and with some super tender steak. This is followed by a Tosadas with some nice fresh herring and a chicken taquitas, again enjoyable. We also order a chicken burrito with the optional cheese extra. This is nice, but it lacks enough chicken of all things and could perhaps be served warmer as the flour tortilla could do with heating first. The service is attentive and food comes out fast, perhaps too fast. We order a carafe of Sauvignon Blanc which comes with two large tumblers, resembling something the kids might drink squash out of and not ideal for drinking a white wine and our wine soon becomes warm. However, I see there is a nice selection of beers and Tequillas which suit the setting and vision much better.

Overall a nice lunchtime meal, but nothing Olympian.