Restaurant Review: Wahaca Southbank Experiment

As a fan of Mexican food, I am always on the lookout for good Mexican restaurants, and after hearing excellent reviews for Wahaca, a London-based Mexican restaurant chain, I knew where my next foodie adventure would take me.
 
Created by former Masterchef winner, Thomasina Miers, Wahaca offers fresh and flavoursome Mexican street food in a relaxed and atmospheric environment. With locations now in Bluewater, Canary Wharf, Soho, Stratford, White City and Camden, Wahaca has expanded its presence and popularity across London since its doors first opened in Covent Garden, in 2007.
 
For a limited 18-month period, the Wahaca experience can also be enjoyed at Southbank, where the restaurant chain has opened a pop-up restaurant. Built from 8 recycled shipping containers, the Wahaca Southbank Experiment is quirky but welcoming, and definitely the place to go if you are looking for a fresh, flavoursome and affordable sharing meal experience in a lively part of town!
 

***

  

With friends visiting for the weekend, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit Wahaca, and having been intrigued by the sound of the pop-up restaurant, we headed down to Southbank.

 

Knowing that none of the Wahaca restaurants take bookings, we arrived at the restaurant an hour or so before we knew we’d be hungry, and after requesting a table for five, we were given a buzzer and directed to the tequila bar.



Passionfruit Margarita

 

At the bar, we were served by a very friendly bar man, who made us some delicious tequila-based cocktails, and even got one of my friends involved with the shaking! From the drinks we chose between us, I can happily recommend the Passionfruit Margarita and Wahaca Mule, and it is definitely worth trusting the staff when they tell you that Wahaca’s Classic Margaritas are the best you will taste, as they are seriously good.

 

Although we were quoted a 60-75 minute wait for a table, which we were prepared to enjoy in the outside seating area, we were shown to our table within half an hour, and introduced to our waiter, who was immediately attentive and keen to accommodate our needs. After running us through the menus (which were designed to be like wooden place mats), we were left to mull over our decisions, and served another round of drinks to keep us refreshed. When our waiter returned to take our order, he was happy to advise us on dishes to try, and also ensured that we did not order too many of one dish, so that we had a wider taste experience.

 

Soon after our order was placed, the food started to arrive, and although in most restaurants you would expect all of your food to arrive together, at Wahaca you should expect it to come out when it is ready, so that it is served at its best. As the idea is to share the food with others in your group, this makes the dining occasion more interesting, as you are all able to enjoy the flavours of one dish as you wait for the the next. As plates are finished, the staff also clear them away, to ensure that the table is uncluttered, and so that attention is always focused on the food.

So, what did we have, I hear you ask? Well, below is a list of the dishes that we enjoyed from the menu, all of which are highly recommended!
 

• 

  Nibbles!

  As we waited for our dishes to be cooked, we had some tortilla chips with fresh tomato salsa and guacamole from the ‘Nibbles’ section of the menu. The salsa and guacamole are made fresh every day, and taste absolutely delicious!
 
• Having had the dish recommended by colleagues, I decided to choose the Pork Pibil from the ‘Tacos’ section of the menu. Served with onions and refried beans, the pork, marinated in Yacatecan marinade, was beautifully tender and delicious, and something that I would certainly have again.
 
• Exploring the ‘Taquito’ section, two of my friends enjoyed the tender, marinated chicken filling inside two deep fried corn tortillas. Served with shredded lettuce, Lancashire cheese, and a fresh (and spicy) tomato salsa, this was the ‘best dressed’ dish out of the ones that we chose.
 
• As a fan of quesadillas, I chose to try the Chorizo & Potato and Chipotle Chicken variants, with both offering fabulous flavours and just the right level of spice. The Chorizo & Potato Quesadilla sandwiched Meixcan chorizo, steamed potato and fresh thyme between a folded tortilla, while the Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla offered chicken cooked in a spicy tomato marinade.
 
• From the Burrito section, one of my friends chose the British Steak Burrito, which consisted of a toasted flour tortilla filled with steak, chipotle salsa, grilled spring onions, frijoles, shredded cabbage, green rice, crema, and totpos. This was accompanied by a 'Side' of creamy Frijoles (refried beans), which were served with crumbled cheese and crema.

 

Pork Pibil Tacos

Chicken Taquito

British Beef Burrito

Chorizo & Potato Quesadilla

 

***

 

Overall assessment of Wahaca

 

Top marks…

Although the food was incredibly tasty and delicious, the dining experience at Wahaca would not have been as enjoyable without its fantastic staff, whose attentiveness, charisma, and friendly, positive attitudes meant that everyone in the restaurant was relaxed and at ease, and therefore fully immersed in enjoying their delicious food, drinks and company.

 

Areas for improvement...

As a very nearly perfect dining experience, the only qualm I had with my evening was the mixed sex toilets, as having to put the toilet seat down after a stranger was not really what I had expected!

 

Final rating

9.5/10 – Fantastic food, fantastic drinks, and fantastic staff! A very enjoyable and reasonably priced restaurant experience (expect to spend £20-£25 a head…depending on how many cocktails you intend to enjoy), and one that I hope to repeat again very soon. Next time I may venture to one of the other Wahaca locations however, so that I don’t feel too disappointed when the Southbank experiment disappears.

 

Highly recommended!!!

 

***

 

For more information about Wahaca, and to view menus and locations, visit www.wahaca.co.uk.

And, if you enjoy the flavours from Wahaca, or want to give them a try before you visit the restaurant, Wahaca branded table sauces are available to buy from some retailers (e.g. Ocado), as well as from the restaurants themselves.