Though Wahaca is one of my favourite places to eat, I hadn’t been there since December 2024, when I visited the branch at Paddington and had the Wahaca for One deal. They use to have a branch in Bristol, but that closed way back in August 2020.
My son and I were in Wimbledon, and there are lots of places to eat there, however it was during the recent heatwave, so I wasn’t in the mood for spicy Korean food. So, we went to Wahaca. It was a Friday evening, and they looked busy, it took while for us to be seated, we then looked over the menu.
They have an extensive choice of small plates on offer in their menu, and they recommend 2-3 plates per person. I also quite liked the idea of ordering some Mexico City Nachos as well. However, I did though like the sound of their feasting menu. This is six dishes, and one of those, the Yellowfin Tuna Tostadas was one I wanted to have. One thing I like about having a set menu like this is you get dishes you probably wouldn’t order if you were ordering separate plates. We ordered the feasting menu and two bottles of Corona.
The first four dishes to arrive were a Sweet Potato & Feta Taquito, Beef Gringa Tacos, Grilled Brindisa Chorizo Quesadilla and the Yellowfin Tuna Tostadas.
The Beef Gringa tacos were made from grass-fed, slow-cooked beef, with grilled cheese and salsa fresca, in two soft corn tortillas. A dash of lime added a nice sharpness and freshness to the rich beef filling.
Yes, you could eat these in your hands, but it could be messy. The beef was rich and tender with just the right amount of spice.
The Grilled Brindisa Chorizo Quesadilla is not the best looking dish, but this was tasty.
There was ample chorizo within the quesadilla to add heat and bite to the filling of grilled cheese and crunchy tortilla.
The Sweet Potato & Feta Taquito with caramelised onion, salsas and chipotle mayo in a crisp blue corn tortilla, was served on a bed of lettuce.
The sweetness of the sweet potato was offset by the saltiness of the feta and the spicy heat of the chipotle mayo. It was a lovely combination of flavours and textures.
One of my favourite dishes of the feasting menu was the Yellowfin Tuna Tostadas. This was raw line-caught tuna, marinated in soy and lime, with avocado, tomato salsa and salsa macha, on crispy tortillas.
I had enjoyed tuna tacos from Bills before, but these tostadas were very different approach and appearance. The crispy tostadas added a nice crunch to the fresh zingy tuna and the accompanying salsas added flavour and heat. Like the beef tacos, slightly messy to eat, but these were delicious.
As we were eating the final two dishes arrived, the Buttermilk Chicken Tacos, and the Chipotle Glazed Aubergine.
The Buttermilk Chicken tacos would probably have been a dish I would have ordered if I was ordering separate plates. These was crunchy fried buttermilk chicken with habanero mayo and pink pickled onions, in two soft flour tortillas.
This sounded great, and they were very nice, but out of all the six dishes I had these were probably my least favourite. I liked the habanero mayo and pink pickled onions, but I think the dish was let down by the chicken, which to be honest was a little dry (and possibly overcooked). They were okay, maybe I had higher expectations, but I was slightly disappointed.
I forgot to take a photograph of the Chipotle Glazed Aubergine: however, this was roasted slices of aubergine that had been brushed with a chipotle glaze and was served on top of macadamia mole, with jalapeño oil and crumbled feta. I doubt I would have ordered this dish if I was ordering separate plates, but this was one of the best dishes in the six. It was beautifully presented with a topping of crumbled feta. It had a lovely strong flavour, some heat, there was sweetness from the glaze which contrasted with the saltiness of the feta and the slight bitterness of the aubergine. Delicious.
Overall, we had six excellent plates of food. Obviously, I preferred some over others, but it was a nice variety and I was pleased we had made the choice to go with the feasting menu.
Service was excellent, warm, friendly and efficient. I would certainly visit again.