Wahaca

Last week I went to Wahaca, Thomasina Meirs' place in Covent Garden. Now, I really didn't like Tommy on Masterchef Goes Large, and I don't like her writing that I have read, but my god is Wahaca a good idea (if not perfect in execution)! She deserves to do really, really well with it.

I was so taken by the Mexican street food thing last week, that I persuaded a work colleague (a woman with rubber arms when it comes to food) to come back with me today to see if it was really as good as I thought. And it was.

The waiter we've had both times really gives me the shits. He sits down next to you, doesn't listen and invades the personal space. I think some people like that sort of informal kookiness. I don't like things that can be labelled kooky. Anyway, we eventually convinced him that we wanted a citrus Belu each - Belu mineral water with lime and mint (delicious, nonalcoholic, environmentally sound, so virtuous) and off he went. Not to be seen again for 20 minutes...

When he came back, we ordered some chorizo quesadillas and chicken tortilla soup. I was a little dubious about the quesadillas, because they looked like they were stuffed with mashed potato, but in between the mash were chunks of juicy chorizo and melted cheese. Heaven. Possibly more than I needed as a starter at lunch time, but I wouldn't have it any other way. The soup decision was based on presentation - the girls at the next table ordered it - and as odd as it sounds, it was delicious. You get a big white bowl, filled with chunks of avocado, a generous mound of shredded chicken and a pile of tortilla chips, and a jug of thick, spiced tomato soup. They pour half of the soup over the chicken and leave the jug with you. Ever so slightly underseasoned (I added salt) and absolutely not what your Montezuma's chains would have you think is Mexican, but heaven. Really, really delicious and satisfying.

Meanwhile, the weather has turned to crap again, so I can't BBQ my brined duck. It's in the oven - over a rack this time! And the spices I put in the brine (cassia, anise, cloves, garlic) smell wonderful. We'll be having it with a tub of M&S edamame salad with sweet chilli dressing.