With restaurants closed for normal service for the past few months, Thomasina Miers and the team at Wahaca have spent the latest lockdown crafting a super, seasonal summer menu – perfectly timed for a return to dining out in the coming weeks. Taking inspiration from the freshness and vibrancy of Mexican street food and with a menu that’s now over 50% veggie, there are brand new dishes as well as summery new takes on existing favourites. And everything’s made using high quality, sustainably-sourced ingredients including free-range British pork and chicken. The new menu will be available on Deliveroo and for takeaway from early April and for dining in as soon as restaurants reopen.
Vibrant and vegan, the Hibiscus-glazed aubergine taco (£6.25) is an enticing new addition to Wahaca’s already-plentiful choice of plant-based dishes. The aubergine is roasted until crispy and caramelised and then tossed in a sweet-savoury hibiscus glaze, with fresh mint giving the tacos a burst of summery freshness and toasted almonds adding a lovely nutty crunch. The taco also includes a sublime new pine nut and almond white mole, inspired by a mole tasted by Thomasina at a restaurant in Mexico City in early 2020 – with Wahaca’s version perfected by its head chefs over the latest lockdown. A serious crowd-pleaser and an all-round delicious taco.
An overnight hit after making its debut as a Deliveroo special in January, the Grilled halloumi “Al Pastor” taco (£6.25) is now a permanent fixture. A new take on cult Mexican street food dish Tacos Al Pastor, but switching the traditional pork for tasty halloumi, the flavour-packed combination of salty cheese, fruity and tangy achiote and the sweetness of pineapple salsa is a firm hit with Wahaca’s staff and customers alike.
Packed with all the tastes of summer – and an array of colours to match – Wahaca’s new Rainbow bowls are a wholesome combination of slow-cooked black beans, green coriander rice, pink pickled onions, guacamole, a new chipotle slaw and a whole host of other delicious ingredients that make this dish really sing for its supper. Choose between grilled free range chicken (£10.50), free range pork pibil (£10.25) or go vegan with sweet potato & tenderstem broccoli (£9.25).
Caramelised plantain with brown sugar, browned butter, sea salt, dark rum, a hint of cinnamon and a squeeze of fresh lime. If that’s got your mouth watering, try the new Banoffee empanada (£5.95) – the indulgent ingredients fill a crispy empanada which is then drizzled with dulce de leche and topped with vanilla ice cream and a coconut oat crumble – all handmade in-house by Wahaca’s chefs. A decadently delicious way to round off your meal.
And the new additions aren’t limited to the food menu. Dial up the heat with the Picante margarita (£7.75) – Wahaca’s classic margarita shaken up with red chillies for a distinctively spicy kick. Less fiery but equally delicious is Wahaca’s unmistakably Mexican take on the Old Fashioned (£8.95). It combines añejo (aged) tequila with bitters and orange and is garnished with a shard of chocolate for a smooth and sophisticated cocktail that’s perfect for raising a glass to a summer of dining out once again.
Thomasina Miers commented “In recent months we’ve had plenty of time to get the creative juices flowing and seek inspiration from our much-loved Mexico to create a menu for reopening; we think that it’s one of our best yet, not just in the incredible flavours, colours and textures but from a sustainability perspective too. We’re pleased to be bringing even more plant-based dishes to the menu, as well as working with some brilliant British suppliers to make sure that only the very best goes into our food. It’s been a long time coming, but we can’t wait to welcome guests back into our restaurants so they can try all of this deliciousness for themselves!”
Enjoy Wahaca at home by ordering at www.wahaca.co.uk or dine outdoors from 12th April at Wahaca, 160-161 North Street, Brighton.
