Wahaca takes Mexican-inspired dishes and sources them as ethically and locally as possible. We came back from our recent trip to Mexico and LA invigorated and bursting with ideas. As a result we have several new salsas on the menu going into various dishes, some sexy new summer treats and a host of other ideas that we’ll be working on as the seasons change. Here are a few delicious highlights from our new summer menu, which launches this week...

Fideus
My personal new favourite is the fideus, or ‘sopa seca’ as it is called in Veracruz, Mexico. This is not a snazzy dish, more deeply soothing comfort food at its best; vermicelli noodles are fried golden and then simmered in a slow-cooked tomato sauce until they have absorbed all the goodness and then are topped with a dollop of our new extra fiery chipotle adobo, a smattering of sharp little capers and a calming spoon of crema. In Mexico this is the ultimate hangover dish but we think it is good at any time when you want to slurp up something delicious.

Devon crab taquito
We also have a new taquito on our street food specials menu, a Devon crab one, bursting with South Coast deliciousness, deep-fried crispy and topped with our fruity Habanero salsa. If you like seafood this is the dish for you, another one inspired by Veracruz’s great tradition of mouth-watering produce.

 

Our new chipotle adobo is a deeply concentrated, intensely smoky and fiery salsa that we are now dolloping on our chicken tinga tacos, back for the summer. The tinga is a spiced tomato sauce wrapped around pieces of tender chicken; it goes beautifully with a little crema but watch out, it’s a little spicy. Also back is the cactus-courgette taco; sautéed courgettes, diced cactus and sweet onions, topped with our guajillo oil and a smattering of grilled cheese. This is an incredibly satisfying taco proving that you don’t need meat to eat great food.

By popular demand, our ceviche tostada returns, MSC scallops and prawns tossed with diced cucumber in habanero chilli and fresh lime. The chicken tostada has a new coriander dressing that is a lovely counterbalance to its guajillo oil topping and our corn on the cob this year is grilled with butter and seasoned with a delightfully sparkly chilli-salt-sugar. Finally, inspired by some of the cantinas we visited in Mexico City, this summer we bring you the Wahaca hotcake, a griddled pancake drizzled with dulce de leche and served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and a smattering of caramelised nuts.

Thomasina Miers,
co-founder and chef, Wahaca.

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