This cozy, almost unnoticeable Jing’an restaurant takes a traditional approach to Mexican cuisine but falls short of delivering the essential home-country experience.
After the customary frozen margarita (￥45), we started with a plate of nachos (￥48) that were smothered in shredded beef and spicy green pepper. They delivered a deeper taste than the pub-snack variety, unlocking a sense of more traditional Mexican flavours.
Keeping it Mex-mainstream, we followed with enchiladas (￥65) and chicken fajitas (￥42). Unbeliveably though, you’ll need to order corn or flour tortillas separately (￥3 each) as they’re not included. Both dishes were disappointing, sloppily served with one dollop of bland rice and another of mole, they were a stripped-back version of their internationalized counterparts to the point of lacking punch and presentation.
The zest and buoyancy of intense Mexican cuisine was missing and the accompanying salsa could do little to bring them to life. Luckily there was a Kahlúa laced rice and milk dessert (￥30) to put a smile on our faces.
Compared with the liveliness of Cantina Agave, the clean tastes of Adobo or the value of Togo there are certainly better Mexican options around.