Cara visits Mirtala, a new Northern Mexican restaurant in West London, serving dishes alongside 12 house-made marinades and salsas.
Mirtala is found in Chiswick. Turnham Green, the nearest Tube station, is closed at weekends, as my friend and I discover when checking our route on the day of the visit.
So replacement bus it is.
Mirtala is a newly opened Mexican.Set up by husband-and-wife duo Rishad and Benaisha Mehta, who also brought their sold-out Taste of Mexico supper club to Chiswick, they’ve now taken the leap and opened Mirtala.
But this isn’t your ordinary Mexican restaurant. Mirtala specialises in northern Mexican dishes, served in a simple, understated setting with magnolia tones and jute-wicker chairs.
But it’s the flavours that really stand out. At the heart of the menu is a backbone of 12 different salsas, sauces and marinades, all made in-house and varying in style and heat.
We try several, each a pop of colour that’s pleasing on the eye but punchy on the tongue, at least some of them.
We start with a classic guacamole and tostados, the choice is great here, from crab with an intriguing crunchy peanut salsa macha, to smoked aubergine.
I honestly still can’t decide which one is our favourite, so can I say all? It just depends on your mood , if you crave fish there is perfectly cured tuna, or meaty tender beef or veggie. Mild and loaded with vibrant colour from roughly chopped veggies. This is what I love about Mexican food, just how close to nature the dishes are.
Colourful, chopped by hand, the people don’t try to mix or emulsify all ingredients to an unrecognisable featureless mass. It’s raw and natural.
Of course it’s not a Mexican without some cocktails – a classic pineapple sour in a larger than expected glass, is a little boozy and very fresh.
Again I feel I’m at a health retreat but one that’s also culinary, no additives or colourants here. Also, bear in mind it has a spice kick to it but can be made without.
My guest loves her ginger mocktail, lemony and sparkling, she says. It’s very her and very not me. The ginger aroma reaches me when I lean to grab a tostado in the middle.
Then there are the famous extra-large prawns. And massive they are. The kind that are so good you’re tempted to suck the heads, but we stick to our table manners and scoop out all that goodness with a knife instead.
Grilled to perfection, they have a beautiful smoky finish, paired with a fiery, tomato-based salsa fresca.
The Mexican fried chicken is also very good, crisp on the outside and wonderfully tender within, although I find the batter could do with a little more salt. It comes with the untouchable for me – habanero cream which my spice tolerant friend loves.
You can stick to loads of small plates at Mirtala or one can share a tacos platter. We opt for Galician on the bone.
There’s also British Black Angus, cod and Secreto Ibérico to choose from. I love a restaurant that pays proper attention to where its meat is sourced.
Whenever I spot an ancient Spanish breed on a menu, I’m drawn to it. The generous marbling and deep flavour are hard to resist.
The tacos, of course, you assemble yourself, with the help of a little tortilla warmer.
After so many Mexican evenings, I can’t believe I’ve never thought about these before. Because, obviously, this oven-mitt-like contraption makes perfect sense.
Tortillas are often the first things to go cold, and this little warmer keeps them nice and cosy, meaning we don’t have to rush through our mains just to enjoy them while they’re still warm.
They also come with pretty amazing thin and perfectly crisp Koffman fries, yes the 3-Michelin-starred chef Pierre Koffmann.
By the time our mains arrive on Saturday, every table is taken. Surely the best endorsement a restaurant can get.
To finish, we share tequila-roasted pineapple with silky lime crémeux and cinnamon ice cream. A light, refreshing end to the meal.
Despite the replacement bus, we both agree Mirtala is worth the journey. Northern Mexico feels a little closer after this.
Mirtala, 59-61 Turnham Green Terrace, Chiswick, London W4 1RP
www.mirtala.co.uk