On Thursday afternoon, my business partner agreed that enough is enough, June and July’s winter was cute, but August was pushing it. I mean, it’s absolutely freezing, for no reason at all. It’s actually just rude. After a shared rant, we decided what better way to distract ourselves from this icy Cape Town weather than eating some belly warming spicy food. Not any spicy food, but more specifically, Mexican. Why? You might ask. Well, of course when you think of Mexican delights, you think of tacos, nachos, and if there is some space left, churros. But what goes with all of those magical things? A margarita, or two, or potentially three. You know, depending on how much of a distraction you desire. So it was settled, Mexico (in Cape Town), watch out, here we come!
We arrived at Mexicola Locale and were immediately transported to a much warmer and vibrant atmosphere. There was lively, feel good Mexican music filling the space, it almost felt like a fiesta was about to break out at any moment. I also loved the bold colour palette of deep orange, reds, and blues. Unapologetically loud, in the best way. The restaurant is mostly open air, with a spacious yet intimate layout. It was casually cool and not trying too hard, but with lots of personality. We were then greeted by an incredibly friendly host, Kamva, who was going to be looking after us for the afternoon. Within the first few moments, he already went the extra mile. He showed us to our table, and turned on the heater above us. It felt like the sun was shining down on us. We were definitely not in Cape Town anymore, but rather at a beach club in Mexico.
“THE JUS. Bottle it, sell it, marry it. Rich, umami, silky, smokey, literally all the things I look for in a man.”
Kamva explained the menu to us, and told us that they specialize in authentic Mexican food. Authenticity is a definite green flag for me, and transparency of course, but we can talk about my dating life another time. I was also thrilled to learn that the margaritas are made with fresh juice instead of the usual syrup suspects, and that they all have double shots of tequila. I was not complaining. He recommended the pineapple margarita and luckily for me, that is one of my favourite fruits. He mentioned that they would take a bit longer since everything was made to order. I was definitely willing to wait, quality wins every time, but like I said, we are not talking about my personal life today… Gosh! Nosey much?
He recommended ordering some snacks while we waited. We decided on the jalapeno and olive dip, guacamole, and the salsa. These were all served with tortilla chips. I believe things are better in threes, well, when it comes to food anyway. Within moments, he was back with our snacks. Looking down at the plate, I felt like I was back in geometry class. The isosceles right angled tortilla chip triangles were golden and evenly toasted. You can see that they were definitely house made, and proudly so. They were crispy without being oily, and lightly salted. They acted as the perfect vessel to scoop up the trio of dips. I started with the jalapeno and olive dip. It was pale green and looked rather humble. But the flavour? Packed a punch. It tasted bold, tangy, and had a kick of chilli that woke up your palate without setting it on fire. I really enjoyed this dip, it was incredibly moreish. Whether it was from the salty green olives or the subtle spice from the jalapeno. I lost a lot of chips to this one. Next, I tried the guacamole. This one looked elegant but inviting. It was ultra smooth, more whipped than chunky, which made it a bit lighter than the standard guac. It tasted fresh, creamy, and garlicky. No fuss, just a classic done really well. I also enjoyed it after having a few mouthfuls of the spicier dip, it was quite soothing. Lastly, I tried the salsa. It looked vibrant, rustic and chunky. A great contrast to the other smoother options. You could see that the tomatoes had been slightly charred too. I just knew this was going to be full of flavour, and it did not disappoint. It was sweet, smoky, and a little bit spicy. The charred tomatoes brought a lot of depth, while the coriander added freshness, and the onion added sharpness. Overall, a great start to a fun filled afternoon.
Once I had a little nibble of everything, our drinks arrived. My margarita was absolutely stunning, and huge. It was vibrantly golden with a tropical glow. It was filled to the brim, and it had a frothy citrus foam on top. Lastly, it was garnished with a cheerful pineapple piece, mimicking a little sunhat on the side. Very much Instagram ready. Like I said, it was huge, so it reached out with both hands, and slowly and very carefully slid it closer to me. COME TO MAMA! I closed my eyes, and leaned in for the first ki.. Sip. Oh wow! It was bright and zingy, yet smooth and well balanced. This drink is a cheeky one. I couldn’t taste the alcohol, I felt it, but couldn’t taste it. Exactly how I like my alcoholic beverages. Very naughty, very delicious. It went down swimmingly. It was like a beach holiday in a glass, but with better lighting, and no sand in weird places.
Tumi and I aren’t big drinkers, so after having a few sips and all of a sudden finding everything super funny, we decided it was time for some more food. We weren’t ready to completely kill our tipsy vibe, so we thought it would be best to start with some sharing options, some ‘bochas’. Once again, Kamva was a huge help and he suggested a few options. He mentioned lamb and I saw Tumi’s eyes light up. Fun fact about Tumi, he dreams of lamb, so best believe we were ordering that. We chose the cordero quesobirria (filled with lamb), and the Mexican street corn. You got to get your vegetables in, in some way, shape or form. We got our orders in and carried on sipping on our drinks and dancing to the festive music. We were indeed living our best life.
Our food arrived and the first thing that caught my eye, and nose, was the corn. More specifically, the swirl of smoke rising from the charcoal that was resting on top of a mountain of golden breadcrumbs. We were told to coat the corn in them. The buttery goodness the charred corn was lathered in acted as the perfect, most delicious glue for the breadcrumbs. I was salivating, as I am sure you are too while reading this. After I had a good coating, I took my first bite. The sweet, juicy kernels popped while the breadcrumbs added a toasty, almost nutty depth. It was the perfect combination of sweet, smokey, and slightly spicy. I thoroughly enjoyed this, I also love that it was interactive. It is always fun to play with your food, sorry mom!
Now we move onto the cordeo quesobirra. Oh my word, Kamva outdid himself with this suggestion. It was heavenly. First of all, it was stunning to look at. The golden tortilla has deep, blistering spots from the pan, and the edges were nice and crispy. Accompanying these well stuffed, cheesy quesadillas was a small ramekin of glossy, shimmering lamb jus. If you’re not getting in your car and making your way over there by now, I don’t know what’s wrong with you. I dunked that quesadilla into the jus, making sure I gave it some time to absorb all the juices and bit into it. Wow oh wow. It was utterly delicious. The crunch from the tortilla, followed by the creamy melt of mozzarella, and the juicy, tender lamb filling… Not to mention the godly jus. THE JUS. Bottle it, sell it, marry it. Rich, umami, silky, smokey, literally all the things I look for in a man. This gets a twelve out of ten from me. I was in my own world eating this, Tumi had to snap me out of it. I even had the jus all over my chin and I didn’t even notice, that’s how good it was. Nothing mattered anymore, especially the jus on my chinny, chin, chin.
With somewhat satisfied bellies, and more sober minds, we felt it was necessary to get back into holiday mode with another drink. Only fitting, right? Thursday is basically the weekend in Cape Town, so we might as well. Next on the itinerary was a paloma. It arrived looking like peachy pink sunshine in a glass with a slice of grapefruit peeking over the edge, clearly the life of the party. Before we began sipping on our drinks, we ordered our next lot of food, we learned our lesson from the last round of drinks. Orders in, we were safe to get responsibly tipsy again. The paloma was zesty and fresh, but it had a seriously good pour of tequila in it. You know, that type of pour that will get you texting your ex, and if he’s lucky maybe even a call. Luckily for me, unluckily for him, our tacos arrived. Phew, that was a close call!
My two, beautifully presented, tacos were placed in front of me, it was love at first sight. It made me think of when parents say they don’t have a favourite child. We all know that’s a lie, but at this moment, I thought maybe there was some truth to it. After a scientific ennie meenie miney mo, I started with the Papa Dulce. This one is a vegetarian taco, and it looked like a rainbow on a tortilla, it was really giving the basic salad a run for its money. In very omnivore fashion, I thought it wouldn’t taste as good as it looked, but I was quickly proven wrong. This turned out to be one of my favourite bites of the day. The sweet almost caramelized sweet potato, along with the hearty black beans, then the feta and pickled onions adding salt and tangy… But the real star of the show was the smoky, rich, and the most flavourful romesco sauce I have ever had. Now all of this goodness encased in a warm and fresh soft tortilla. In all honesty, ever since this taco and my mouth met, I have been dreaming about doing it all over again. Not even a week has gone by and I am having withdrawal symptoms.
My next taco was the El Pastor, this one is for my carnivore friends. Glossy strands of braised pork, glistening with its own juices topped with a generous amount of creamy avocado, all on a bed of purple cabbage, and of course, all encased in that wonderful warm tortilla. I squeezed some fresh lime on top for an extra bit of zing and took a larger than life mouthful. Wow, oh wow. I cannot tell you what I was tasting, it was really like no other, but that pork was fall apart tender, with a deep savoury sweet flavour. That marinade is definitely top secret. I don’t have the words to describe it. Whatever ingredients they use, it is one of the best kept secrets. I also loved the sweetness from the perfectly ripe pineapple and the subtle heat from the green chilli.
So, back to the theory of is it possible to love both of your children equally? My answer is, yes, but each love is unique. I love both of these tacos, but I love them differently.
Last, but certainly not least, Tumi and I shared the churro waffle for dessert. I am so grateful to have Tumi in my life for many different reasons, but I am incredibly grateful that we share the same amount of love for food, and that we both have a sweet tooth, more like sweet teeth. These golden brown sugar coasted churro waffles had a scoop of vanilla ice cream nestled between them, like a sweet treasure. Dark chocolate sauce was dramatically draped over the top like it was auditioning for a telenovela. The waffle was crunchy and sugary on the outside, and fluffy and warm on the inside. The ice cream melted into all the little crevices and added a chilled and creamy balance to it all. The chocolate was rich and bittersweet which was a lovely contrast to the other elements. There was also a hint of horchata spice which was warm, cosy, and slightly nutty. All I can say is that this dessert was tall, dark, and handsome, with the personality to match.
Overall, I had an absolutely amazing afternoon. There was never a dull moment, from the atmosphere to the flavours and of course the fun filled drinks. I felt incredibly well looked after, and I truly cannot wait to go back. I can highly recommend trying it for yourself, it is one of those places you will go time and time again.
Thank you Mexicola Locale!
Till next time!
