Chucho's, Byker, Newcastle Mexican restaurant review

Byker _____

If you’re of a particular age then it’s highly likely there's only one word you'd use to fill in the blank.

After nearly 20 years since it’s been on TV, Byker Grove and its motley crew of Spuggy, PJ, Duncan and Geoff, are still what this area of Newcastle is most famous for.

However, I'd argue that nowadays Byker should be just as well known for its tacos as its grove.

The reason being, it’s home to the excellent Chucho’s.

Jesus Tavizon Sosa (nickname Chucho) hails from Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico but has lived in Newcastle for 15 years. In 2017, he opened Chucho’s on Shields Road in Byker, and ever since it’s earned a steady stream of glowing reviews. Even comedian James Acaster singled it out on Off Menu, naming it his favourite taqueria in the UK. 

On a grey and icy day, Chucho’s is a sunny spot with its colourful vinyl tablecloths, primary-coloured walls and sultrily posed Dia de los Muertos doll.

Chucho's menu is dominated by a selection of 15 types of taco, all of which are served on homemade corn tortillas. If you want something else, there are quesadillas, enfrijoladas and burritos.

On the booze front, a good margherita had plenty of citrus and a good whack of tequila. I've always been intrigued the Michaelada, a beer-based cocktail, and intriguing might be the best way to describe it too. Malty modelo lager, spiced tomato juice and a Tajin rim combined to make an unfamiliar yet enjoyable combination. 

A pair of salsas lurking on the table were a herald of things to come. Smoky scotch bonnet salsa roja had a nuclear chilli build whilst a more vibrant yet still hot green salsa was a soothing balm in comparison.

A plate of nachos (£8) had been constructed with the same care as a bouquet of flowers. Gorgeously crisp homemade tortillas were embedded in a pile of comforting refried black beans, thick guacamole, fresh pico de gallo, tangy feta and coriander.

A trio of tacos, made with impeccably fresh soft corn tortillas, were absolute monsters that were well worth their £13.50 for three price tag. 

Crisp battered white fish was paired with shredded red cabbage and a sweet and fruity mango salsa. Earthy spiced nuggets of homemade Mexican chorizo worked exceptionally well alongside a pile of pink pickled onions. Finally, crisp-edged shreds of pork carnitas with thick guacamole were very good too.

We saw a neighbouring diner nodding with approval after every mouthful of his enfrijoladas (£7). So, we decided it was probably a good idea to order a portion. A quartet of soft corn tortillas were stuffed with hearty refried beans and topped with tangy feta, onion and coriander. The clincher was the nuggets of crisp and smoky chorizo (£2 extra) that were scattered over the top.

Impressed so far, it would have been rude to turn down a portion of churros (£6.50) for dessert. Crisp and well-coated in cinnamon sugar, they were naughtily served on a generous pool of Nutella. 

We had an excellent lunch at Chucho’s and I’d concur with James Acaster that they’re some of the best tacos I’ve eaten in the UK. Despite the wealth of excellent restaurants in Newcastle, I’d be itching for a return to Byker for some tacos next time we’re in the area.

The Details:

Address - Chucho's, 279 Shields Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE6 1DQ
Web - https://www.chuchosmexican.co.uk/
Telephone - 0191 265 7458

Rascal Burrito, Cardiff, Mexican takeaway and restaurant review

Mrs G doesn’t like burritos.

She normally finds them a bit stodgy and bland in comparison to their lighter relative the taco.

Well, that was until Mrs G was converted by a visit to Rascal Burrito in Cardiff the other week.

When we arrived at this dinky Crwys Road takeaway, with just a few seats in the window for eating in, we planned to only order their tacos. However, a burrito evangelist in front of us in the queue rhapsodised about how good they are, and well, it would have been rude not to order one after that show of enthusiasm.

Rascal Burrito’s compact menu features burritos, tacos and nachos. If you’re veggie or vegan then there’s a vegan chicken substitute on offer instead of their beef, chicken and pork. On weekends there’s breakfast burritos available whilst on Friday evenings there’s a special of beef birria tacos.

Rascal's Venezuelan and Mexican owners make all of their salsas and marinades from scratch. One of the duo also owns the Venezuelan street food business Queen Pepiada, who make a mean arepa. So, they’re clearly well-schooled in Latin American cooking.

As Rascal Burrito doesn’t serve booze, I opted for a can of Remedy ginger and lemon kombucha. With a good warmth of ginger, hit of citrus, and zippy acidity, it was a lovely match for the spicy cooking.

An El Chapo burrito (£8.50), which was the approximate size of guinea pig, was a super combination of flavours and textures, which harmonised together rather than being disparate clumps of fillings. A soft wheat tortilla, which had been lightly crisped around the edges, due to a spell on the plancha, cocooned tender shreds of marinated chicken, distinct grained rice, creamy melted cheese, black beans with a nice bite, fresh salad, a vibrant pico de gallo, and a really good dollop of mild tomatillo-based salsa verde with a fresh fruitiness and acidity.

A trio of beef barbacoa tacos (£7) were probably my pick of the bunch. Double stacked corn tortillas were pleasingly soft and delivered on their corny complexity. They were loaded with juicy shreds of big flavoured spiced slow-cooked beef, more of that fresh and fragrant pico de gallo, white onion and coriander. 

Based on the showing of these beef tacos, we’ll definitely be heading back to try their birria beef taco special.

Pots of Rascal’s three homemade salsas were delicious poured over the tacos, adding extra layers of flavour. There was more of the perky salsa verde, a medium spiced salsa roja with a tomato sweetness and hit of chilli, and a fiery salsa macha, which wasn’t too dissimilar from the salsa roja but delivered a bigger wallop of chilli.

A trio of Al Pastor tacos were enjoyable (£7) but probably the weakest of the dishes we ate. Whilst the shreds of pork were nicely marinated, the meat was a little on the dry side.

By the time we’d finished lunch at Rascal, I was as well-stuffed as their burritos. We had a delicious, generous and great value lunch and I’ll definitely be adding Rascal to my rotation of places to visit for a quick bite to eat. In fact, the previously sceptical Mrs G has already mentioned going for another burrito soon.

The Details:

Address – Rascal Burrito, 98 Crwys Rd, Cardiff CF24 4NQ
Web – https://www.instagram.com/rascalburrito98/

Telephone - 07462 612298

Wings of Glory, Mexican and Colombian restaurant review, Cardiff

It’s hard to think of a Cardiff restaurant name which undersells itself more than Wings of Glory.

Whilst this Riverside restaurant does sell chicken wings in 25 different flavours as diverse as jalapeno tamarind and mango habanero (in portion sizes up to 100 for £75), they also serve a range of Mexican, Colombian and Spanish dishes.

Run by a team who hail from Mexico and Colombia, it was these cuisines which brought us to their large yet understated dining room on a quiet weekday lunchtime. 

Mexican dishes on offer include molcajetes (a huge mortar filled with meat, cheese and vegetables) and sopes (topped corn patties), whilst Colombian dishes include Cazuela de Marisco (seafood soup) and Picada (a platter of pork, chorizo and chicken).

As I worked my way through a couple of halves of Mahou lager (£3), Mrs G tucked into a pint of cinnamon-topped horchata (£3.50), which tasted exactly like a rice pudding milkshake i.e. bloody lovely. 

To go alongside our drinks was a complimentary bowl of nachos and salsa. The star of this duo was the homemade salsa - a fresh combination of tomato, onion and coriander. It was a theme which continued throughout the meal with vibrant, flavour-packed sauces accompanying each dish.

Having heard about Wings of Glory’s portion sizes, I tried to show some restraint in our ordering. Of course, we still ended up ordering too much. 

Excellent tacos al pastor (£7) combined soft corn tortillas topped with crisp pieces of marinated pork, slices of cleansing pineapple, white onion and coriander. A little pot of lightly smokey tomato salsa delivered a good thump of chilli.

Carnitas tacos (£7) were just as memorable. Slow-cooked shreds of tender pork adorned a quartet of the tortillas and were served alongside a pot of excellent fresh and spicy tomatillo salsa with a good lick of mustard seed. 

A whopper of an arepa (£8) was a meal in itself. The crisp, lightly-charred and soft-textured maize flour pocket was stuffed with shreds of tender marinated beef and red and white grated cheeses which melted to form a delicious ooze. Tangy Thousand Island-esque mayo was a delicious accompaniment, so too were the leftover salsas from the tacos.

Freshly fried Colombian empanadas (£8) had a similar vibe to the arepa. Crisp and soft maize flour parcels were rammed with spiced soft potatoes and shredded beef. This time, additional layers of flavour came from a light and cleansing pico de gallo and thick guacamole. 

We had a really excellent and great value lunch at Wings of Glory. 

It's somewhere I'll most definitely be visiting regularly for tacos. And there’s so much more on their menu that I’m looking forward to exploring too. 

The Details:

Address - Wings of Glory, 44 Tudor St, Cardiff CF11 6AH
Web - https://wingsofglorycardif.wixsite.com/restaurant
Telephone - 07958 641053

Barrio Comida, Durham, Mexican taqueria review

Barrio Comida, a North East-based taqueria, has been on my to do list for a very long time.

It's owned by Californian chef Shaun Hurrell who's worked as a sous chef at London's St John as well as James Knappett’s Kitchen Table and Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley.

Starting out as a celebrated Newcastle pop-up, Barrio Comida now has a permanent space in Durham, located just across the bridge from the cathedral.

From the moment you walk in the door you can tell that Shaun has a meticulous eye for detail. With its metal open plan kitchen, muralled brick walls and panoramic views, it's one heck of a looker.

The attention to detail continues with their food.

On arrival, you're served a quartet of salsas which are made in house using imported Mexican ingredients. Complex in flavour, they all deliver different degrees of chilli pain.

A fruity and delicately smoky salsa roja, made with guajillo and morita chillies, was my pick of the bunch. The fact it was also the mildest was purely coincidence, of course.

A fresh and cleansing tomatillo, coriander and green chilli based salsa verde and Lao Gan Ma chilli crisp-esque salsa macha were also tip top. Salsa de arbol was probably one scoville too many for me.

To lessen the chilli burn, a pair of drinks most certainly did the job. A frozen margarita (£8) was smooth and packed with citrus with only a gentle wallop of booze. Creamy horchata (£3), made with rice milk, was nutty with a warming note of cinnamon.

Having ordered big on the taco front, we only made room for one side dish, papas adobas (£4). And what's not to love about crisped tender heritage potatoes coated in earthy chilli sauce and served with creamy grated queso and citrus-twanged guacamole?

Onto the main event and it's worth flagging just how good Barrio Comida’s tortillas are. Made in house every day, they're soft of texture with an excellent corn twang.

My pick of the tacos were carnitas (£7), topped with a tangle of tender, exceptionally well-flavoured slow-cooked pork, crisp puffed pig skin and zingy vegetable escabeche.

Baja fish tacos (£7) were my next favourite. Crisp lightly battered flaky fish was topped with a mountain of cleansing shredded white cabbage, pink pickled onions and creamy tangy crema.

Soft shreds of Hidalgo-style slow-cooked lamb (£8) delivered the intense meaty flavour which makes it my favourite meat.

Lastly birria de res tacos (£9) saw pieces of slow braised beef paired with a good ooze of creamy melted cheese. They had good flavour but it was a dipping cup of seriously beefy consommé which took the dish to the next level.

We had a superb meal at Barrio Comido and their tacos are some of the best I’ve eaten in the UK. It's no doubt going to be a regular pitstop whenever I'm back in the North East.

The details:

Address - 34 Church St, Durham DH1 3DG

Web - http://www.barriocomida.com/

Telephone - 0191 370 9688

Wahaca, Cardiff Mexican restaurant review

You know how the old saying goes…

MasterChef contestants are like buses – you wait ages for one and then they all come along at once.

In the space of just three weeks, MasterChef 2013 finalists Dale and Larkin have opened their high-end Chinese takeaway Hokkei on Crwys Road; MasterChef 2010 winner Dhruv Baker rocked up for a one-off supper club at Cafe Malaysia; and arguably the biggest news of all, MasterChef 2005 winner Thomasina Miers opened the first branch outside of London of her much-lauded Mexican street food chain, Wahaca.

Located in the heart of Cardiff city centre, Wahaca’s eclectically furnished multi-floor dining space has a great buzz. Murals, multi-coloured tiles and pot plants are all part of the décor mix whilst an evening no-reservation policy (snooze) means there’s a constant turnover of tables (there was a hefty queue by the time we left).

The menu comprises of two main sections – street food i.e. sharing plates where it’s suggested you order 2-3 per person and platos fuertes i.e. bigger plates which serve one or can be shared.

Both options are surprisingly good value with the smaller plates weighing in around £4 and the large plates £10.

Nibbles of light and airy quaver-like pork scratchings (£4.45) were served with a chunky and zingy guacamole. They’re arguably the best scratchings in Cardiff – except of course for JA pork crunch. 

The scrumptious scratchings were washed down with a selection of tequila-loaded drinks from the cocktail menu (well-priced with most around £6).

A pure classic margarita (£6.40) deftly balanced sweet, sour and booziness. 

Whilst a mojito (£6.25) with tequila substituted as the main ingredient (it was no worse for it) contained a generous kick of mint and a twist of lime. 

As is typical in small plate restaurants, dishes in Wahaca are brought out as and when they’re ready. Like our Masterchef contestants, they all arrived at once.

In the main, most of the dishes were very good – there were however a couple of standouts.

Alambres steak (£11.95) from the big plate section was the night’s big winner. Tender strips of steak, onions and peppers were deeply spiced with oregano and thyme whilst the addition of cheese, which had melted into the sauce, added velvetiness and richness. A solid selection of accompaniments – punchy chipotle salsa, sour cream, guacamole, warm soft tortillas, tortilla chips and shredded leaves - meant you could combine the different elements according to preference. 

The best of two taquito dishes (finely rolled and filled deep fried tacos) we ordered was a sweet potato and feta variety (£3.95) crammed full of earthy sweet potato and topped with tangy cheese, warming chipotle mayo and sour cream. 

Less remarkable but still delicious were a special of duck taquitos (£5.25) stuffed with an indulgently rich combination of confit duck and covered in a subtly chocolatey mole sauce and sour cream. 

Other tidy plates included herring tostadas (£4.20) which comprised of a pair of crisp deep-fried tacos topped with light tasting finely flaked smoked herring, shredded lettuce, sour cream and a delicately pickled cucumber. 

Pork pibil tacos (£4.10) saw soft corn tortillas topped with juicy, deeply flavoured shredded pork and potent purple pickled onions. 

A side of frijoles, twice-cooked soft and buttery black beans (£2.50), were topped with crema (a runnier, milder relation to sour cream) and crumbled cheese. 

The only disappointment was quesadillas stuffed with sautéed mushrooms, melted cheese and truffled corn (£3.95) which lacked the vibrancy and texture contrasts of the other sharing plates. 

Desserts were the least successful course of the night.

A chocalate tres leches cake (£4.95) was apparently soaked in three types of milk but tasted like a run of the mill warm chocolate sponge. However, the peanut butter ice cream it was topped with was cracking. 

Equally, plantain fritters (£4.50) were enjoyable but were nothing more than a slightly less sweet banana fritter. 

However, churros (£3.95) more than made up for the other two desserts. Warm, crisp, light and dusted in cinnamon they were served with an off-menu option of caramel sauce - sweet, creamy and smooth I could have downed the whole cup. 

Wahaca is a great addition to Cardiff City Centre. It's not mind-blowing but it's head and shoulders above most other chains in town and a good alternative to some of my favourite independents.

Disclosure - I was invited to Wahaca, all food and drink was complimentary.

The Details:

Address - Wahaca Cardiff, 51-53 The Hayes, Cardiff CF10 1GA
Telephone - 029 2167 0414
Web - http://www.wahaca.co.uk/