THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
70 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4QX
When I moved to London in 2011, there was a dearth of Mexican restaurants. Thankfully, this has since been rectified. Now there is Michelin starred Mexican, street food, fast food and a few chefs that are bringing my favorite cuisine to the next level. Yahir Gonzalez is one of them. He and hospitality wiz, Tony Geary, have created a restaurant that is at once comfortable, stylish, affordable and elegant. With Shoreditch vibe and delicious food, I’d call it a keeper!
The next time I order paint, I’ll ask for zapote! The colour of this tropical fruit is divine. Think Santa Fe pink! Like a sunset. That and a collection of cacti bring a breath of Mexico to the huge warehouse style dining room where the open fire kitchen takes center stage. Acoustics are a bit difficult, but who eats acoustics?
We were invited to review the set menu at Zapote’s newly created Chicozapote taco bar. 4 exceptional tacos and dessert for a very reasonable £40! Service is excellent and we ate at a leisurely pace, one taco at a time. Made a lovely change from the usual plonk-everything-down-at-the-same-time that has become so customary.
We started with 2 house cocktails, Zapote 70, similar to a margarita, and El Corazon with jalapeño infused tequila, Laphroaigh and pineapple juice, both at £14. Good, boozy drinks but give me a classic margarita any day!
You can’t have Mexican without corn! Here it is sourced from local Mexican farms, soaked overnight, ground to a paste and pressed into tortillas made fresh every day. You won’t find better in London!
Our first course was a wafer thin, crisp fried, blue corn tostada with spicy crab and a thin slab of yellowfin tuna. The heat was judged perfectly for the delicate seafood.
Next followed 3 red meat, soft corn tacos which were all exceptional, but I would have preferred a bit more variation on the menu. There is guacamole, roasted corn, coal roasted sweet potato and baby artichokes to be had on the a la carte menu. Alas, I shall have to return for any of my 5 a day!
Ox cheek and roasted lobster with smoked taramasalata was Chef Yahir’s excellent take on surf and turf. The beef cut like butter, the lobster succulent and the tarama, creamy and unexpected. Lamb barbacoa (slow-cooked and shredded) with spiced chick peas was well seasoned. Sharp pickled red onion brought life to a very tender Ox tongue with a mild cashew mole.
A 2022 Ribera del Duero, La Planta, Bodegas Arzuaga (£13) was good value. A balanced, fruit forward tempranillo with light tannins. I was happy for a top up!
Pudding looked uncannily like an ear of blue corn! Great visual and even better taste! Dark chocolate mousse with black currants and corn crumble was rich and delicious; the balance of chocolate and fruit, perfect. A cinnamon brioche with vanilla custard and orange confit was thankfully, light as air.
Viva Zapote!
