Life & Style | Food
Maximum Mexican
Expect tantalising chimichanga, tender asada and sizzling brownies at Cantina Laredo.
- By Nathalie Farah, Staff Reporter
- Published: 22:51 June 30, 2009
- Image Credit:
Expect tantalising chimichanga, tender asada and sizzling brownies at Cantina Laredo.
The day that my companions and I decided to venture into Cantina Laredo for lunch was a calm, relaxed Saturday. It was the type of day that seemed endless, and we were in the search for a restaurant that captured our mood.
Having dined there twice before, I was confident that our meal would be as palatably pleasing as before.
We browsed through the menu, the descriptions teasing our senses.
For starters, we ordered nachos and Top Shelf guacamole, a speciality of the restaurant. The dip is made only on request from the avocado that is placed in a bowl on every table along with fresh ingredients such as jalapenos, diced tomatoes and onions brought in separate bowls and mixed to your liking. It's so good, you will search for every last morsel you can find.
For drinks, the range of fresh mocktails were enticing - simply go for variety. I chose sangria and my companions pina coladas. One sip of the sangria and I was transported onto a shady porch overlooking a magnificent vineyard; the Pina Colada took me to a secluded white sandy beach.
While my companions' dishes of shrimp poblano chimichanga and camaron poblano asada had my mouth watering and my head spinning from the heady aromas, I was disappointed with my chicken fajitas.
At first glance, the dish looked bland, with hardly any colour compared to fajitas I had at other restaurants. The only things that saved it were its sides, such as the Mexican rice that gave it a much-needed flavour boost.
The chimichanga, a deep-fried burrito stuffed with shrimp, poblano pepper and cheese, and the asada, a wonderfully tender steak that somehow managed to cover a poblano pepper, shrimps, mushrooms, onions and Monterey Jack cheese with chimichurri sauce, received an enthusiastic two thumbs up from my companions.
I was in my element when came time for dessert though, choosing the Mexican brownie. When it arrived in a skillet, covered in a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and doused in Mexican milk that sizzled and popped after coming into contact with the hot metal, we all uttered a low "oooh" chorus. The rich chocolate and nut brownie seduced us by caressing our mouths with its velvet cocoa texture and the vanilla ice cream refreshed us by providing a cool counterpart to the hot brownie. A wonderful ending, we unanimously agreed, to our afternoon meal.
I can't wait to go back and see how else to tantalise my taste buds. But I just hope that they expand their vegetarian options, since summer brings with it diners looking for fresh, crisp dishes to stave off the heat.
- Where: Cantina Laredo, Khalidyah Mall, Abu Dhabi Phone: 02-6354877
- Must-haves: Top Shelf guacamole, Camaron poblano asada and Mexican brownie
- Decor: Traditional Mexican style with a fresh modern twist
- Ambience: Casual, cosy and chilled out
- Total bill: Dh374 for three
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