El Torito, Hotel Intercontinental, Abu Dhabi

There is an evocation of nostalgia on entering El Torito, the newly-opened Mexican restaurant at the InterContinental, Abu Dhabi, the first of its kind in the Middle East. Let alone the aroma of Mexican food tickling your nostrils or the supple flamenco dancers' poetic movements. The contemporary interiors, the playful ambience, the Mexican chatter and the cheerful staff - all make you feel you are slap bang in some Mexican city.
Indeed, El Torito has its own piquancy, lending a definite charm. Little wonder then why it was packed on a Thursday night.
As one whose food habits are annoyingly fastidious, deciding on what to eat at El Torito seemed quite a task. Besides, we couldn't take our gaze off from the Flamenco dancers who performed with such savoir faire.
Fortunately, Terry Hathaway, the friendly international trainer with the El Torito hotels, appeared to help us choose something truly Mexican from the varied fare on offer.
For starters, predictably, it was the much-vaunted Mexican Tortilla with Guacamole. In a jiffy, the waitress rustled up Guacamole (a mix of Avacado with tomatoes, onions and Serrano peppers) right under our noses on a tiny makeshift table. With this, we took off slowly, but surely, on a Mexican gastronomic trip.
Before our main course we tried out a Mexican salad and soup. The salad was a mish-mash of lettuce, tomatoes and some spices with a Cilantro Pepipa dressing (made from pumpkin seeds) while the soup was a slightly spicy Mexican mixed vegetable soup called Soupa De Tortilla.
The fact that we were overly engrossed in our food spoke volumes about how eminently edible Mexican starters are.
For our main course, we tried a selection of the "very very Mexican" Enchiladas Suizam which are basically rolls made of flour corn tortilla and stuffed with either vegetables or meats along with homemade sauces. We tried Enchiladas Rancheras, Enchiladas Shrimp Mazatlan and Enchiladas Tamale, all traditional Mexican rolls or bread filled with shredded beef, shrimps and vegetables respectively.
Curiously enough, the main course also included a reddish coloured rice dish and a dish of "refried beans" garnished with dotia (Mexican cheese). Indeed, the combination of Mexican specialities was tastefully different, albeit too filling.
For dessert, we had a scrumptious mix of a Pastel Tres Lechen (ice-cream caramel), a soft Mexican cream cake and fresh strawberries that floated in a sweetish sauce. This was rounded off with black Mexican coffee topped with deep fried ice-cream.
As we dawdled over dinner, we took in the Mexican atmosphere of the restaurant. The high ceiling with wrought-iron balconies at vantage points along with the simple but contemporary furniture lend a truly Mexican flavour to El Torito. The lighting is just right.
In a nice gesture, chef Jacjnito Mayorya came by for a hurried chat and it was quite fun to meet the cooking maestro, who seems so serious about food.
For couples who love to shake a leg or two and that too to the groovy Latino, Spanish and Mexican tunes, El Torito is the place. The five-member live Cuban band, including the husky-voiced female singer, belted out some popular numbers that enticed not just Mexican couples but others too onto the floor.
On request, the band goes right to the table to sing Happy Birthday. A good thing about El Torito is that everything, right from the vegetables and meats to the sauces is mint fresh and the chefs stubbornly stick to age-old recipes. In fact, grandmothers are flown in periodically from Mexico to check on the quality! As Terry emphasised, El Torito serves Mexican food and not "Tex Mex" food which one generally finds in Abu Dhabi.
The service is remarkable with the young staff in Mexican attire, moving briskly and serving with a smile. As for prices, surprisingly they are reasonable.
One last word. If you'd like to indulge your taste buds at El Torito, don't think twice. Just go even if you are fastidious when it comes to food. It's a splendid experience.