I heart Mexican food

Wahaca Soho. Sadly I didn't have my Blackberry on me
and couldn't find a picture of the chandelier online

I used to loathe Mexican food with a passion. Controversial, I know. But my experiences of it largely consisted of orange melted cheese slathered over everything.

Which really isn't my thing.

Every Mexican restaurant I went to, the menu was "Cheese with ... ". I would choose the least cheesy item I could find and either eat it or, occassionally, do away with the fromage and eat the "with".

A couple of months ago, my friends and I had dinner at a place in Covent Garden. Feeling a little unwell and knowing that, even at a push, my stomach wouldn't be able to handle it, I asked for quesadillas without the cheese (I know that melted cheese is the whole point of a QD but it was the only dish with a manageable portion).

Our waiter looked horrified. "With-OUT the cheese. Without the cheese??!!" A few people looked up. I swallowed slowly. "Yes. Without the cheese."

I'm pretty sure he sneered at me.

Some time later our food arrived. My little pitta bread quarters containing chicken, guacamole and not much else looked pretty tragic. The waiter made a point of setting it down and enunciating, "Quesadillas. No cheese."

Thankfully, I won't have to endure that kind of thing anymore. Because, friends, I have discovered Wahaca.

Apparently it's been around for a while (being a former Mexican cuisine hater, I would never have sought it out) but a branch just opened in Soho. My work colleagues and I checked it out at lunch today to celebrate the launch of our spotlight on nanotechnology for health.

Churros. You *have* to try it ...

Wahaca, which prides itself on 'Mexican market eating' is amazing. The yummiest, most affordable Mexican food I've ever eaten. If any of you visit London, we're going.

The place itself is spacious, well-lit and cheerfully craft-y without being pretentious - we sat on a slightly elevated table underneath a fabulous chandelier fashioned from banana boxes. This all provides a nice, laid-back atmosphere that's more friendly catchup than "work lunch".

And the menu. My word. They sell chargrilled chicken. Pork pibil. With spicy pickled onions. Rice. And no cheese!

But if you want cheese? (Like normal people). You'll get it. Lots of it. Here is the menu. Because I am that excited. Apologies to those of you who *have* tasted cheese-less Mexican dishes and are wondering what the big deal is.

I had the Baja-California fish tacos, consisting of delicious plaice goujons served up with rice and spicy slaw. And for dessert?

Churros.

Crispy fried doughnuts sprinkled with cinnamon and served with a little jug of warm chocolate sauce for dipping. I saw Nigella Lawson making them on Saturday and had been craving them ever since. Mission accomplished. They are so bad for the waistline. But so good for the soul. And getting to eat them with your hands makes the experience all the more blissful.

I officially heart Mexican food. Or maybe I just heart Wahaca ...

And as an added bonus? Their business cards are Serrano chilli matchstick seeds. Guess who's going to do some gardening on her windowsill? :)