Can someone please point me to a decent taco joint in london?

These days London can convincingly argue that it is the world’s culinary capital. Nobody will seriously contend that this is due to traditional British cuisine (hard as rock liver, rancid custard or mushy peas anyone?). But the city has developed an eating out scene that has become a panoply of the world’s cuisines.

However, as a half-American, there is one food that always eludes me in London: decent, simple, greasy and nasty Mexican.

No, I don’t mean ceviche, or anything served up at Wahaca. I guess what I REALLY mean is Tex-Mex.

At its base, this cuisine is simple and is built especially around the hardshell taco, filled with ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato, salsa and sometimes guacamole. It is ubiquitous stateside. The point is that the hard corn chip of the taco gives the dish a distinctive (and addictive) taste. Yet, since the closure of the late great (until it went tragically downhill in the mid-1990s) Texas Lone Star, I cannot think of one place in London I can get a good basic hardshell tacos US-style on a hungover day.

Sure, it may not be the most authentically Mexican dish, but anyone taking that view should make sure they haven’t ever enjoyed an aromatic crispy duck or chicken tikka masala – both UK-created dishes.

There is plenty of Mexican in London. A lot of it new, a lot of it quite good. But in my quest for a decent – in the case read American – taco, I have raided the menus (and venues) of both Wahaca and Westbourne Grove’s Taqueria and any taco that arrived was nothing I’d recognise stateside. Other Mexican restaurants, like Cafe Pacifico on Covent Garden, seem to be more about margaritas and drinking than any serious attempt to provide quality tex mex.

So, does anyone reading this know of a place in London where I can get a decent Tex Mex meal? If so please tell us all. If not, I am in the unfortunate position of having to conclude that the best tacos I can get in London are the Old El Paso packs at the supermarket. Which would be a truly depressing thought…

Where to find great Ethiopian food in London

So you want to try something new? And different? And unique? But need to save your cash for christmas presents?

Well then here is one type of food you should definitely go for if you haven’t already. Ethiopian or Eritrean (they are very similar) is a well-priced healthy and tasty cuisine that is very group-friendly and can be found for a good price in London.

The basic presentation usually involves your food being laid out a giant piece of Ethiopian bread. It is flat, supple, pancake-like and, unlike Middle-Eastern bread, is actually moist and doughy rather than thoroughly baked.

One woman I used to know told me she had a block on Ethiopian food because the bread reminded her of human skin. Nice. Dare I say this was a bit of a conversation-killer and I opted to leave her to her thoughts? Anyway…

The food is eaten with the bread, rather than cutlery. The food ranges from meat to vegetables, from subtle and lemon-flavoured, to spicy; so there should be something for everyone. A good tip is that you can never really over-order. Anything you don’t eat on the night can be taken home because it benefits from a night in the fridge and a reheat, and often tastes even better the following day.

So if you are feeling adventurous where can you go try Ethiopian food? Well, there are two places that I’d like to talk about. Conveniently there is one in West London and one in north east. The first is in Kings Cross, and is called Merkato. Make sure you go to the right restaurant as there is a cluster of Ethiopian places in that area and I for one have been known to enter the wrong one. Merkato is charming, it only has a handful of tables but is so relaxed and the staff so kind that it warms you heart to just be sitting there. The service is good, and the waiters will be able to help you choose your dishes. It is the calm, quiet date-style of the two restaurants.

The other, Mosob is in west London on the Harrow Road. Unlike Merkato which stands out through its attentive service, Mosob is at the other end of the spectrum. As far as timekeeping goes food arrives when it arrives. Although the staff there are equally helpful when it comes to helping choose dishes, so the only variable is really how much of your evening you have to give them. It is a slightly bigger place and, crucially, rather than seats has several large couches so is great for big parties. And the food is great.

So guys and dolls – if you have any other addresses to add, please feel free to post a comment, and keep Ethiopian in mind when you are next planning an evening out eating with your friends.

Image by abbeychristine, used under Creative Commons license.