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Mexican Food Explosion

Our pick of the best Mexican spots to hit up in London.

After drooling over pictures of L.A. street food for too long to admit to, London has finally got its act together and is opening Mexican restaurants quicker than you can say cactus quesadilla. From Portobello Road to East London via Brockley, British Mexican food meaning microwaved doritos with sour cream is but a distant, horrifying memory. Yep, young and gifted Mexico-loving Brits and passionate Mexican expats are whipping us into shape with an influx of taco vans, shacks and pop-up supper clubs. The Street Feast food market in Dalston is evidently a big fan, catering to burrito addicts every Friday and Saturday night. This year they teamed up with Tweat up to host “Taco Wars”, a search for London’s best (you guessed it) taco. Ten of London’s finest went head-to-head with their best offering including traditional fillings like pastor, carnitas and pibil pork along with other more exciting creations like chipotle rib, ox cheek and duck. 6,000 tacos were served to the hungry judging public, washed down with tequila and mezcal cocktails with a live mariachi soundtrack and finally Luardos’ majestic beer battered king prawn with mango salsa was crowned the 2013 champion. Mexican’s not only perfect for late-night and lunch time, exclusive and highly sought-after supper clubs have slowly started to pop up across the capital too. The food being made is more about the passion of the people who make it than the money, and a revival of great tequila and discovery of mezcal has inspired them to create amazing cocktails to wash everything down. Feeling lost? Here’s our pick of the best Mexican spots to hit up.
SANTO REMEDIO

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There is a new kid in town; and he wants to stuff you full of guacamole. Edson is a delicious mix of New York and Mexican, and now he’s bringing his experimental cooking to our shores. Thanks Edson! Recently showcasing his talent at Street Feast, serving pork pibil and pork scratching tacos, he likes to use some pretty unusual ingredients in his tacos and quesadillas, hibiscus flower with home made salsa and corn truffle is one example. Tell me that’s not unusual. Santo Remedio’s sold out supper club has popped up in Hackney and Tooting this year with a menu of grasshopper tostadas, sopes and spicy Mexican chocolate sorbet. With more supper clubs on the horizon Edson and his team are eager to show Londoners there’s more to Mexico than a soggy burrito. LUARDOS

Image by @tobyallen Brockley and Whitecross Street market regulars, Luardos’ colourful vans “Mary” and “Jesus” also tour the summer festivals with their great value for money mexi-cuisine. Smiley and enthusiastic Simon Luardo has a passion for fresh ingredients and long-cooked well-marinated meats (he’s not the only one). The taco wars winner offers a breakfast burrito stuffed with Mexican eggs, guacamole and beans while later in the day we recommend you plump for tender slow cooked pork and chipotle beef, thrown together with black beans and delicious salsa. [ROSA'S KITCHEN](http:// https://www.facebook.com/diademuertosdayofthedeadlondon)

If you know where to look, you will find Paz and her foodie wonders just off Homerton High St. Paz grows her own tomatillo and epazote, and spends the whole year nursing her cempasuchitl flowers – the key element for the Day of the Dead celebrations she has been organising for over six years. Handmade tortillas and the best ingredients for her tamales are also top of the list of priorities. Her food is traditional and flavoursome; carefully blended green and mole sauces, an ancient soup recipe of pozole and a tangy cactus salad are regulars on her menu along our personal favourite the smoky chorizo and potato tacos. This is the food that Mexican mammas throw together on a daily basis for extended family lunches – it hits the stomach by way of the heart. Paz plans to host a supper club focussed on regional Mexican dishes in the New Year. BREDDOS TACOS

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Catch the Breddos boys Chris and Nud while you can because their tacos will blow your mind. Taking Mexico as their jump off point, you will encounter truffle and porcini tacos, habanero agave and lime chicken tacos and other inspired creations served at their Netil Street market Taco Shack on Saturdays. In their most recent pop up at Broadway market’s F. Cooke Pie and Mash shop, 60 hour cooked short ribs and avocado and lime ice cream with raspberry habanero sauce were part of the five course celebration. With a Breddos van in the horizon, and a dinner residency at the Player bar in Soho, these guys are putting the yes-you-can in Mexican. Too far? So as London’s Mexican street food scene moves towards a fusion of unusual ingredients and the introduction of more exciting dishes like sopes, tostadas and huaraches, we predict an explosion of less conventional, regional food as the next move. Now all we need is 24-hour taco shacks to replace those kebab shops we still find ourselves spinning in the corner of come the weekend.

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Previously:

Sheffield's Mexican Music Scene

From the Streets of Mexico City

Mexology Music: Mexico City's Electronic Underground