On King’s Road in London’s Chelsea, Tom finds a Mexican magnet for gilded young carousers.
At first we think we’re in the wrong place. That we’ve stumbled into some Mexican-themed nightclub deep in the heart of Chelsea, where the bass pounds, the lights are low and the sleek and glossy young folk wear their confidence like expensive eau de cologne. I half-expect a smoke machine to belch into action as the throbbing Euro house reaches its crescendo, and dancing girls emerge from the floor. But no, this is Ixchel, and it is indeed a restaurant. Albeit one I immediately want to leave.
Ixchel is ‘a cut above the usual half-baked Mexican mediocrity’, says Tom
Yet once we’re seated, a couple of Tommy’s margaritas thrown down our throats and the menu studied (with an iPhone torch), we realise that this is a cut above your usual half-baked Mexican mediocrity. Head chef Ximena Gayosso Gonzalez trained at Martha Ortiz’s Dulce Patria in Mexico City, and worked at her (now sadly shuttered) Ella Canta, in Mayfair. The food is said to ‘draw inspiration’ from the Yucatán Peninsula, an area where the habaneros are hot and fruity, and the cuisine melds the legacy of indigenous Mayans with the cooking of nearby Caribbean islands. Sadly, no sign of cochinita pibil, perhaps the region’s most iconic dish.
Scotch bonnet salsa has a brutal kick. Approach with caution
Still, seafood plays an important role, and while the scallops aguachile, tuna tostada and prawn quesadilla have already run out, a crab tostada is excellent, the white meat freshly picked, the salsa macha possessing just the right amount of nutty heat. And you can always judge a decent Mexican place by its salsas. They are the lifeblood of this magnificent cuisine, and there are four here, ranging from a sharp and sprightly salsa verde to an incendiary scotch bonnet, with a truly brutal kick. Approach with extreme caution.
Pork belly taco blends good handmade tortilla with well brought-up pig, while an ensenada taco (from the Pacific rather than Caribbean coast) sees a finger of white fish encased in a golden, brittle batter and doused in a punchy habenero crema. It would do credit to any seaside taco stall back in the homeland. And as the music continues to throb, we give up trying to talk, and instead eat esquites – huge kernels of sweet white corn – and braised short rib in a smoky, spicy adobo sauce, and sip a peppery Vivir Blanco tequila. Meanwhile, all around us, the gilded kids pose, flick their hair and flash those pristine gnashers.
About £50 per head. Ixchel, 33H King’s Road, London SW3; ixchellondon.com
Sophie Anderson, a UK-based writer, is your guide to the latest trends, viral sensations, and internet phenomena. With a finger on the pulse of digital culture, she explores what’s trending across social media and pop culture, keeping readers in the know about the latest online sensations.
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