I'd heard good things about the cheap, streetwise glory surrounding Wahaca for some time, so when I met up with a couple of friends for dinner there I was hoping for some heart and soul with my Mexican food. I wanted to taste the passion and spice that makes Central American food so lustily demanded in America and so fashionably lauded over here.
It might be no surprise to hear that I did not find it in a packed Westfield eatery. (Nice try with 'White City', Wahaca.) I suppose that's implied by the words "Westfield Eatery", though I have enjoyed the odd enjoyable meal there before. There is something that's quite nice about the Southern Terrace at Westfield, with its attempts at greenery and straight-from-Asia water features (though in Asia they'd be cleaner), especially on a summer evening. There are loads of people about and the mood is good.
Wahaca wasn't a disaster, but the place just doesn't deliver the sort of thrilling food you want it to. We sampled a variety of dishes which ranged from good to below average, but the feel of the place is not a satisfying one. Strangely, our waitress suggested that we'd asked for too much to eat, so we might want to consider dropping a dish. Now, firstly I do admire the honesty; not many places would encourage you to eat less. However, I don't think it was necessarily true – I could've eaten more but then again I am rather greedy. The drinks were terrible. I wish places would start offering more interesting ideas for non-drinkers than virgin mojitos. (I was not massively enthused by hibiscus water or horchata – rice milk?! – either.)
The other problem I have with this meal is that it left no impression on me whatsoever. I can't fully recall what I ate there. Yes, a lot of this is due to my tardiness; it's something like four months since I actually ate the meal. Still, if food is good enough, it usually leaves some sort of positive impression. There was some pork, some cod, some chicken, all served in or with a variety of Mexican carbo-fare: quesadillas, tortillas and rice. I won't complain about it, but neither will I praise it.
There isn't much more to say about Wahaca. It's convenience food that's a few notches above Nando's but not half as fun as it could be. But then again, the model that they have employed at Westfield is one that will make them a lot of money without breaking a lot of sweat. I won't go back to their White City branch, but there just might be something to be said for their flagship venue in Covent Garden.
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