THERE is something very reassuring when you visit a restaurant – especially if it’s a chain – and it does what it says on the tin.
To be honest, we did not have much choice as we were going to the Questor’s nearby and needed to be relatively quick.
We really like Mexican, especially my husband Michael, and it was his turn to choose.
After our last debacle when he was presented with pork instead of duck, it seemed only fair.
So, as it was one of those boiling days, we sat by an open window and it felt a bit like being on holiday. Chimichanga lived up to expectations, maybe a tad more, by providing us with a plentiful amount of food that can only represent Mexico in the UK.
I had the chicken burrito (£10.95), a baked flour tortilla with jack cheese, sautéed onions and peppers, with the glutinous sides I love: sour cream and guacamole. I had picked the burrito over the chimichanga, which is fried, as the slightly healthier option, but I wondered if there was much in it. It was spicy, well-filled with plenty of chicken and oozed cheese. It really is comfort food.
Michael had the healthier chicken fajitas (£13.95), which arrived on a sizzling skillet, with guacamole, pico de gallo salsa, sour cream, jack cheese and warm flour tortillas. He said it was a good portion, with succulent chicken and “as a fajita should be.” No surprises there then!
What is surprising is how difficult it is to get refried beans in any Mexican chain. We were allowed to have black beans, which were ‘off-menu’ and were told they were the same thing, if mashed, which is not true. For a popular staple it seems odd that they cannot fulfil this request. You can even buy rather nice tins of the stuff in Tesco.
Michael tried a gold margarita made with Cuervo Gold tequila, Cointreau, sweet and sour mix and a twist of lime, which he said tasted the same as a normal one and was “disappointingly small”.
We had time for a rich, chewy brownie with chocolate chips served with vanilla ice cream (£5.25), which is not very Mexican, but most of them sounded like mains with a sugary twist.
If you want to be more adventurous you could try the banana burrito: chopped banana and cinnamon sugar wrapped burrito style in a cinnamon tortilla and deep fried, served with Dulche de Leche caramel sauce and vanilla ice-cream or churros: warm Mexican doughnut rings dusted in cinnamon sugar with a sticky Dulche de Leche caramel sauce and vanilla ice-cream. Neither of us could stomach all that goo.
The atmosphere is good, with a mix of families and young couples looking for a sure thing that is reasonably priced. The staff were pleasant and helpful, although a bit slow considering there was hardly anyone there when we arrived.
So if you fancy a Mexican and are not expecting high end cuisine, Chimichanga hits the spot.
