May Lila Taqueria be essentially the most genuine Mexican restaurant in Dubai? 

Homegrown, family-run, unlicensed, Lila Taqueria is bringing an genuine style of Mexico to Dubai.

It’s owned by Chef Shaw Lash (aka Lila) and her husband Tarek. Chef Shaw, who used to work alongside Michelin-lauded chef Rick Bayless, left her company job in Dubai to open the area’s first wood-fired taqueria in Jumeirah.

Simply over two months since they opened, we determined to pop in and test it out…

It’s a easy, welcoming house of terracotta and greenery, with naked picket tables and an trustworthy open kitchen the place you’ll be able to watch the corn tortillas being made in-house by hand utilizing Mexican heirloom corn.

Outdoors there’s a taco window for meals to go and a small-yet-bustling out of doors terrace which additionally occurs to be dog-friendly.

On a Tuesday afternoon, the restaurant is simply selecting up. We sit subsequent to the window and are instantly greeted by Chef Shaw, an American expat who grew up in Mexico and spent years coaching beneath Diana Kennedy MBE and dealing alongside Mexican meals chef Rick Bayless. In different phrases: she is aware of her stuff.

We kick off with guacamole, chips, and dips (Dhs63). Word: these usually are not simply your run-of-the-mill chips and dips. The guacamole is freshly chopped, stuffed with crunchy onions and zesty hints of lime, like a wake-up name for the palate, served with 4 giant oblong-shaped tortilla chips – completely moreish. There are two dips: tomatillo jalapeño and three-chile salsa, which elevate every crunch however might additionally get away with a bit extra spice.

The remainder of the menu boasts a panoply of flavours and textures. Apart from the heirloom corn from Mexico, Lila makes use of locally-sourced components from the likes of Deira Waterfront Market and Dibba Bay.

We order the tuna tostadas (Dhs58) and we’d achieve this once more. A beneficiant portion of regionally sourced yellowfin tuna crudo is served on prime of two tostadas with sliced avocado and completed with perfectly-toasted crispy garlic which affords an abundance of textures and flavours in each chew.

Subsequent up: tacos. Spoilt for selection, Chef Shaw recommends the citrus-marinated rooster tacos (Dhs68) and the skirt steak costra-style (Dhs75). Tacos are available threes per portion which given the beneficiant filling is a lot.

The rooster tacos are served with pickled veg, crunchy lettuce, and a beneficiant topping of àrbol peanut salsa which is thickened with avocado (the Mexican means). These little parcels of pleasure are well-balanced – nutty but tender, salty but bitter.

The meat model comes with sliced avocado (you’ll be able to by no means have an excessive amount of avo), enlivened with a chipotle salsa and Mexican cheese crisp that makes the eyes open.

From the specials, we order the lamb ‘al pastor’ gringa (Dhs75). A Center Jap-inspired tackle genuine Mexican tacos and a dish we might eat on daily basis for the remainder of our lives, no surprise it’s one in all their finest sellers. Marinated lamb, creamy inexperienced salsa, and sliced radish comes wrapped in a big tortilla with a coat of salty, burnt cheese. It’s filling however value each chew.

Verdict: In case you suppose Mexican meals is all mushy avocados and greasy tacos, this place will show you fallacious. High quality components and genuine flavours are well-presented in a heat and informal ambiance, certain to maintain the abdomen full however the coronary heart even fuller.

Lila Taqueria, 786 Jumeirah St, Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah 3, Dubai. Solar, Mon, Tues, Weds, Thurs, 12pm to 10pm. Fri-Sat, 12pm to 11pm. Closed on Mon. Weekend breakfast from 10am to 1pm. lilataqueria.com

Photographs: Offered/What’s On

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