Think of all the Mexican beers you have ever consumed, imagine a shelf packed full of premium tequilas (including the renowned Seleccion Suprema, $5,000/bottle), and then envisage a wall lined with hot sauces that will burn, break and, eventually, snap your tongue. Now imagine good, solid Tex-Mex dishes to absorb all that hot sauce and liquor. This is the essence of Tequila, the newest Mexican joint to open in Soho.
As you’d expect considering their staff were carefully stolen from Caramba! and Le Jardin, they make a mean mojito classic here ($59); fresh mint, crushed with just enough sweetness to disguise the liquor. The food here is hearty, filling, and pure comfort, with a high concentration of guacamole, melted cheese and Mexican rice.
We started with the deep fried jalapeno peppers ($48), or ‘poppers’ as they are sometimes called. These were a great start to the meal, with the peppers – filled with oozing cheesy goodness – just on the right side of hotness. We paired them with cold Modelo beers ($50), and you should too. The combination of fire and ice is a delight to the senses.
Next up was a lovely platter of ribs oaxacan style ($128 for a half slab). The ribs seemed to have been deep fried then dosed in a sweet-tangy BBQ sauce, leaving them tender, but not falling off the bone: very fresh, and very meaty. Served on a bed of fat cut chips, we used the fried potato to test-taste ten different hot sauces, ranging from ‘fruity’ to ‘death’. The Nothing Beyond hot sauce in particular left a numbness in the mouth. Fantastic.
Next up the chimichangas, quite possibly the best we’ve ever had in Hong Kong. The huge deep-fried burrito was filled with veggies, cheese and pulled chicken meat ($118), the spice soothed by the guacamole and salsa topping. A heap of black beans and Mexican rice came with the dish, but were quite honestly unnecessary – the chimichangas were a meal on their own.
Not yet sated, we followed our mains with an order of Mexican fried bananas ($48). They were encased in the same batter used for the deep-fried jalapenos, but we didn’t care because the creamy banana puree filling was sweet and tart. In sum, we’ll definitely be back, but next time we’re bringing a party.
Angie Wong
G/F, 11 Old Bailey St, Soho, 2524 2002. Daily 11am-11pm. Meal for two: around $500.