This has been a year like no other with many of London’s finest restaurants pivoting to create delivery menus and cook-at-home dinner kits and we have to say we did a little jump for joy upon discovering that those clever clogs at Wahaca have done the same.
The Wahaca Feast Box does what it says on the tin, delivering a veritable feast (apparently for two people… we were eating leftovers for a day…) either to your door or available to pick up from their Islington restaurant. We thought we’d give it a go and boy are we glad we did.
Dinner kicks off with an expertly curated playlist of suitable tunes to put you in the mood for Mexicana whilst pouring the ready-made Tommi’s Margaritas (£15 for two), packing a perfectly potent punch to really get the party started. The Wahaca En Casa Feast Box is big on little waste, with all its pouches and boxes made from natural products and biodegradable, plus the plastic lids are recyclable after a rinse. Eco-deliveries are made by bike within a nine mile radius of the Islington branch, making it one of the most eco-friendly options for dinner.
The kit requires some light cooking and assembling but nothing any foodie couldn’t handle - we’re talking making guacamole, not putting together a winning plate on MasterChef.
First up, crisp tortillas and a trio of fresh made salsas; spicy Macha (with sesame, garlic and Chile de arbol), smoky Chipotle with smoked mech chillies, plum tomatoes and roast onion and a citrusy Tomatillo with roasted Serrano chillies, fresh lime and coriander. The guacamole - made with fresh avocado, red onion, chilli and a coriander and garlic paste - was the only thing that really needed prep, with everything else just needing a little warm up.
Slow-cooked free range British pork marinated and cooked in achiote, citrus and habanero chillies was reheated in the over for ten minutes; braised for five hours this one made mouths water before we even tucked in. Free range ancho-marinated chicken thighs needed lightly frying and the frijoles (refried beans blended with sautéed onions, garlic and avocado leaf were heated up.
Then came the making which is always the fun part; as well as the above the kit contains soft corn tacos, fresh slaw, pink pickled onions, extra coriander and chilli for garnishing and the combo of all of these made for some utterly delicious tacos. Special mention does however need to go to the utterly sensational black bean and three cheese quesadilla, stuffed with feta, mozzarella, Monterey Jack and beans. Reader, it was sensational. Next time I eat in a Wahaca I’ll be ordering several.
The perfect finale to such a feast? Their freshly baked chocolate brownie, presented in conveniently bite sized pieces. Disclaimer, we were so blooming full after all the tacos we saved it for elevenses the next day with a cuppa - but it was certainly worth the wait.
The Wahaca en Casa Feast Box was brilliant value for money, with £40 essentially stretching us to a proper dinner for two and leftovers for lunch. Every morsel was delicious - particularly that babe of a quesadilla - and twinned with Tommi’s Margaritas and that fantastic playlist it encapsulated everything we love about Wahaca without having to leave the kitchen.
Order now for delivery on Friday 18th December between 14:00 and 17:00, £40 from www.wahaca.co.uk.
