WITH the grey, rainy weather that’s been gracing the North-east for what seems like forever and no holidays abroad on the horizon, my boyfriend and I were beginning to crave some sunshine.
Unfortunately, hopping on a plane or praying to mother nature for the summer we’ve not yet had didn’t seem to be viable options.
So to compromise for a lack of bright weather, we decided to treat ourselves to some exotic food, with one of our favourite cuisines – Mexican.
Chiquitos at Aberdeen’s Union Square was calling our names. And it welcomed us with open arms – at least the friendly staff did, with drinks and complimentary tortilla chips on the table almost as soon as we sat down.
The smell that wafted throughout the restaurant had our mouths watering. For that brief moment it was almost as if we weren’t in rain-swept Aberdeen, but in an eatery abroad.
Every item on the menu sounded delicious and, while it is probably quite westernised Mexican cuisine, the array of dishes on offer is huge.
It didn’t take us long to decide what we wanted though.
The sharing chicken nacho starters is one of our favourite things to eat. A huge portion of tortilla chips smothered in guacamole, sour cream, melted cheese and spicy chicken. They were delicious. All the flavours came together beautifully, and it’s the perfect portion for two to share.
The main course wasn’t a difficult decision for me either – my mind was made up by the aroma of fajitas sizzling away at the table behind us. I ordered the combo fajitas with smokey BBQ chicken and sirloin steak. They were amazing. Served on a hot stone on a bed of delicious peppers and onions, with a generous helping of meat.
Alongside this was a parcel of tortilla wraps, lettuce, cheese and three tubs filled with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. Combined, every element added something to the fajita wraps. The cheese was a bit bland, but other than that the tender meat, tangy salsa, charred vegetables and tasty sauces created a dish I would definitely go back for.
Ewan opted for a meat taco tapas tray. The tiny tacos were served with three dishes of meat – but the barbecue pulled pork was the stand out with its sweet, tangy taste. The spicy chicken was also really flavourful, but not very spicy. The beef chilli was fairly generic, but still pleasant.
After finishing our sizeable main courses, Ewan was set on having a dessert, because we had a ‘free dessert’ voucher to use. I was torn between sampling a pudding or a dessert cocktail.
I made the wrong choice when I opted for the pudding. The chocolate sizzler – a white and milk chocolate brownie served on a hot plate with vanilla ice cream and a butterscotch sauce that sizzles as its poured over – sounded to-die-for. Unfortunately the taste didn’t live up to the description, with the butterscotch sauce tasting quite cheap and the vanilla ice cream melting into an overly sweet froth.
Luckily, Ewan’s chocolate fudge waffle proved that Chiquitos can do sweet as well as they do savoury, with a dessert he claimed was “one of the best puddings” he’s had (and he has had a few). It was a chunky waffle, full of melted chocolate chips – a slightly crunchy exterior with a gooey inside that combined excellently with the sauce and ice cream.
Who needs an expensive holiday when there’s cuisine like this on your doorstep?