CHILANGO @ UPPER STREET

My basic plan was to visit lesser known Burrito places to begin with so I would keep myself interested, but when I found out that one of my friends had never had a Burrito I had to get him to Chilango quick fast. It's the most consistent Burrito Haus in London so I felt confident they could make a convert of my pal.

The place is bright, green and friendly. It's the perfect antidote to a hangover. Service is really friendly too which is a big plus. You get the usual choice of chicken/pork/steak. I can vouch for the chicken and pork as I've tried them both and they rock, but the standout winner is the steak, grilled medium rare. I took a Steak Burrito with hot salsa and Guac.

Feeling a little scatty and brain wild after a booze filled friday, I chatted crap with my Burrito date about the decor. The furniture is well picked out, offering a relaxed place to chow without getting formal, riding the line between a canteen and fast food joint. Anyway, what the hell am I doing, it's eating time. FOIL OFF.

The Burrito was wrapped well. No spills. Thumbs up. The first thing I noticed was the strong sharpness of the cheddar (I think..). I can never taste the cheese in most Burritos so its good to have a hearty, mature cheese hit straight away. The steak is really great, chunky, medium rare and tender plus a hint of the grill which I'm a big fan of. I thought I preferred the thin cuts at Poncho No. 8 but Chilango definitely edges this arm wrestle contest.

Another problem I've had with a lot of Burritos is the rice, which is often undercooked and crunchy. Fail. Chilango's rice is always up to par, as it is today. Doesn't overbear the Burrito but mixes really well with everything else and is perfectly cooked. The hot sauce oversees the whole extravaganza with a great, fresh burn, that reminds me of one of my favourite hot sauces, a green habanero number. It's made with fresh coriander which gives a great crunchy zing. Awesome stuff.

The only humdinger is the guac. It tastes great but it's pretty cold compared to the rest of the Burrito. I've thought about this before and am in two minds. My pal's only criticism was the cold guac, so I'm mulling it. I dunno. I think it does distract a bit, meaning that you end up focusing on the cold guac when you get a bite of the stuff, rather than the whole Burrito. As I said, I'm on the fence with this. I think it adds a freshness to the Burrito and am guessing its kept like that to keep it from going bad. It's no major wipeout and it's still as good as the Daddy Donkey stuff.

The only other minor criticism was sour cream spilling all over the place, but when weighed up, its a tiny moan. Maybe if the napkins weren't recycled they'd pick up more of the spill, but look chaps, we've got to save the world, one recycled napkin at a time.

Chilango is the best Burrito (so far!) in London and amazingly consistent. Top drawer meat, friendly service and some of the best salsas I've ever tasted. Highly recommended. (Burrito Virgin converted!)





good:

- cheese
- medium rare steak
- great hot sauce
- good wrap
- friendly service
- tasty guac

not sure:

- cold guac

bad:

- cream spill!



27 Upper Street, Islington, London, N1 0PN


9/10