Baja fish tacos at Mezcalita are a crowd favourite
In 1989 when Collin Timms opened a Mexican restaurant in Bengaluru named after a river in New Mexico, Pecos, it bombed. People were simply not familiar with the cuisine. It is another story that Pecos eventually pivoted to selling beer and became the city’s favourite pub. Today, things are very different when it comes to Mexican food. Carne asadas and birria tacos are fast selling dishes in the city’s new age restaurants, that focus on regional dishes and authenticity. We trace this evolution and explore the new fascination Bengaluru has for the cuisine.Chef Varun Pereira, the man behind the restaurant Comal, says, “There has been a huge increase in interest for Mexican cuisine. Even the Tex Mex places are now adding Mexican dishes to their menus. I feel it is a very unexplored cuisine. Mexican was never as popular as Italian or Asian. But there is a huge connect between Indian and Mexico.” At Comal you can dine on masa flour tortillas and chilaquiles. The focus is on using techniques, tools (comal means tawa) and ingredients. The tortillas are made with nixtamalization of corn flour and the enchiladas have mole sauce. Their best sellers are jackfruit flautas (rolled-up tacos), horchata, the rice-based drink, and carne asadas (grilled and sliced meat dish).
