The girls opted for Margaritas - I had a classic lime with crushed ice while my friend went for "The People's Margarita", blended with fresh strawberries and kiwi fruit. You can also order pitchers, again handy for group dining. We started with guacamole (my favourite dish in the world) and corn chips. These, as well as the tostaditas (fried tortilla chips with toppings) and the tacos would do perfectly well as tapas snacks with drinks or a light lunch.
We started with tacos - which can be gluten-free on request. In fact, the menu is very gluten-free-friendly, no mean feat in a country that uses a lot of flour.
There are a wide selection of fillings for the tacos. I tried the prawn, avocado, coriander, lime - for me the crackling was an unnecessary addition, which spoilt the otherwise tangy combination of flavours but it was popular on our table as others describe the crackling as adding flavour. The other flavour we opted for smoked chipotle steak, corn, crema coriander pico de gallo was a tasty combination of spicy smokiness and creamy sweetness from the corn. The star of our starters and quickly devoured were the chicken wings which would also make a great accompaniment to after work beers.
We enjoyed making our own delicious tacos with our next platter for which we ordered two sizzling platos de fajitas to share - one prawn and one mixed grill. They come with accompaniments or diners can order extra guacamole or whatever takes your fancy but, remember, you will pay extra for this.
The steak in the mixed platter was quickly devoured; it was a great cut of meat, succulently cooked, making for the most awesomely juicy package when rolled in the taco with some of the fried peppers, guacamole and sour cream. The prawns were plump and generously served.
One of our party tried the tortillas, which come with a choice of three fillings. She chose the cumin and oregano-infused chicken, jalapeno, smoked cheese, which, though perfectly pleasant, tried a little hard, whereas the platters to me are how Mexican food should be _ simple yet fresh ingredients, superbly cooked.
La Mexica is more grown up than an Americanised version of Mexican food.
I like that the menu is a bit different. For me, some of the dishes lacked my particular preference for 'chilli zing' piquancy but next time I will ask for hotter. It is also a matter of taste, as one of our party, who did not like Mexican food in general, did like the dishes here.
The restaurant also appeals to a wide range of diners - great for a girls' night out, a few quiet drinks after work, and definitely caters for families with a kids menu.
As a dining experience, and for tasty different food rather than your run of the mill burger and chips, Mexica is definitely a place I will be frequenting and is a welcome addition to the Strand.
