Manx-Mex Chronicles: Chapter Twelve: Enchilada and Tacos

Tortilla chips and salsa, chili con carne, and fajitas are now typical European bar food. Rare is the English pub that doesn’t serve “nachos.” The influence of Tex-Mex on world cuisine fascinates us here at Texas Eats. So when our correspondent, Julia Walsh, moved to Manchester, England in January 2017, we asked her to chronicle Tex-Mex influences on the local English fare. Here is her latest report:

Las Iguanas continued to deliver a quality experience all the way through the meal. The timing between courses was perfect – after munching starters and then building our hunger up again with more margaritas, the mains hit the table.

My enchilada (yes, singular) was stuffed with chicken, onion, and cheese, and presented on a bed of black beans with an island of rice in the middle. I was disappointed that the tortilla was a burrito sized flour tortilla that was pretty much raw (aside from likely being stuck under a Salamander to melt the cheese on top), but the red sauce had a great, smoky chipotle flavor and tied the whole plate together, so I let the tortilla slide.

The Steak and Queso tacos were listed in the Mexican section of the menu but definitely showed Argentinian flair. The queso was melted to the inside of the corn and flour tortillas, then they were stacked with marinated steak and topped with chimichurri and pink pickled onions. I know they serve fries in Argentina too, but these thick, unseasoned chips felt distinctly English. The small side salad was a pleasant surprise too. It was topped with what we mistook for tiny tomatoes until we bit into them and got a burst of peppery flavor. I think they might have been Pimenta Biquinho, or Little Beak Peppers.

All in all, Las Iguanas more than satisfied my Cinco de Mayo needs, and I’d be happy to go back there again.