Tasty trio of tacos will not break bank
Chucho’s owners started off with a taco truck before graduating to this small, permanent place.
All brightly-coloured tiles, Mexican memorabilia and decorative flags, its fun, cheerful atmosphere is at once exotic and homely.
The place is undeniably rather small inside – we were lucky to be able to sit in, perching on a bar which runs around the side of the room – but they also offer takeaway.
This is not the place to come if you are looking for an extensive menu: you get a plate of three tacos, with a pickand-mix of flavours. That said, the fillings are hugely varied and there is some really good cooking on display.
When we visited, there were nine varieties on offer and, of course, we made sure to try every one.
Each comes atop a circle of lovely, soft corn bread – thicker and spongier than some taco bases, these have depth of flavour and stand up well to all their various fillings.
Of these, a favourite was rellena, an earthy, meaty, black pudding, muddled up with some green chillies which pack a real punch.
Sweet and crisp fried plantain contrasted perfectly to a deep, savoury mush of black beans. One vegetablepacked filling featuring courgette and sweetcorn feels like it is getting you well on your way to your five-a-day: the veg retain their individual flavours while coalescing into a very enjoyable whole.
We are also treated to one deep-fried little cigar of a taco, this filled with mashed potato and a little sweet red pepper, tasting essentially like a massive Meaty tacos of pork, steak and chicken version of the best, crispiest chip you have ever had. These vegetarian choices are liberally sprinkled with some tangy feta cheese.
We devoured fat slabs of good, salty, paprika-scented chorizo; some decent strips of steak; moist, spicy chicken.
The carnitas – soft, slow-cooked pork – tasted fabulously porky (a harder feat than it sounds, too often, I think, slowcooked pork gets enveloped in toosweet sauces, its own meaty flavour tragically killed off) and was meltingly soft and moist.
Every combination felt well-chosen and interesting and I am already eager to go back and see what else Chuchos has to offer.
Ordinarily, I feel it my duty to order a three-course meal for a review (it is a hard job but someone has to do it.) Here, that is not really an option because at Chuchos you can have anything you like, so long as they are tacos.
They are really good tacos, though.
Getting the bill here is really a rather pleasant experience. You pay £7 for your plate of three tacos (whichever combination of flavours you fancy.)
There is small selection of beers or soft drinks, none of them especially pricey either.
That is it. Two of you could eat extremely well, enjoying fresh ingredients and great cooking for £14.
For that, it is definitely worth the trip to Shields Road.