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Muchacho Mexican Street Food, Dundee (45/50)

By Kerry Moores

August 25 2018, 8:00am

Well that’s it then: we were blessed with a glorious summer but all good things must come to an end. As the rain sets in and the kids go back to school, it seems that our summer season is coming to a close.

We chose to go for lunch this week somewhere that would take us away from the puddles and dark skies and transport us to the streets of a far away land.

A Mexican Street Food vendor has opened on Nethergate, gloriously called Muchacho. I say gloriously as it seems impossible to say without feeling just a little bit Latin. The title of this little fast food outlet is just the start of the fiesta vibe and the front door really does seem like a portal whisking customers to somewhere exotic.

The interior is really, really cool. The polished concrete floor is broken up with bubblegum pink zigzags, festoon lights adorn the corrugated metal ceiling and the melting pot of wood, brick and tiles creates a feast for the eyes even without getting stuck gazing at the various, slightly disturbing, Mexican sugar skull images. This is a decor that has been thought through and tackled with gusto, totally transforming the modest space.

The counter sits at the far end of a room, lined with high diner-style chairs, and above it hangs the menu. In essence, customers have three decisions to make: which item, which filling, which salsa. Although this sounds mighty simple, the offerings are enticingly not. Most of us will be familiar with items such as burritos, tacos and quesadillas, as well as salads, so that’s fine – but next comes the filling.

Not satisfied with simply suggesting “chicken” or “chilli beef” – oh no, this is hand-rubbed, pulled chicken with Muchacho’s own piquant adobo marinade, made with traditional chillis, smoked paprika etc etc. The description of each made my mouth water just reading it. As well as the chicken there’s also two types of beef, pulled pork and roasted vegetables.

I stood for ages gazing at the options and eventually chose tacos with the pulled chicken. Next came the choice of sauces which threw me again but I settled on the salsa verde. Once the decisions have been made, staff make up the meals in front of your eyes at the fast food-style counter. There is no hiding of ingredients – everything is on display and prepared to order.

What struck me most about my tacos was the freshness. Of course the chicken was already prepared but the lettuce was washed and crunchy, the wedge of lime was a really lovely touch and the fresh coriander leaves sprinkled over the top made this an attractive lunch – and unusually green, considering it was fast food.

The chicken was superb. Packed with smoky flavour and pulled into tender, moist strings I was so very pleasantly surprised. My salsa verde was light, fresh and green, with hints of garlic and tomatillos and, although containing the flavour of chilli, this was definitely a cool, mild sauce. It came served in a cardboard box making carry-out incredibly easy although we had chosen to eat in and enjoy the party beats of the Latin music.

We had also ordered a burrito filled with pulled pork and “corn star sauce”. Once again, the pork was non-fatty, moist and full of flavour but, when served in a large tortilla with black beans, spiced rice and cheese, this made for a really filling filling. The sauce reminded me of creamed sweetcorn and we had been warned it was addictive – it was seriously moreish. We had been offered additional guacamole for £1 and again I was delighted at how fresh it looked. It wasn’t an anaemic puree but appropriately green and chunky.

This warm lunch came wrapped in foil and it then struck me that I couldn’t see any plastic in the items we had been served. Even the disposable cutlery was compostable and the Mexican fizzy drinks served in glass bottles. Muchacho just kept getting better and better in my eyes.

The staff were all friendly and efficient, offering helpful advice for first time visitors. The lady who served us was charming and not just chirpy in an American “have a nice day” type way – she seemed far more genuine and interested in us with her questions and pleasantries.

Muchacho is not a Michelin-starred restaurant, it is a fast food place but not as we know it. Food is ethically sourced, fresh and not deep fried. The whole bold, colourful concept of Muchacho has somehow avoided coming across as fake or too cheesy. The food is explained, the menu has character and I loved it.

My one complaint is that I came away with stains on my shirt – entirely my fault of course as I had chosen to forego cutlery and get stuck in, which seemed much more fun. Alas, I will now need to become a regular customer so that I can get a lot more practice.