El Camion, Soho

Although London may boast a variety of global cuisines, there has always been a lament in the inability of the capital to have authentic Mexican food. Various chains have set up shop and there is the excellent El Nivel in Covent Garden. But while these are all fine and good, there remains a space for a Mexican place that offers the chance to enjoy Mexican cuisine outside of fine dining establishment and without feeling like you are being ushered through the machinations of a fast food joint.

El Camion in Soho might be the place to give people what they are looking for. Situated on Brewer Street, it aims to bring a little piece of Baja California, a Mexican state, to Soho. This is all well and good but you’re going to be hard pressed to recreate the lavish beaches when you’re just metres away from a sex shop. But whatever the stylings, it’s the food that counts.

My companion and I started with chorizo quesadillas and grilled chicken nachos to share. I say to share because it quickly became a land grab about who was able to get the most of both. The quesadillas were very good, not too greasy and with a good amount of meat. The nachos were another delight, with an abundance of chicken along with a small hill of guacamole, cheese and salsa.

For our main course, my companion and I went for beef in different settings. I went for a beef burrito whilst my companion had his in an enchilada. The enchilada went down exceedingly well with my companion exuding a gleeful smile about the lavish enchilada sauce splashed over the quality beef. I shared similar sentiments about the burrito, which artfully combined the enjoyable slickness of the beans and meat along with the delicacy of the coriander.

The only disappointing part of the meal was the dessert. Whilst my companion went for the churros, which he immensely enjoyed, I went for the ice cream selection. The mixture of vanilla and strawberry were not of good quality and seemed to have been scooped out of a supermarket brand ice cream.

However, this was the only bum note in a very enjoyable meal. El Camion is a lively place to enjoy good quality food, and given that it is open until two in the morning, I’ve got a feeling I’ll be back more than once.