Food Review: Habanero Mexican Grill

So I still think that the best thing to come from Mexico is Hector Salamanca, who tells you to go to hell with just a ding!  However the food isn’t all that bad either.  I recently got a chance to try out a new Mexican themed restaurant in Karachi, and while there was no Hector, everything, from the décor to the items on the menu, gave off a vibe of Mexico.

I am a foodie at best, and my recent visits to numerous restaurants across the city have really awakened the critic in me. But again I haven’t had a taste of original Mexican food, so forgive me if my review doesn’t do it proper justice.

Located on Main Khayaban e Shahbaz, the quaint little place has funny little posters adorned on the walls: Exhibit A.

A closer look

But the thing you notice first is this brightly colored mosaic on the front wall, which upon close inspection you realize is a shot from one of their platters. Yes, that is a boiled egg.

We were a group of four people, eager to expand our (mine in particular) desi palates and so ordered Chipotle Chicken fries and Chilli Poppers for starters, Shell and Soft Tacos, Burrito Bowl and Tex Mex Burger as mains.

The starters:

Chipotle Chicken fries were everything you would want a plate of fries to be. Crispy, cheesy and loaded with other crunchy bits like sweet corn, jalapenos, red beans (there are red beans in everything, score! I love them yes). They are listed as starters but can be a complete meal on their own, if you are hungry for some crunchy munchies. The Chilli Poppers were ok. Their filling needs a little work I guess.

The mains:

while I was already loaded with the fries, the mains were served. I tried a little of everything (such fun!) From the two kinds of Tacos, I preferred the Shell ones, though I wasn’t a fan of the after taste. The soft ones were juicy and well soft, and of course full of more beans! The Burrito Bowl was (as the name suggests) a bowl full of all the burrito ingredients sitting atop a bed of rice and topped with a generous serving of cream. It was a little difficult getting a bite of everything together, the rice just weren’t ready to be consumed by me, had to really dig for them, but taste wise everything was spot on. And now the burger. The desi in me had ordered it, and while everything else was fine, I wasn’t too happy with beans it in. I love beans, I might have told you before, but in my burger, no. That was the only thing I didn’t like about it. My tastebuds tried to be Mexican, they really did, unfortunately they are Pakistani down to the very last chromosome.

The drinks:

We ordered Bloody Orange, Ginger Mint Cooler, Blue Mist and Habanero Special. Out of all four, I loved Bloody Orange the most, and the best part was I ordered it, so while others got a sip, I finished it all off. I would go as far as saying that it is the perfect summer drink. Imagine lying on the beach (not chee-view, a cleaner one) and sipping a big glass of Bloody Orange. Nothing bloody about it though, except maybe the color (that’s good right) and came with a scoop of gelato.

The Desserts:

We ordered Chocolate Heaven Cake Slice, and Cheesecake. Couldn’t decide between strawberry and blueberry topping for cheesecake, so got both, genius right. The desserts were both absolutely delicious and we ate it up in a few quick bites.

Recommendations:

Definitely try the Chipotle Chicken Fries.

Go for the Shell Tacos.

Bloody Orange all the way!

And desserts have them all!

I now can’t wait to try their pizzas and nachos. Don’t know why I didn’t try those.

For more info: visit their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/habaneromx