PICS: RUBY TUESDAY

The name says it all. Amigos at Nagpokhari opened just 20 days ago and pledges to serve real Mexican food, not the Tex-Mex variety. Ol�.

From tacos to burritos to tostadas and taquitos, Amigos has them all. The eatery is small, cosy, and the owners have painted it in bright primary colours to try to give it a Mexican feel. There is also the obligatory picture of a farmer in a sombrero chucking avocados, but sadly the place doesn't have actual guacamole because avocados only come 'into season' in late September.

We went all out for this lunch. We started with the Mexican platter (Rs 500) - chili rellenos, flautas, quesadilla and tostada. White flour, chicken bits and cheese, deep fried with salsa and sour cream, what's not to like? Unhealthy and fattening, true, but it's not like we walked in expecting a salad bar.

The spicy chicken wings (Rs 200) , battered and fried and then tossed in Amigos' signature spices, are crunchy to the bite, but overly greasy and lack the oomph that you expect from Mexican cuisine. The hot dipping sauce is not hot and the salt was missing.

The chicken enchiladas (Rs 200) on paper sounded just like the unhealthy, soul-satisfyingly delicious lunch option we were looking for: flour tortillas smothered in cheese and enchilada sauce, filled with chicken and bell peppers, served with Mexican rice and refried beans. On the plate however, it was a different story altogether. The sauce emitted a fermented whiff and the tortillas were sad and soggy. And the cheese, I wanted a plate 'smothered' in cheese and all I got were a few bits grated on top.

We ended our meal with sopapillas with honey and powdered sugar. These were nice and warm and lightly spiced with cinnamon that imbued it with flavour.

My arteries were groaning with the assault they had taken with this influx of saturated fats and oils. But it would all have been worth it if my palate and tongue had been delighted, however, that was not to be.

The service is good and the staff is very nice and super helpful, but the food has to improve. I would think that Mexican cuisine would be the one that would be the most easy to adapt to our Nepali palate with its emphasis on chili and salsa, and that's what is missing at Amigos: the zest, the tang, the spice that define Mexican dishes. But I will go back because I hear they serve mighty fine margaritas and sangrias, pleasures I couldn't indulge in this time round.