Since good Mexican fare is in short supply in Chennai, imagine our surprise when an English-themed café (of all places) — rolled out some of the best burritos we’ve ever tasted. The secret, it turns out, is that Chef Ramesh Kumar, who heads the kitchen at The English Tearoom, spent about seven years specialising in Mexican and Continental cuisine over a long haul on a Caribbean cruise liner and stints at restaurants in the United States. “He is an absolute expert at the burrito,” says Deepa Palaniappan, owner of the space. Following the burrito festival at the eatery, which will last through the month of October to test the waters, she adds, “We plan to open up a separate section on our menu titled ‘Burrito Love’ that will be available via Swiggy for working lunches around the city.”
Deepa’s favourite that quickly becomes ours too is the ‘smothered’ burrito. “We don’t stop with the fillings on the inside here. Once wrapped and ready to go, we bake it in cheese sauce,” she tells us, as we take a bite of gooey, cheddar indulgence — that’s so good, we can’t stop. Won’t stop! Sort of like the Miley Cyrus song.
Revving up the flavour on this one are the rashes of bacon and both white and yellow cheddar chunks on the inside of the wheat tortilla wrap. The Breakfast burrito that we are sampling is further packed in with layers of ‘wholesome’ texture from the crunch of the lettuce to brown rice, scrambled eggs and of course, the must-have Mexican pinto beans. Now that’s a hearty breakfast.
With eight varieties on offer, from a BBQ shredded chicken (that comes in as a close second) to fish and veggie options like a Cajun marinated cottage cheese and a grilled vegetable patty with peas, potato, carrots and more pinto beans — the combinations ensure you’re never left bored. The chef tells us that one gets to pick the dip as well. “We have three dips — a sour cream, cheese dip and an avocado option,” he informs. Sadly, the last one isn’t available for our tasting session — so instead, we smother our already smothered burrito in more cheese. Heart-stoppingly good, we think!
Best had in the absence of cutlery — brace yourself for fillings falling out, sauce on your fingers, and possibly around your mouth. Don’t bother with a fork, finger licking in this case is mandatory.
The Burrito Festival is on at The English Tearoom from October 1 to 31. 11 am to 11 pm. Rs 199 per burrito. Details: 24996499