Food Review Neon Cactus
Rob Wright spices up his life at the Call Lane bar/restaurant
Food Review: Neon Cactus
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Ah, Mexico, land of ancient civilizations with very specific calendars, chilli and tequila, where mañana is another day. Neon Cactus, with its Warhol’d images of Pancho Villa above the bar, the sound of LCD Soundsystem booming out of the PA and the Luke Drozd style Muerto adorning the drink and food menus is definitely a bar for mañana.
Beneath the moustachioed banditos is a very wide selection of tequilas - think the rum bar in Mojo only with tequila - and a bevy of happy, relaxed bar keeps who are probably bracing themselves for a busy night. It’s relatively quiet now, but you can feel the vibes. Though that might be the LCD Soundsystem.
Ordering at the bar, we are advised to “sit where we like” in a nonchalant manner at one of the casually placed tables - basic chairs, piles of cushions, bottle of hot sauce and cutlery in a glass Inca head. Our Margaritas arrive; I’ve gone for the salt-rimmed classic, the missus has gone for the Neon Cactus mix, a bright blue concoction of blue Curacao, tequila and lime (£6.00 each). It’s pretty high octane stuff, served Martini style as opposed to with crushed ice and very tasty.
Our food is not exactly rushed to us - unhurried is a word that springs to mind - so we are fairly ravenous when the nachos (£2.95) arrive. The guacamole and salsa is fresh and piquant and the chips are warm and crisp - not too spicy, though the hot sauce soon puts that straight. Our mains arrive shortly after - belly pork and jalapeno enchiladas (£5.95) and prawn, lime and coriander fajitas (£9.95).
The enchiladas have a slow creeping heat that is surprising and tasty, with succulent chunks of belly pork and a flavoursome mound of garlic and coriander rice, though I could have done with a bit more of everything. The fajita is not quite as impressive. It looks very nice - the nouveau styled and sized portions of salsa, sour cream and guacamole are understandable, but a similar sized portion of rice is a might, well, mean. The fajita mix is also a bit meagre, if tasty. The prawns have been butterflied and the vegetable mix slightly overwhelms the lime and coriander flavours - though said mix is fresh and fiery.
A crowd of would be hen nighters come in for a round of shooters and the bright young things next to us order another round of sangritas. The party is just about to start; this is where Neon Cactus thrives.
Posted on Wednesday 17th March 2010
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