THE unstoppable onslaught of Christmas is upon us, driven along by the soundtrack of cheesy festive hits of yesteryear. Sometimes, though, you just want a different beat, one that is miles away from the chintz of merry winter wonderlands that in real life is just grinding weeks of cold, ice, snow and dreichness. Ah, for the rhythms of Latin America and the promise of sun-kissed exotic lands. So it was a bit of a surprise to discover a wee slice of South America has been transported to the heart of grey granite Aberdeen.

On first glance, though, you think Las Iguanas is just another chain place offering Mexican fare. But keep going down the menu at the door of the Union Square eatery and you find dishes you’ve never heard of before – and some you can’t even pronounce. Mexico is on there, right enough – but so is Brazil, Chile and even Cuba, which was enough to get the three of us in our dining party through the door and sat down in this chic and cheerful place. And it was heaving, too. We weren’t the only folk looking to escape the winter.

When faced with an unfamiliar menu in an unfamiliar place, Mrs B and I usually decide on a sharing platter of something to help get a grip on what it’s all about. Cue one taco sharing tray with a selection of three fillings for creating your own goodies. I was expecting those hard shell things and a bit of beef and chicken. What we got was far removed from that old chestnut ... and simply wonderful.

The “tacos” were mini flour tortillas so you could roll your own mini-wraps using the fixings – a delightful cheese and salsa melt, pickled onions and sour cream – and fillings that came in not-so-wee bowlfuls. The tinga was a chicken stew with a delightful, chipotle tang to it. The shredded beef was slow-braised and melt-in-the-mouth wonderful, with a smokey hot paprika blast that was so more-ish. All this was aided and abetted by chilli mushrooms that were intense and meaty. This was the sort of starter you end up going back to a place to have over and over again.

Meanwhile, our littlest diner was merrily munching on her kid’s meal of fresh, flaky perfect fish and curly fries from the excellent children’s menu and raving about it. Bonus. Mum gave the quality and choice a big thumbs up.

And I was doing the same with my main ... the unpronounceable Brazilian national dish of feijoada de vaca. I may not be able to say it, but by jings could I eat it. It was a rich hearty stew of the tenderest morsels of beef with flavour-packed black beans and piquant chorizo in red wine. It was one of those dishes where you are trying to place the subtle herby-spice taste then just give up and enjoy it as a fine piece of cooking with so many different and interesting flavours going on in the one bowl. Even the sprinkle of coconut crumbs (not something I’d normally thank you for) brought an extra dimension.

Meanwhile, Mrs B had stepped out with pollo con chorizo, a dish made with that most under-rated meat, chicken thigh. Tender and rich, it went perfectly with the smoked pork and garlic chorizo, all bound up in a rich tomato sauce, spiced up with paprika.

Another winner of a dish for what is a winning and classy new restaurant.

From humble beginnings, Las Iguanas is now a national chain with dozens of restaurants across the country. As a nod to its Bristol beginnings, the original Las Iguanas on Whiteladies Road has now been rebranded as Clifton Cocina, where the red and green colours have been replaced by more subtle hues.

With its headquarters just a few hundred yards away on the other side of the road, it makes sense for this restaurant to be their development kitchen, and while sticking with their Latin theme, it is here that new dishes will be trialled before being rolled out to the 27 other members of the chain across the county.

The name of this restaurant (which means kitchen in Spanish) is embossed on the wine menu. Pick certain wines and you will see a member of staff climb up the ladder behind the bar to find it on the uppermost shelves.

As my 21-month-old daughter enjoyed playing with the pots and pans and pretend food provided by the friendly and attentive waiting staff, her mother and I enjoyed the real food on offer, which for me was chorizo in a firey jalapeno sauce followed by a delicious roast lamb that was virtually dripping off the bone.

Washed down by bottles of Cusqueña from Peru, I finished my own meal with a banana and ice cream concoction encased in pastry, a tasty twist on a typical banoffee pie.

The food selection changes regularly, with the mains changing fortnightly and the specials weekly. Sometimes it’s fun to be a guinea pig and the Las Iguanas Clifton Cocina is the perfect place for that; who knows what will appear on the menu next.

Las Iguanas is a chain of Latin American restaurants dotted around the UK. I had the pleasure of visiting the one in Reading recently and I'm glad that I have finally been introduced to them. Never having been to one of the restaurants before I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised and am now totally hooked.

The interior was beautifully decorated, colourful and had a 'warm' and 'friendly' feel to it which contributed nicely to the atmosphere and overall ambiance of the restaurant

The bar has a whole selection of different drinks. The Cocktails and mocktails are a fun alternative to the usual Diet Coke. For drinks, we decided on the Raspberry Coolers (Raspberry and Elderflower) which were in the 'Happy Hour' menu at just £3 each and were in a 2-4-1 deal so ended up only being £1.50! Not a bad price at all. Later on in the evening, I also decided to order the Citrus Cooler (Crushed Lime, Lemon, Ice and Lemonade) - this turned out to be my favourite out of the non-alcoholic 'mocktails', as it was so refreshing. I also used the rest of the lemon and lime in my tap water after dinner to give it some more flavour.

My choice of main was The Enchilada which was stunning. The enchilada, for anyone who hasn't been to Las Iguanas yet, is a hand-rolled tortilla smothered in smoked chilli & tomato sauce and melted cheese accompanied with garlic & coriander rice and frijoles refritos.

It is filled with either roast butternut squash, spinach, cheese and chickpeas (£7.90) or spicy chicken, peppers, onion and cheese (£9.90).

I chose the vegetarian version and expected the chilli sauce to be a tad too spicy, but instead I found that it added just enough flavour to the the meal without overpowering it or making it impossible to eat.

The price is very fair when considering the big portion you receive and the fact that the food tastes so so good. The restaurant also has a 'Lunch' and 'Early Bird' special menu where certain main meals are reduced in price if ordered before 6.30pm. It just so happened that my enchilada was in the menu for a mere £5!

For dessert I decided on the Creamy Caramel Cake which was also very good. The cake consists of layers of soaked sponge and caramelised cream, drizzled with dulce de leche. This was then topped with even more caramelised cream and a scattering of blueberries (£4.90).

I would have liked the cake to be a bit bigger but I don't feel it was a stingy portion, I just know I could have eaten more as it was delicious.

For me it was a little on the pricier side, considering my main meal was only £5, but all of the desserts were around the same price so I decided to just splurge and I'm really glad I did. It is very good and definitely a dessert I'll be ordering on my next visit.

The meal was delicious and the staff extremely friendly. It was fairly busy at the time we decided to have dinner so I expected to have to wait longer for service or share our waiter between lots of other tables. Luckily this did not happen and we were able to enjoy a relaxed evening and felt thoroughly looked after. Our waiter recommended main courses and drinks as well as desserts, which added a more personal and friendly touch to our visit.

http://www.weekendnotes.com/las-iguanas-restaurant/

This Latin American chain keeps on growing. You can now sample its chimichangas, enchiladas and caipirinhas at 28 locations from Newcastle-upon-Tyne to Portsmouth, and from Cardiff to Leicester. And it’s easy to see why; the food is fresh and spicy, the setting stylish and the service sweet. And it doesn’t break the bank.

The Venue

Kingston’s High Street is awash with busy, chain restaurants, with Las Iguanas having Jamie’s next door and La Tasca just across the road. And at Las Iguanas there are huge windows to the street which can be removed when weather permits, and inside the feel is boutique hotel-meets-industrial chic, with curvy wooden chairs, vertical, distressed planks on the walls, huge chandeliers evoking sci-fi spaceships, and exposed pipework and ducts overhead. The large space is cleverly carved up to add intimacy, with the lighting warm and flattering.

The Atmosphere

Despite being large (100 covers plus 40 in the adjoining bar), busy, and devoid of sound-absorbing curtains and carpets, noise levels are puzzingly low, so you don’t end up having to shout across the table, even when salsa muzak plays (live music on Tuesday nights is promised soon). On a weeknight less than two months after opening, the casually attired, near-capacity, nicely behaved clientele includes three generations of a family celebrating a birthday, groups of friends, and couples of all ages. Service is well-paced and unusually sweet and interested.

The Food

All the Latin staples – burritos, fajitas, enchiladas and nachos – are present and correct. For the faint-hearted, there’s an incongruous pear and brie salad (although they do add molasses, cumin and chilli dressing) or a straightforward burger in a bun.

A starter of calamares (£5.40) is a hot, fresh and non-rubbery hit. Its crust is crisp and satisfyingly wholemealy, and it sits on a generous bed of rocket. There's real zing and chilli heat from a little bowl of aioli, too. Tostadas with white crabmeat and finely diced peppers, jalapeno, coriander and red onion (£5) are also impressive. The crab flavour comes through, the mixture is light, crunchy and fresh (especially with a squeeze of lime), and the mini corn tortillas beneath remain crisp.

As for mains, pescado fritas (£7.90) is a Latin take on fish and chips, and not wholly successful. The ‘sustainable white fish’ (variety not specified) is a disappointingly flat fillet in crunchy crumb reminiscent of what you keep in the freezer for short-notice suppers. There’s little of the promised coconut flavour in the spicy coating, though it is disconcertingly sweet, a problem compounded by the accompanying sweet potato fries – regular fries would work better. At least that lovely, fiery aioli makes a reappearance.

More successful is a tender, well-flavoured, accurately cooked sirloin steak (£16.50). This time, the ‘fries’ are made from the South American root veg staple cassava, and are more small potato croquettes than chips. They’re crunchy but without much flavour, and there aren’t enough of them. Roast cherry toms and rocket work well, as does a bowl of chipotle sauce, even if its ‘fiery’ description on the menu should read 'quite warm and rounded'.

From a sextet of desserts, a selection of sorbets (£4.90) is outstanding. Lemon, raspberry and mango all have big, clear flavour and velvety texture. Creamy caramel cake (£4.90), though, is a little tame. The sponge has been soaked (although it’s hard to say in what) so at least it’s super-moist, but the caramelised cream and drizzle of dulce de leche need much more caramel oomph.

The Drink

There’s a long list cocktails, divided into Latin American country. They’re fairly priced, and nothing short of a steal between Sundays and Wednesdays when it’s buy-one-get-one-free. A sublime caipirinha (£6.40) would hold up in the poshest of bars, with its cachaca and lime notes and perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. The wine list is South American with a sprinkling of Spain. Bubbles aside, prices range from £12.90 to £30.80. Most commendably, a large majority is available by the 125, 175 or 250 ml glass. Sauvignon Blanc Tierra from Chile (£4.10/£5.20/£6.40/£17.90) is unremarkable and could arrive a tad colder. Conversely, an inky Monte Verde Merlot, also Chilean (£3.60/£4.60/£5.80/£12.90), needs to be warmer but still provides a fair hit of juicy red fruits.

The Last Word

Las Iguanas is expanding at a rate of knots. With three courses of generally good food and half a bottle of modest wine for about £35 winningly served in cool surroundings, it’s a fair bet a branch will be coming to a high street near you before too long.

Richard Lackey spices up an otherwise ordinary afternoon with a visit to Las Iguanas...

NESTLED within Liverpool ONE’s parade of shiny new restaurants lies Las Iguanas – an airy oasis bursting with that lively Latin vibe.

The atmosphere of the restaurant instantly makes an impact as soon as you enter through its huge glass doors, and is as loud as a set of maracas! It’s bright and cool, modern with sleek dark wood furnishings, and the aromas from the kitchen instantly transport you to South America. Forget Liverpool, you could be in Rio. When it comes to eating out, I’ve always favoured Indian cuisine over Chinese, the latter being a bit too sickly for my liking. Instead, I prefer the earthiness and heat of a no-nonsense Indian curry. However, in recent years Mexican and Latin American cuisine has threatened to become my number one. Never having visited the region personally, my relationship with Latin American grub had never developed further than a bowl of chilli and rice or a chicken fajita at a friend’s house. That was until a few years ago when a certain fast food outlet introduced me to the Mexican burrito. After that I was hooked.

I love the heat of Latin food, the fusion of flavours and textures, and the gener¬ous mix of meat and vegetables (you can never have too many greens if you ask me!). I also welcome the huge portions. And that nicely leads me onto the first thing that struck me during my visit to Las Iguanas – you get massive meals which wouldn’t look out of place on that Man v. Food reality TV show.

My starter of nachos with melted cheese, aji, jalapeños, salsa, soured cream, guacamole and cha-cha chorizo (£7.60) served in a huge paella dish was certainly more than ample for at least two people, nevermind one. Being the gannet that I am, though, I wasn’t going to complain and happily consumed the lot!

The cha-cha chorizo (smoky pork and garlic chorizo sausage with onions in a red wine, tomato and smoked jalapeño sauce) was so deliciously meaty and flavoursome that I wasn’t surprised to find it on the menu as a dish in its own right, this time served with chunky bread to dunk (£5). My friend opted for this delicious course and we were both in agreement at just how tasty it was. For main course, I plumped for the classic and appropriately named Big Burrito (£9.90) – a whopping tortilla parcel packed with spicy chicken, pepper and onion, rice, cheese and slaw, topped with homemade salsa, soured cream and guacamole. My mate selected chimichanga (£9.90), which is a deep-fried burrito bursting with garlic and coriander rice, refried beans, and a main filling of Tinga (Mexican smoked chipotle chicken, onion and cheese). Both mains were delicious – the side of chunky cassava fries with salsa (£2.90) was an over-ambitious move, it has to be said – and sealed the fate on us ever attempting to select a dessert. Oh well, maybe next time.

We washed our food down with a selection of Las Iguanas’ famed cocktails – Citrus Cooler (crushed lemons, limes, ice and lemonade; £2.80), and Raspberry Cooler (raspberry and elderflower; £3) – the ideal tonic to ease the flow of so much food, and at buy one get one free (between 12 and 7.30pm and all day Sunday), a steal.

Suitably priced for what we received, we left Las Iguanas feeling more than satisfied and with our trouser belts that little bit tighter.

With restaurants like Cuban Heels and Cactus Lounge long gone, Las Iguanas is one of the few remaining venues flying the flag for Mexico in the City Centre. Special mention has to go to the staff who were so friendly and polite despite being faced with a growing crowd of diners as our meal progressed. All-in-all, it was five star service.

I'm kicking off with a review of my favourite chain restaurant, Las Iguanas. I don't usually review chains if I can help it since they tend to do alright without reviewers like me but I've been a fan of Iguanas for over ten years and wanted to just see if I can tempt a few of you to try it out.

I visited the relatively new Mermaid Quay branch which is well decorated and was incredibly busy, even for a cold Thursday evening in January. Being regular diners, I was fairly certain of what I would go for but I perused the menu nevertheless. Las Iguanas offers a comprehensive range of burgers, fajitas, and other Latin American dishes such as my partner's favourite Xim Xim, a chicken crayfish and lime dish, Pasteles (a Chilean shepherd's pie that I'm keen to try) and a range of steaks and grills.

On this visit, I opted for the nachos with chilli beef (£5.70). These emerged in a huge metal dish and were easily enough to share. The tortillas were home-made (rather than the result of someone tearing open a bag of Doritos in the kitchen) and the salsa was spicy and hot. It made the so-called nachos often served up in pubs seem rather sad. The Mr. went for the Cha-Cha Chorizo (£4.90) which consisted of pork & garlic chorizo, braised slow & lazy with onions in red wine, tomato & smoked jalapeño sauce. Served with large hunks of bread, this was a hugely tasty dish, full of depth of flavour and with just the right amount of spice.

Truth be told, after this we could have given up and gone home full but there were main courses to enjoy. Regular blog readers or Twitter followers will know that I have a weakness for fajitas and I plumped for these at Las Iguanas, going for the classic chicken option (£13.60). Steak, prawn or mushroom options are also available. These came served with the usual accompaniments of guacamole, soured cream,and jalapeños with homemade salsa & soft wheat tortillas. As a fan, I've eaten fajitas in a range of other places in Cardiff including Chiquitos, Old Orleans and the West Coast Bar and Grill at the Red Dragon. In my view, the ones served at Las Iguanas are by far the best; I don't know whether its the spice mix which I find pleasantly tangy without being too hot, and with a subtle hint of lime, or whether the quality of ingredients and cooking is just better. Either way, this meal was no exception and proved incredibly tasty.

I wish I could tell you some detail about the other half's shredded beef & caramelised onion burrito (£9.90). It looked well presented on a nice salad and looked full of filling including rice and cheese. However, I was not allowed to sample this since it was, apparently, too nice to share. Next time, I shall steal a forkful when he's not looking.

http://fastingfoodie.blogspot.com/2012/02/restaurant-review-las-iguanas....