DF Tacos (Shoreditch)

• DF Mexico is situated at the Old Truman Brewery claiming to be bringing local food from Mexico City with an American twist
• So we sit down in a nice enough little booth and it slowly starts to dawn on us that this is firmly in the Nando's domain rather than authentic Mexican favela antojitos
• Clever marketing and good copy is nice but any restaurant that comes with an instruction manual is just a turn off for me
• Then it transpires that it is self service
• Just like ordering a ticket at a train station the touch screen system was clunky and frustrating to use
• The grilled chicken taco (soft flour tortilla) with a cup of corn and chilli fries with chipotle mayo
• Presented very nicely (instagram friendly restaurant) the burrito was simply bland
• The meat and rice were cooked well
• Don't get me wrong the whole thing is more than edible
• I was hoping for a good hit of citrus with this and for the chicken to be seasoned well
• Yet you are left with a mouthful of coriander stems
• Coriander stems are much stronger than the leaves so when used fresh as DF have it definitely needs to be balanced with some acidity
• The cup of corn was pretty good
• The fries sadly were luke warm and didn't have the spice my hangover needed to dissipate
• Mexican food I was hoping would be spicy
• DF Mexico opened on Hanbury Street (just off Brick Lane) on 24 July and is owned by the same people who own Wahaca (you can read about my first trip to Wahaca here)
• Small plates and big bills but is big on atmosphere
• We made our way to DF Mexico for a late lunch via some of the best street art spots at the south end of Brick Lane and because I can't help taking a million pictures
• We'd already perused the menu at home and so the ordering process was super speedy
• My boyfriend went to order at the counter (you can use a computerised system to eliminate all human interaction but given that he was born in an era when the wheel was a novelty
• The best thing is that they were bottomless
• In my opinion is always a good idea for soft drinks
• We started with veggie nachos to share
• These are topped with tomatillo guacamole
• Cheese and pink pickled onions and unlike many nachos which come with dollops of separate ingredients
• These had the toppings evenly spread across them which meant that you got a good mix with every nacho rather than having to dip into the toppings of your choice
• My boyfriend declared that he was not a nacho expert but that these were the best he'd ever had
• We each ordered a torta a Mexican sandwich served NYC style (whatever that is) served in a brioche bun with smashed guacamole and slaw
• The chicken was beautifully tender but in my meat loving opinion was a little overwhelmed by the amount of slaw
• The steak tacos were the star of the show for me
• The steak was slightly pink inside which was perfect and they were generously filled
• This is the kind of food you can only eat with people who love you because it's tie your hair back
• We were definitely a bit ambitious on the ordering and I blame Wahaca for that as we ordered lots of plates there and so I was expecting to do the same at DF Mexico mistake
• I would have liked to try dessert which are some interesting sounding ice cream flavours but I fear it would have been my wafer thin mint
• We wouldn't eat again that day but it was only the next day that I was craving more tacos and wondering when I could visit again
• Is possibly very dangerous as there are quite a few long days and late nights at work after which I can't be bothered to cook
• My first visit saw me fall in love with their flavours
• In fact I fell so deeply that I was raving about the restaurant to anyone who would listen
• My fish tacos were slightly lukewarm
• The chilli tortas made up for the tacos with its mild spice
• We finished with soft serve ice cream passion fruit &
• The caramelised coconut was too hard and lacked the sweet flavour we had hoped
• The mixture of textures was complimented perfectly by the salty sweet toppings
• DF/Mexico has a laid back atmosphere and the self service menu is stress free and easier than some may expect
• The frozen margaritas are a must to accompany any dish
• In fact I'm already planning a blogger meet up with some of my lovely ladies in the New Year
• Anywhere in London is never a good idea but lady luck was on our side and despite the restaurant being extremely busy we managed to squeeze onto a large sharing table
• I really enjoy eating in this way as I feel that it is more social
• Eavesdropping is always entertaining
• This style is not for everyone
• The female in of the couple that came in after us were mortified at the prospect of sitting opposite us
• I think she was looking for some fine dining
• Though the restaurant is named DF/Mexico* it plays on both traditional and American influences to create an interesting fusion style menu mainly of NYC Tortas served burger style
• DIY boards along with a variety of sides and sharers
• *I was informed by my half Mexican boyfriend that DF (which is an abbreviation of Distrito Federal) is what locals refer to Mexico City as
• Made up of colourful tortilla chips and topped with tomatillo guacamole
• There was the perfect ratio of topping that there was not a chip untouched but remained crunchy
• A cup of corn might seem like an odd order but I became a little obsessed with cups of corn when we we travelling in Southeast Asia
• Mayo and cheese it was equally appetising
• The DIY Mexican Ancho Mushroom Sharing Board was messy fun and packed with a great balance of smokey
• In the way that they kept with tradition using corn tortillas and classic flavours but where not afraid to serve food up in a modern manner
• Opening up in a warehouse space in Shoreditch there was potential to be pretentious however they have pulled off cool
• A perfect place for a catch up with friends or a casual date
• If food here is as reliable as it is in her first Mexican chain
• The horchata here is light and refreshing
• The raspberry and hibiscus is a winner but the passionfruit one is pretty good
• Crispy fried tortilla chips topped with an abundance of slow cooked chilli beef
• Jasiminne Yip had the DIY Mexican board with ancho mushrooms (£
• Topped with sour cream and served with soft flour tortillas
• Admittedly I thought this was going to be longer and bigger but as I watch my friends rub their bellies in satisfied bliss I think I may have just gone eye hungry
• After all) but these were the better version
• The cod had crunchy panko coating and was nicely moist and flavoursome inside
• I haven't had esquites in a while so it was great to find it on the menu
• 2.50) wasn't as creamy as how I would have wanted it but it was awfully delicious and brought such a comforting feeling
• Now we've established that the grub is reliable Mexican fare
• The premise is a modern Mexican diner serving street food
• I am only rating the horchata because that is all we passed by
• I hope their food is better then the horchata was
• With one of my best girlfriends bent on putting the world to rights over a
• The option to self order at the monitor is a welcome idea and cuts through the queue IF the people know what to do and what they want
• The ambient is casual and cozy in a way
• The flavours are a bit bland
• The spiciness is there to cover what is missing
• The guacamole on my tacos was of the can quality and my horchata was dusty and too sweet and separates mid meal in a clearer part at the top and the rest at the bottom
• As the place and people are really lovely
• Serves up modern day Mexican fare with a little hint of USA
• The order and pay at the counter is perfect for a birthday dinner as it means you don't have to worry about waiting for everyone to arrive and splitting bills at the end
• The food was amazing the best Mexican I've had in the UK so far
• The burritos and tacos were delicious and the cheesy beano fries as a shared starter were so good that we got them twice
• M a big Wahaca fan and love Mexican food so I was very excited to try DF Mexico
• The quirky restaurant fits right in to cool Shoreditch and is located just a short walk away from Spitalfields at The Old Truman Brewery
• The Old Truman Brewery is home to some of the hippest galleries
• The service was basic and abrupt
• The portions were really generous
• I really fancied a Mexican and happened to be at an event in The Old Truman Brewery (a really cool place to visit with lots going on at the weekends)
• I stumbled across DF/Mexico and was NOT disappointed
• The staff were extremely friendly and welcoming (definitely not basic) there are self service machines to order
• You can also order with a member of staff and I loved having the option
• This Mexican nicer than your usual fast food joint is a franchise with three stores across central London
• The food ranges in success but the tacos are always fair
• S bottomless agua frescas are another big plus from me
• The main reason was my FOMO &ndash

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