The Review - RESTAURANTS Published: 29 November 2007
The restyled burrito bus, now an established sight in Whitecross Street Market
Catch the bus down Mexico way
Some like it hot, and with a new burrito food factory pulling up at Whitecross Street Market, a spicy bite is guaranteed,
writes Jamie Welham
MEXICO – the land of sombreros, salsa and tequila – seems a long way from drab, wintry London. It’s true that thanks to globalisation the “wrap” is now ubiquitous, and though once a rare sight, a bottle of Corona beer can be picked up in even the most short-stacked off licence. But finding authentic Mexican food is a different story.
One man addressing the gap in the market is Simon Luard.
He has converted an old school bus into a shiny burrito factory, bringing some much-needed Latin spirit to Islington’s taste-bud temple – Whitecross Street Market. “She’s not the most reliable bus in the world – she gives me a lot of grief but I saw the potential,” said Simon. The striking green Citroen is in its third incarnation after stints as a French school bus and a Dutch camper van.
Simon, 27, literally rescued it from the scrap- heap in March and was up and trading by April. “It was on its last legs and we got it over to London, gutted it and gave it a lick of paint,” he said.
A bus driver is one thing, but an Essex boy tossing tacos like a Mexican? How did such an unlikely combination come about? “I’m certainly not Mexican. I used to go to festivals a lot and worked in one of my mate’s chocolate vans so I knew the way it worked. I quickly came to the conclusion that Mexican food was the best street food and I knew I could make it better and fresher, so I settled on burritos.”
Simon is on hand to talk through the uninitiated – does anyone actually know the difference between an enchilada and a fajita, a quesillada and a burrito? Not to mention the question of frijoles.
But is he just providing some kind of culinary shortcut for the famously undiscerning British palate? Rest assured, he doesn’t just slap some salsa on some fried chicken strips, mash up some avocado and wrap it in flour. “It’s not as easy as it looks,” says Simon defensively. “For a start I’ve got my aunt’s secret Salsa recipe that I make from scratch every day and I go to special Mexican markets and wholesalers for the chillis and beans.”
Talking of chillis, for those who like to live on the edge – what an ad-man might term “experience chasers” – Simon has the whole gamut of eye-watering varieties to make your burrito hotter than a Pablo Escobar smoking gun.
Does he ever tire of Mexican food? “One of the best things about the market is that there’s so much other food to eat,” he said. “We all get on really well – there are some wicked people here and we muck in and divvy up the food. I’m just pleased there aren’t any other Mexican stalls.”
After tasting one of his burritos I can second that.
Get down there and get some fire in your belly.
* Simon Luardo’s van is at Whitecross Street Market, EC1 from Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm
Comment on this article. (You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)
