Review: Little Mexican Deli

The burrito trend is well established across NI. Where once ye'd have had better luck finding a direct flight to Mexico, these days you could solidly eat at a different Mexican food outlet for days on end and not have to go to the same place twice.

The newest addition to the scene, is Little Mexican Deli (LMD) on the Falls Road. The name is aptly descriptive – it's small and it serves Mexican food. Two points on the board already.

Initially the menu offers everything you expect it to; burritos (wrapped or in a bowl), fajita, tacos, quesadillas and nachos. The fillings are also what you would expect – chicken, pork, beef and veggies, accompanied by two types of rice, beans, peppers and onions and a wide selections of salsa's, sauces and sides. So far so good.

But then there is the little side menu of 'warm sandwiches', all of which are named after boxers. Intrigue peaked. Three points on the board.

The burrito might be the greatest food delivery system ever invented (some might say the Cornish Pasty, but until someone fills a pasty with Mexican wonders, they're are wrong. [Wait... I've just had a great idea!]) - it is a little foil wrapped wonder. And honestly you don't want someone messing around, trying to fancy up the contents. The basic ingredients are the same across multiple establishments for a good reason. Which means the test comes in how well the establishment work with those ingredients; rest assured, LMD, know exactly what they are doing.

The chicken quesadilla, which is pressed in a grill and cut into quarters, was cheesy and delicious with little pops of spice from the chopped jalapeños. The pulled chicken was delicately spiced allowing it to do a little dance with jalapeños and not just stack up on heat. All tempered by the melted cheese and sour cream (is there anything that can't be improved with cheese and sour cream?!).

The slow-braised beef (12 hours in a special herb and spice mix) offered a little more spice but again nothing overpowering. It also being "pulled" means that every small shred of meat is as tasty as the last. This is flavour that is in the very fibres of what you're eating, not just a cooked crust. Alongside the slight sweetness of grilled pepper and onions inside a burrito, it was a genuine struggle to put it down, but with yet more food to try and I had to pace myself.

I had the option of a pork burrito bowl, or delving into the sandwich menu – well, Erik Morales was calling to me and as it contained the same pork as the bowl, I decided to answer the call.

LMD offer 7 warm sandwiches, all named after boxers and all sounding utterly delicious. The staff – both ladies working that day were friendly and happy to chat, checking my preference and making suggestions – offered up no.3, the Erik Morales – mexican style pork, Spanish salami, yellow mustard, pickles and swiss cheese.

The pressed sandwich was immediately reminiscent of another Big List favourite, the Cuban Sandwich Factory. We already know how good CSF is and we're not looking to compare LMD's offering, but if we use CSF has the baseline, LMD's offering can not only compete, but easily stand in its own right.

The perfectly cooked and seasoned pork is the foundation of a truly special sandwich. Added to by the generous slices of spicier salami and that wonderful melted swiss cheese, all topped with the ideal cutting crunch of the pickle and and tart yellow mustard. This one I didn't put back down. Large enough to need two takeaway containers, I ate both, generously accompanied by occasional dunks of sour cream and hot sauce. It was perfect.

This is messy food, I take that as one of its upsides to be honest, and a true test of its quality can be found in this mess. Do you leave it, or do you get in there after it. Today, I chased down every scrap that fell from my sandwich. Every dribble of mustard was wiped up. Every scrap of pork and salami. I stopped just short of licking the box.

It may be just a few weeks old but Little Mexican Deli has clearly done all the essential work needed to be able to hit the ground running.

Yes, we're spoilt for choice when it comes to burritos these days, but this means we can be more selective and the truly great purveyors will stand out. The ten minute trip out of town to the beautifully decorated LMD – they've managed to fit an abundant amount of seating into their space – will pay dividends for not just the hungry, but the connoisseurs. And I will definitely be going back. I've got at least six more fights (sandwiches) lined up, and no doubt a couple of rematches.

Little Mexican Deli can be found at 189 Falls Road, next to St Mary's College and online at Facebook/Little-Mexican-Deli.

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