I was looking forward to eating Latin and drinking Latin. Central Milton Keynes has been crying out for a difference in food venue for a while now. Welcome to  Las Iguanas.

I arrived to the new “square” situated behind the Jury’s Inn and Encore Hotel. It was a Thursday evening and the restaurant was buzzing. This was to be my third visit in ten days. That says a lot already.

Robin, who is friendly and knowledgeable greeted us and showed us to the bar upon arrival which was packed with varieties of South American wines, beers and caipirinhas…a Brazilian local favourite.

Please beware there is no such thing as a Chardonnay in the restaurant. As I like to have a glass or two of red wine, Robin recommended a wine by the name of Vina Plata from Argentina, a soft, fruity red berried wine. My guest opted for lemonade with squeezed lime over crushed ice. Seemingly boring but refreshing indeed.

Décor

The décor is modern with a big print displayed over the main back wall with an ‘L’ shaped floor plan. The kitchen is viewable by the customers and looks like a huge fireplace, with lots of waiters beavering around to collect and serve food to your table. We were shown to our booth like table, which was extremely comfortable. The table was great for people watching.

Starters/Tapas

There are twelve starters on the main menu so you have lots to choose from. We chose to start with these 3 dishes:

Queso Frito (New)                                                                                                                                                                       Brie & Fresh Mango tortilla parcel served with Mango and coriander salsa was a crispy delight as the knife opened the parcel with the cheese oozing out. This dish is for the cheese lover.

Seviche                                                                                                                                                                                 Yellowfin tuna and crayfish marinated with fresh mango, citrus juices, red chillies and salad. Beware this comes cold. I thought the dish may be warm so was disappointed when it arrived as I prefer warm fish. This was still a nice, light starter for anyone saving themselves for a larger main.

Peri-Peri                                                                                                                                                                                    Crisp cassava coated chicken with Brazilian-style garlic, chillie and lemon sauce.

This was my favourite dish of the three. The chillie infused with lemon left you wanting more. This dish could and should be placed on the Mains menu section.

Overall the starters/Tapas were tasty and left you with a tingle on the tongue from the light spices.

Our host Robin could not be more helpful. He suggested we try the Caipirnhas, a classic favourite for the locals in Brazil made with Stolichnaya Vodka. These were very refreshing served over a muddled whole lime, sugar and cachaca (distilled sugarcane) you can also try Caipirnhas with a mix of pineapple or fresh orange, popular in the summer months 

The mains menu has a selection of sixteen dishes ranging from Fajitas, Enchilada’s and Chile Con Carnies. The Chicken Fajita’s are amazing with the chicken melting in your mouth. I had this on my previous visit.

Mains

Chimichanga                                                                                                                                                                              Crisp tortilla parcel served with chilled salsa, creamy soured cream, fresh guacamole, rice and refried beans with a chose of Roast butternut squash, zucchini (North American Courgette) and cheese or spiced chicken with tomato and chillie sauce and cheese. The presentation of the dish was nice to the eye. Almost like the tortilla was a brand new boat floating in creamy waters. Again like the queso friti the cheese melted over the knife and was very succulent.

Carne Grildado                                                                                                                                                                         Simply seasoned and flame grilled, served with your choice of patatas bravas, mixed salad or cassava fries and your choice of salsa criollo (Area of Spain) All steaks are Argentine and matured for at least 21 days with four varieties:

Fillet/Rib Eye/Sirloin/Lamb Rump           

I fancied the fillet (Medium rare). It was cooked to perfection. Robin recommended cassava fries (Chunky Columbian fries) the portion was small but chunky, crisp and tasty. As they were so tasty, we ordered another portion.

Almost every person I know who has visited Las Iguanas has tried the Xinxim. This dish is Pele’s favourite; Brazilian lime chicken in creamy crayfish and peanut sauce with rice, fine beans and sweet plantain (close relative of banana). It reminded me of my travels in Malaysia having their Chicken Satay which was and is always wonderful. Xinxim is very tasty and is kept warm on the table throughout the meal. Really nice for dipping freshly baked bread from the nibbles section on the menu.

Desserts

Chocolate Banoffi Pie                                                                                                                                                                  Rich and smooth chocolate, toffee and banana fudge over a light biscuit base with caramel sauce. This is definitely one for the chocolate lover. I personally found it heavy as I have a more savoury tooth.

Cheesecake                                                                                                                                                                              Wow! The cheesecake is creamy, refreshing, light, crunchy and left us both wanting more.

Atmosphere                                                                                                                                                                               The atmosphere is always buzzing and it is hard to book a table at the weekends without giving plenty of advance notice. The bar area is busy and with the music people are relaxed and willing to waiter.

Service                                                                                                                                                                                      The staff was all willing to help each other and they attentive to every individual and there are lots of genuine smiles.

Book in advance, as Las Iguanas will be busy for a long time to come.