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. |
