Midnight Mexican fix

All too wellacquainted with spontaneous 1 am hunger pangs thanks to his years as an undergrad student at the UKrsquos Kingston University Chinmay Dhuwali knew he had to tap into ldquoMumbairsquos midnight munchies marketrdquo as he puts it Particularly Tex Mex food in all its refried beansmeetsguacamolemeetsmelted queso cheese glory ldquoIn the UK I fell in love with Chipotle the Tex Mex restaurant chain It was basic healthy customisable and something you could eat every day When I got back I was craving Mexican food So I ordered from a Mexican joint and was dismayed to find that the food wasnrsquot anywhere close to authentic Mexicanrdquo he recallsLamb barbacoa quesadillaAnd so armed with his marketing degree the 25yearold decided to launch Mexibay a few months ago A smart portmanteau combining Mexico and Bombay this Bandra Eastbased cloud kitchenrsquos menu offers a wide range that is divided into seven main parts including breakfast vegan vegetarian and nonvegetarian main courses munchies desserts and beveragesDesigned by Armin Puerto a chef from Merida Mexico with over 30 years of experience under his belt in kitchens around the world we spotted the usual Tex Mex suspects the ubiquitous hard shell tacos and burritos and a few experimental dishes on the menuChipotle chicken wingsTake for instance the Mexican pizza topped with chicken chili con carne Rs 439 that is the biggest of the boxes in our neatly packed and labelled home delivery order Created on the lines of a giant tostada that sees a deepfried flour tortilla slathered with refried beans jalapenos chili con carne and drizzled with chipotle salsa and melted queso this hybrid ItalianMexican pie is messy satisfactionOur veg supreme chimichanga with mushroom al ajillo Rs 259 is a fat generously stuffed burrito that has been fried to crispy perfection Speaking of burritos our next order of the egg breakfast burrito Rs 239 from the early morning breakfast menu is another success with its creamy scrambled eggs delicious queso and black bean componentsWe canrsquot say the same for the bland and oily mashed potato flautas Rs 159 for three pieces that are spring rolllike deepfried mini tacos However the crispy chicken variant of the flautas Rs 199 for three pieces fares much better with its rich savoury flavourOur duo of refreshing aguas frescas mdash as Mexican fruitbased street side drinks are called mdash is the perfect accompaniment to our meal The tartness of the aqua de Cancun Rs 60 made with steeped jamaica hibiscus flowers is particularly delicious As is the citrusy burst of the cucumber and lime citric margarita Rs 60Vegan apple pie taquitosPaired with a silken cheese sauce our queso bowl with nacho chips Rs 229 is a delectable light snack and the perfect foil to the meaty richness of the lamb barbacoa quesadilla Rs 339 that we so wish didnrsquot have such finely shredded lamb Wersquod have rather preferred a bit of a chunkier texture to the meat But thatrsquos forgotten once we bite into one of the six plump and wellseasoned pieces that make up our order of chipotle chicken wings Rs 259 that we polish off in mere minutesOur final sampling shows us the sweet side to Tex Mex cuisine We savour the deepfried vegan apple pie taquitos R179 for three pieces that are so very moreish in all their caster sugardusted goodness The same can be said for the original Mexican churros Rs 149 for three pieces which to our delight are fried just right and are accompanied by a tub of Mexicanstyle spicy hot chocolate sauceAt Shop 1314 Ground Floor Building No2 Shastri Nagar CHSL Bandra EastDelivery Swiggy Zomato and ThriveTime 9 am to 2 am all daysCall 9004733733