When it comes to fusion food, we’ve seen just about everything. There’s the popular Nikkei which blends flavours of Japan and Peru, boujee spots fronting Mediterranean and South American fusion, and now we’ve got Los Mochis; the West London restaurant that marries ‘Mexican spirit with Japanese elegance.’
South America meets East Asia at Los Mochis.
My choice for a Thursday evening date, the Notting Hill plot was bustling when we arrived. The dimly lit, cavernous restaurant saw tables spilling out onto the terrace and patrons drinking alfresco. Our pick, though, was inside – in full view of the sexy, yet trippy interiors… think huge paintings of Day of the Dead dogs and Yoda adorned in flowers.
Heading straight for the drinks section, I opted for a classic margarita (£14) embellished with a generous chilli rim. For my date, the shingo negroni (£14) which was a light mix of Nikka Days whiskey, plum sake, Campari, sweet vermouth and peat essence. Accompanied with a generous lashing of guacamole (£8.50), we were gently eased into the feast that was to come.
If you like tacos and tequila? You've come to the right place.
Opting for a little bit of everything, we kicked off with seabass ceviche (£15). As proper seafood lovers, we were impressed with this reinvented number; smothered in a generous helping of shiso-truffle soy and yuzu tobiko, which paired beautifully together for a punchy, moreish kick. Falafel (£11.50) felt quite out of place on the menu, especially when a California roll tostadito (£5.5.0 each) turned up on a crispy sweet potato base to knock the chickpeas out of the park.
The plates kept coming – everything from maki rolls and sashimi to tiraditos. Our highlights? Most definitely the open tacos. You can choose between lettuce wraps or soft corn tortillas, and we had to try the latter. Bang bang kani (£25) saw luscious morsels of Alaskan king crab layered with a spicy aioli and topped with avocado crema, yuzu, masago and coriander. The dynamite prawn (£17) was exactly that, while the miso black cod (£20) brought all the umami flavours – salty, sweet and elevated with cabbage, jalapeno and sweet potato crisps.
From sashimi to open tacos drenched with flavour, Los Mochis is cooking up a feast.
Coming in hot with a pink hot chilli paloma (£14) – think reposado, grapefruit soda and salt – and their signature Tommy’s margarita (£14), it was all things tequila for our finale. As for desserts? A chocolate fondant (£8.50) with dulche de leche and vanilla ice cream and the moreish matcha blondie (£9.50). A must for anyone who lives on matcha tea as much as me, it was bursting with flavour and perfectly offset with white chocolate and sorbet.
The DesignMyNight Digest
Not only does Los Mochis deliver on the food, but it’s got an energetic vibe too. Sure, the interiors will catch your attention, but there’s something about a great atmosphere that ticks that final box. Oh, and the margaritas… you’ll want to keep those coming.
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💰 The damage: around £150 for two. 📍 The location: around the corner from Notting Hill Gate station. 👌 Perfect for: lovers of tequila and tacos. ⭐ Need to know: book ahead - this place gets busy through the week. |
We've got more where that came from; discover our list of Notting Hill's best restaurants.
