Eat Surrey is delighted to announce that Araceli has opened their first restaurant in Woking and of course the food is as good as ever!
16 Commercial Way, Woking GU21 6ET
Authentic Hispanic street food produced by a native Mexican in the heart of Woking
The upside: Soft overfilled burritos, crispy tacos and cheesy nachos
The downside: They close at 9pm and on Sundays and Bank Holidays!
The flipside: This lovely independent has a made a smooth move selling from a van to a proper location in Woking!
Surrey isn’t really known for its street food so when a dedicated food friend told me about this Mexican I knew it deserved a visit. This colourful mobile unit fills one end of this slightly dreary market, like a desert oasis. Outdoor tables are set out with vibrant patterned cloths and the van itself with its large signs and menu boards stands out a mile. The market is being developed and although Ariceli didn’t get a stall in the new market walk she has a better venue in Commercial Way. With a proper kitchen and a squeaky clean venue its better than ever!
The menu revolves around pulled meats marinated and cooked freshly every day. There are traditional Mexican recipes, for example, chicken with smoky chipotle and tomato. There’s also pork seasoned with orange and spices cooked overnight in a banana leaf plus brisket with traditional spices. Add to this, rice, black beans, guacamole and sour cream and the flavours start to build. Pica de Gallo, which is a mix of finely chopped onion, tomato, fresh coriander and Zaca Zaca (a hot chilli sauce) end the assembly line. Vegetarians don’t miss out here with a mix of caramelised onions, mushrooms, peppers and cheese. How, I pondered, did this Mexican food find its way to Woking?
Araceli spared a few minutes to share her story. After finishing her training as a lawyer in Mexico City she soon realised that this was not the life was not for her. So she followed her love of cooking and started making tacos and burritos, delivering them to offices at lunchtime. Her business thrived but falling in love and marrying a British expat eventually bought her here. Building on the success of her first business she decided to set up shop in Woking.
On each of my visits there has been a constant stream of customers, arriving on foot and by bicycle. There is a buzz of acknowledgement that this is a cool place to pick up lunch. Portions are generous and even though I opted for a Naked Burrito (£5.50) with Cochinita Pibil (pulled pork) served minus the soft wrap, the rice, beans and meat made a satisfying healthy lunch. My daughter had a Chicken Burrito (10”, £5 or12”, £5.50) and loved the additions of guacamole, sour cream and the Pica de Gallo giving depth to each mouthful. The wrap is tightly secured with foil keeping it warm while you eat and stopping it falling apart – high risk since they pack to the maximum.
All the pulled meats are cooked until they are melt-in-the-mouth which is perfect for the format. We also shared a portion of nachos. These light corn tortillas were sprinkled with cheese and heated then topped with the same sauces used for the burritos. They were moreish – the melted cheese with the crispy chips were hard to resist. My carnivorous teenage son went for the 12″Beef Burrito (£6.00) and polished it off demanding a return visit ASAP. We’d had tacos on a previous visit and can vouch for them too. This is delicious, healthy fast food and a real Woking asset.
With their new venue up and running they are looking to expand the menu for evening dining as they also have a licence! Keep up to date with them on facebook and twitter (links on the website)