Eat. Chill. Vibes at Chilitos Jamexican Restaurant
Eat. Chill. Vibes at Chilitos Jamexican Restaurant
Over the years, Chilitos Jamexican restaurant has made its delectable imprint on the tastebuds of Jamaicans near and far. Ever since their big move to their new hone at 88 Hope Road, the restaurant has consistently delivered quality meals at affordable prices to cement their mark on the Kingston foodie scene as one of the top local restaurants.
Just last Tuesday, a planetary alignment occurred that saw Taco Tuesday and Cinco de Mayo both occurring on the same Tuesday. And all signs seemed to point towards Chilitos to get your fix of your favourite Jamexican dishes. Unfortunately due to social distancing and all the surrounding issues, the usually eagerly anticipated Cinco de Mayo celebrations had to be curtailed and relegated to Chilitos only offering their food via delivery services. Bummer I know. But the show must go on and the food must be eaten.
Tacos served at Chilitos Jamexican Restaurant
A few months back, before the world was thrusted into disarray and life would change as we know it; I went to Chilitos with a motley group of wangagut food bloggers ( @thedonutflylist, @pinkpeachhh and @keitsnc) to try out Chilitos' newly revitalized menu. As cultivators of unique creative dishes executed to perfection, Chilitos' recently launched their new menu to patrons and being the hungry bellies that we are, we had to try it out.
Chilitos Jamexican Restaurant is a fusion restaurant that sees the pairing of 2 unexpected allies that just seem to come together in perfect alignment. The fresh, spicy and flavourful Mexican food is served with a well-seasoned, well- marinated Jamaican twist. A pairing that has led to a close-knit relationship that rivals the likes of seasoned favourites like patty and cocoa bread, bun and cheese, ackee and saltfish, fry chicken with curry gravy, burger and fries, fish and chips, you get the picture. It has just been a match made in heaven. A dynamic duo of epic proportions.
We entered the buzzing eatery with our stomachs ready to be filled with the delectable delights from the Chilitos menu. The ambiance of the rustic Mexican vibe and decor setting the backdrop of what promised to be a wonderful evening out with fellow foodies.
Related Post: Hungry Man Jamaica : A delicious Lunchtime Makeover
Appetizers
To start the evening off, we browsed the menu and ordered our appetizers. We each tried to get something different so that we have an array of options. However, things came to a bit of a stall when everyone wanted the Jamexican Elote. In the end, we ordered the Elote, as well as the Chimichangas, Wet Taquitos and the Chilaquiles.
Jamexican Elote
The Elote was the appetizer on everyone’s minds ever since it made its debut last year during pop up events like Kingston Kitchen and Meet Street. For those of you who are unfamiliar, an elote is a dish comprised of cooked sweet corn slathered in a spicy mixture of mayonnaise, crema, and chili powder and then sprinkled with cheese.
Before I go on, I just have to admit that to this day I still haven’t tried the Elote. While my other 3 compatriots devoured the scrumptious corn in record time, I opted to add a little variety to the mix and chose the Chimichangas as my appetizer. I’ve gone back to Chilitos and tried a few times since then to get my hand on the precious but it seems like luck has forsaken me because it’s always sold out. But I’ll get you my pretty and your little topping too (*cackles in witch voice).
Chimichanga
As I mentioned before, for appetizer, I chose the chimichanga which is a tortilla deep fried to a crisp and filled with a meat or bean mixture. Served as a three piece appetizer, I chose to get a mix of fillings getting the chimichangas filled with pork, beef and chicken. They were served with a nacho dipping sauce which complemented effortlessly.
I really liked this appetizer. It was flaky in that nice type of way, not too crumby but just right. When you bit into it you got that nice crunchiness and then the burst of flavours from the meat (or non-meat if you so choose) filling just added pure pleasure to the mix. My favourite filling hands down had to be the pork. It was absolutely scrumptious.
Main Course
Like the greedy Gretchens that we are, we couldn’t just stop at the appetizers. We are the go big or go home kind of girls, so we opted to get items from the main menu as well. Guys, get you a girl with a healthy appetite. Salads may be healthy, but burrito bowls for the win. #eatgood
For the main menu, Chilitos gives you the option to mix and match and produce your own creation. With a selection of Mexican dishes such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, burrito bowl and more; enhanced by a flavourful array of fillings including chili beef, jerk chicken, fajita jerk pork and for the vegetarians/vegans among us black beans, cauliflower and ackee and plantain are options. Then to top it all off, you get to pick your own salsa including their newest addition to the menu, the corn salsa.
For our main course meals we chose the wet burrito with the grilled chicken filling, quesorito with the pork filling, one of my absolute favourite dishes the nacho supreme with pork filling and of course tacos with cauliflower filling and cilantro rice on the side.
Let me tell you these mains were all shareable sizes. Powerhouse of meals packed with flavours that just tasted absolutely amazing. My mouth is literally watering just from thinking about each and every one of these dishes. They are definitely must try’s.
Going to Chilitos and not getting at least one taco is like going to the movies and not watching the movie that's playing. It just seems like a bit if a waste. But the surprise came in how good the cauliflower filling was. I’m not vegan or vegetarian so I never would’ve imagined how amazing the cauliflower filling would be. And trust me, it’s really really good. It’s definitely a delectable vegan friendly alternative or if you just want to try something a little new to your diet. Plus it’s even better with the new sweet and sour coleslaw, roasted salsa and scallion crema Delicious I tell you. Delicious!!!
Drinks
I don’t know about you but no meal is complete without a cool beverage to wash it all down with.
Chilitos is very well known for their excellent drink innovations and concoctions. Brews like Sorrel margaritas during Christmas time and their weekly held Margarita Mondays, has been savoured on the lips of many patrons and secured Chilitos’ position as a mixology mecca for flavourful drink experiences. So when we also noted that they extended their drink menu to offer new selections, we all knew we just had to try something from the drink menu.
The new signature cocktails added to Chilitos’ all star drink lineup were the Dutty Paloma, El Wasteman, Jamexican Shandy and Pine & Tequila.
The El Wasteman has been the social media most buzzed about drink from the new menu, but I opted for the Jamexican Shandy this time around. I wanted a good time but I wanted to be able to drive home and the El Wasteman intimidated me a bit honestly. It seems like the kind of drink you need to have time to let flow through and I had things to do in the morning so… Jamexican Shandy it is.
The Jamexican Shandy is an ecclectic mix of the Jamaican brand beer Red stripe ( also Barrack Obama's favourite beer #themanhastaste), ginger beer, tequila and lime. The drink in served in a can-shaped container with the red stripe on the side for you to pour it in. Once you pour in the beer, you’re given a fizzy surprise as the drink starts to release the fun bubbles that many of us loved as a kid. The drink itself was pretty chill. It has a similar taste to the beer but the addition of the ginger beer changes the flavour to a gentler taste on the palate. It’s smooth and very easy to drink in sips or gulps if you so choose. And it tastes really good and it’s not too strong that you’ll be wobbling out of Chilitos. I recommend, especially for the lightweights among us.
And afterall those improvements and additions, Chilitos still added more to the menu by offering a Kids menu and a choice of dessert Churros with Chocolate Sauce; a sweet treat to end the meal and satisfy the soul.
I think overall the new addition and changes to the menu was a much needed breath of fresh air to a beloved local hotspot. The variety gives you more to look forward to and makes it so each meal is a new experience, even if you’re just simply changing the filling and nothing else.
So how about you? Have you tried anything from the new Chilitos menu yet? Have you ever been to Chilitos before? What is your favourite local restaurant? I’d love to find out so leave your comments down below.
