Latin American eaterie strikes gold with its Rio-inspired new offering
Mourning the end of the Olympics already? The Rio spirit is still in full swing over at Las Iguanas, where they’re serving up a limited edition menu in honour of the Games until the end of August.
We can vouch for the fact that the Carioca menu – which takes its inspiration from Brazilian cuisine – hits gold, featuring loads of interesting and authentic dishes, both sweet and savoury. As always with Las Iguanas, it’s great value to boot, with two courses plus a drink setting you back just £17 (or three for £20).
For starters, we recommend kicking things off with the delectable Dadinhos: cheesy little bites of heaven which come served with a lip-smackingly good sweet chili jam, or the crispy crab and prawn croquettes, accompanied by a zingy lime aioli.
For mains, check out the Bahian coconut chicken – a dreamily creamy Latin American curry which sings with coriander and cayenne. Steak fiends will adore the Pichana, a traditional Brazilian cut of rump beef, char-grilled to perfection then sliced and served with a punchy salsa and sweet potato and cassava fries. There’s a great veggie curry on offer too in the shape of the Moqueca de palmitos, featuring butternut squash, charred red peppers and palm hearts and served with plantain. We also loved the Churrasco skewers, with their flame-grilled and honey glazed halloumi, beetroot and artichoke, drenched in honey peri-peri sauce (the kind of dish which you never want to end).
Desserts are equally as enticing, featuring trembleque (a luscious, cocounut set pudding with berries and mango puree), and the rich delights of the Brigadeiro, a chocolate ganache inspired by Zaza’s Rio restaurant.
With sunshine on the cards now’s a great time to visit Las Iguanas – it’s the perfect summer spot with its peachy positioning on Quayside, large outside seating area and, of course, endless happy hour. But, if the sofa is calling and you you can’t summon the energy to make the trip – you’ll be pleased to hear that they’re now on Deliveroo, meaning you can get the good stuff biked directly to your front door at the merest click of a button, hurrah!
