Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 21 and Version 7 of Sala Piquin, SW9 8LD
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| Sala Piquin was a Mexican taqueria and grocery shop on Market Row in [[Locale Brixton|Brixton]], previously known as Casa Morita. It closed down in 2020, with the owners stating that "We have sadly had to leave our unit in Brixton Market Row and are in a period of transition." As of August 2020 the unit [https://www.instagram.com/p/CDlYzefHsKj/ has been taken over by] West African restaurant Chishuru. |
Authentic, good-quality and fun Mexican taqueria on Market Row in [[Locale Brixton|Brixton]]. |
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The information below is retained for historical purposes. |
Casa Morita had only been open for a day when [[itsbruce]] and Jen visited; the decor and menu were initially both quite basic but the proprietors have already significantly improved both. |
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<div class="old_info"> Mexican taqueria and grocery shop on Market Row in [[Locale Brixton|Brixton]]. |
In the opening week, free totopos and chipotle mayonnaise were provided at the tables (no longer the case). The totopos were satisfyingly crunchy and the creamy, piquant mayonnaise very addictive. There were three kinds of taco filling on offer; three of any combination could be had for £6. This was the only option on the food menu<small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsbruce/6153591439/ photo]</small>. The gluten-free tacos are soft enough to be folded but with a hint of brittleness so that there is a faint crunch when you do so. Of the fillings, [[itsbruce]] and Jen thought the mole rojo with chicken was the best, with very tender meat and a rich, complex sauce. The chorizo and guacamole does make a very good combination, though, the creamy avocado a good complement to the dryness of the sausage. The rajas (peppers) with cream filling is the lightest of the three; the peppers are not overcooked and retain some texture and their flavour is enhanced by the cream rather than being masked. |
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It was previously known as Casa Morita <small>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/26031658843/ photo]</small>, but rebranded to Sala Piquín in early 2020. A staff member told us that it's the same people running it but the focus has changed from Mexico to "Mexico and more", with a few "fusion" dishes added to the menu; they also intend to increase their grocery selection and reconfigure the space to allow them to host events. |
Since the first week, the menu has been expanded, changes regularly and has become much more vegetarian-friendly<small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsbruce/6173051971/in/photostream/ photo of page 1] [http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsbruce/6173581060/ photo of page 2]</small>, usually with several extras on the Specials menu. Tacos are now £2.25 each or three for £6; on most days there is an extra, vegetarian taco filling available on the Specials section. There is also now a brunch menu, usually offering huevos rancheros, heuvos revueltos and huevos divorciados, each of which is £7 for the vegetarian version or £8 with added chorizo. |
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It's a small space — a single market unit with seating inside for around 25 (half of it on tall stools) and four more tables out the front in the glass-roofed market row. The floor is unfinished concrete, and the walls are painted in dove grey, complemented by the bright pink and light grey of the folding chairs that provide all the normal-height seating. Cutlery and paper napkins sit in old tomatillo cans on the varnished wooden tables. |
On a September visit in the opening week, [[itsbruce]] and Jen both had one of each taco filling and a glass of hibiscus water (which was nicely refreshing while not too sweet). Service was very quick, which was not surprising given that tacos were the only thing on the menu but which does speak well of their level of organisation. Because of the swift service, high quality of the food and small portions, they then had the same again. The final bill was £30, service not included. |
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[[itsbruce]] and Jen first visited in September 2011, just a day after it opened for the first time. Totopos (tortilla chips) were satisfyingly crunchy, and the accompanying creamy, piquant chiptole mayonnaise was very addictive. A glass of hibiscus water was nicely refreshing while not too sweet. |
On an October lunchtime visit, [[itsbruce]] had a chance to sample the expanded menu, ordering a tomato salad (£3) and a vegetarian tostada (£4.50 <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsbruce/6246494774/in/photostream photo]</small>). The salad was fresh, crisp and lightly but piquantly seasoned. The tostada was possibly the best dish [[itsbruce]] has ever been served in a Mexican restaurant in London; the tortilla base was crisp and firm without being brittle, so that it could be cut into smaller sections with a knife but those pieces could then be lifted to the mouth with a hand and not collapse. A thin layer of black bean paste was spread across the tortilla, on top of which was a mixture of lettuce and goats cheese, coated in a creamy guacamole. The whole dish was absolutely delicious. With the addition of a bottle of Ossies ginger beer (which can be found in many of the Market Row and Brixton Village cafes and restaurants, £2.20 at Casa Morita), the final bill was £9.70. Service was still very fast, despite the larger menu and confirmed popularity of the venue. |
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We also had a couple of rounds of tacos (£6 for any three). The tortillas were soft enough to be folded, but with a hint of brittleness so that folding produced a faint crunch. Of the fillings, we thought the mole rojo with chicken was the best, with very tender meat and a rich, complex sauce. The chorizo and guacamole did make a very good combination, though, the creamy avocado a good complement to the dryness of the sausage. The rajas (peppers) with cream filling was the lightest of the three; the peppers weren't overcooked and retained some texture, and their flavour was enhanced by the cream rather than being masked. |
There is seating for 20 people and it is possible to stand and eat at the bar when they are full (this taqueria has become deservedly popular, with short queues often forming at the busiest parts of the day). They also offer a takeaway service (tacos and burritos only) and have begun to sell a small range of Mexican groceries (e.g. chipotle chillis in adobe sauce). |
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On a lunchtime visit in October 2011, [[itsbruce]] had a tomato salad (£3) and a vegetarian tostada (£4.50) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/itsbruce/6246494774/ photo]</small>. The tostada was possibly the best dish [[itsbruce]] has ever been served in a Mexican restaurant in London; the tortilla base was crisp and firm without being brittle, so that it could be cut into smaller sections with a knife but those pieces could then be lifted to the mouth with a hand and not collapse. A thin layer of black bean paste was spread across the tortilla, on top of which was a mixture of lettuce and goats cheese, coated in a creamy guacamole. The whole dish was absolutely delicious. The tomato salad was fresh, crisp, and lightly but piquantly seasoned. |
[[itsbruce]]'s verdict: This is authentic Mexican cuisine, not at all Tex-Mex and among the best to be found in London. The combination of high quality food and fast service make this a great stopping point on a night out in Brixton. |
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When [[Kake]] visited on a Thursday lunchtime in May 2019, at their opening time of noon I was the first customer of the day, but another arrived shortly afterwards. Upbeat music was playing, not too loud. La torta with queso fresco <small>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/47936169092/ photo]</small> was quite simple-looking, but done very well. The bread was lovely — light without being insubstantial — and the filling of black beans, spinach, tomato, onion, avocado, and queso fresco all went together just right. I'd order it again. Taco de cochinita pibil (pulled pork with spiced onions) <small>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/47936186498/ photo of both tacos]</small> was perhaps a little too oily, but the pork had a good texture. I liked the inclusion of fat and skin. The filling of the taco de vegetales al chipotle was cooked very soft; it wasn't very spicy, just gently warming, and had a subtle smokiness. As [[itsbruce]] notes above, the tortillas were very good, with just the right amount of roughness to the texture, and robust enough to keep in the vegetable juices while remaining soft enough to easily bite through without losing filling through the other end. [[Kake]] visited again with a friend in March 2020, after the rebranding to Sala Piquín. I didn't take detailed notes on the food this time, but the tacos <small>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49662111207/ photo]</small> were just as good as last time, as was chicken tostadita <small>[https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49661831976/ photo]</small>. On both [[Kake]]'s visits, service was friendly and helpful, a large swing-top bottle of tap water was placed on the table without me having to ask, and no service charge was added to the bill. Accessibility: No steps to get in. Toilets are the market toilets, just down the row, cost-free and step-free entry, including an accessible one. |
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* Photos of the menu as of March 2020: [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49661832311/ lunch], [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49661290908/ main], [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49662111647/ desserts], [https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49661832381/ drinks] * [https://www.chowhound.com/post/excellent-mole-poblano-casa-morita-brixton-market-london-807813 Chowhound thread] * [http://eatlovenoodles.blogspot.com/2011/11/full-mexican-casa-morita.html Eat Noodles Love Noodles review] * [http://web.archive.org/web/20150918235612/http://toastandbutter.net/ Toast & Butter review] |
* [http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/807813 Chowhound thread] |
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]] and friend, March 2020.</div> </div> address='Unit 9, Market Row, Brixton, SW9 8LB' category='Featured Article,Now Closed' |
<div class='last_verified'>Last visited by [[itsbruce]], 15 October 2011.</div> address='Unit 9, Market Row, Brixton' category='Cheap Food,Mexican Food,Mexican Groceries,Restaurants,Takeaway,Vegetarian Friendly' |
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formatted_website_text='' host='81.187.166.218' hours_text='' |
formatted_website_text='http://www.casamorit...' host='195.137.89.217' hours_text='10am-5:30pm Tue-Wd; 10am-9:30pm Thu-Sat; 10am-4:30pm Sun' latitude='51.461446' locale='Brixton,SW9' longitude='-0.111740' |
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node_image='https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49661291078_7c940578e8_m_d.jpg' node_image_copyright='Kake' node_image_licence='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/' node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/49661291078/' opening_hours_text='' phone='' postcode='' summary='Now closed; was a Mexican taqueria and grocery shop in Brixton, previously known as Casa Morita.' website='' website='http://www.casamorita.com/' |
node_image='https://farm7.static.flickr.com/6065/6154133822_3eb6ba9db1_m.jpg' node_image_copyright='itsbruce' node_image_licence='https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/' node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/itsbruce/6154133822/' opening_hours_text='10am-5:30pm Tue-Wd; 10am-9:30pm Thu-Sat; 10am-4:30pm Sun' os_x='531162' os_y='175353' phone='07952717351' postcode='SW9 8LB' website='' summary='Basic but very good taqueria in Market Row, Brixton.' website='http://www.casamorita.com/' |
Authentic, good-quality and fun Mexican taqueria on Market Row in Brixton.
Casa Morita had only been open for a day when itsbruce and Jen visited; the decor and menu were initially both quite basic but the proprietors have already significantly improved both.
In the opening week, free totopos and chipotle mayonnaise were provided at the tables (no longer the case). The totopos were satisfyingly crunchy and the creamy, piquant mayonnaise very addictive. There were three kinds of taco filling on offer; three of any combination could be had for £6. This was the only option on the food menuphoto. The gluten-free tacos are soft enough to be folded but with a hint of brittleness so that there is a faint crunch when you do so. Of the fillings, itsbruce and Jen thought the mole rojo with chicken was the best, with very tender meat and a rich, complex sauce. The chorizo and guacamole does make a very good combination, though, the creamy avocado a good complement to the dryness of the sausage. The rajas (peppers) with cream filling is the lightest of the three; the peppers are not overcooked and retain some texture and their flavour is enhanced by the cream rather than being masked.
Since the first week, the menu has been expanded, changes regularly and has become much more vegetarian-friendlyphoto of page 1 photo of page 2, usually with several extras on the Specials menu. Tacos are now £2.25 each or three for £6; on most days there is an extra, vegetarian taco filling available on the Specials section. There is also now a brunch menu, usually offering huevos rancheros, heuvos revueltos and huevos divorciados, each of which is £7 for the vegetarian version or £8 with added chorizo.
On a September visit in the opening week, itsbruce and Jen both had one of each taco filling and a glass of hibiscus water (which was nicely refreshing while not too sweet). Service was very quick, which was not surprising given that tacos were the only thing on the menu but which does speak well of their level of organisation. Because of the swift service, high quality of the food and small portions, they then had the same again. The final bill was £30, service not included.
On an October lunchtime visit, itsbruce had a chance to sample the expanded menu, ordering a tomato salad (£3) and a vegetarian tostada (£4.50 photo). The salad was fresh, crisp and lightly but piquantly seasoned. The tostada was possibly the best dish itsbruce has ever been served in a Mexican restaurant in London; the tortilla base was crisp and firm without being brittle, so that it could be cut into smaller sections with a knife but those pieces could then be lifted to the mouth with a hand and not collapse. A thin layer of black bean paste was spread across the tortilla, on top of which was a mixture of lettuce and goats cheese, coated in a creamy guacamole. The whole dish was absolutely delicious. With the addition of a bottle of Ossies ginger beer (which can be found in many of the Market Row and Brixton Village cafes and restaurants, £2.20 at Casa Morita), the final bill was £9.70. Service was still very fast, despite the larger menu and confirmed popularity of the venue.
There is seating for 20 people and it is possible to stand and eat at the bar when they are full (this taqueria has become deservedly popular, with short queues often forming at the busiest parts of the day). They also offer a takeaway service (tacos and burritos only) and have begun to sell a small range of Mexican groceries (e.g. chipotle chillis in adobe sauce).
itsbruce's verdict: This is authentic Mexican cuisine, not at all Tex-Mex and among the best to be found in London. The combination of high quality food and fast service make this a great stopping point on a night out in Brixton.
See also:
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