A Taste of Mexico

FOOD FILE: Really good Mexican food isn’t widely available here, so the Mexican Embassy’s “A Taste of Mexico” food festival, …

FOOD FILE:Really good Mexican food isn't widely available here, so the Mexican Embassy's "A Taste of Mexico" food festival, running at Uisce restaurant and Stíl bar in the Hilton hotel in Charlemont Place, Dublin, until next Thursday, is a terrific opportunity to explore that country's fascinating culinary heritage.

Chef Margarita Carrillo (left), co-owner, with her husband and three sons, of restaurant Don Emiliano’s in Los Cabos, Mexico, and La Colina in Tokyo, is bringing a flavour of contemporary Mexican food to the festival and has designed special menus with the hotel’s executive chef, Chad Byrne. Lunch menus at Stíl bar (€12) will run from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, and in the evenings two- or three-course Mexican menus (€27/€32) will be served in Uisce restaurant. On Friday night there will be a lively Mexican barbecue, with music from a traditional mariachi band. One of the best features of the entire festival is the opportunity to learn how to cook proper Mexican food with chef Carrillo at the embassy residence in Ballsbridge. The first session takes place this morning, but there are two further classes on Monday and Tuesday (3.30pm-5.30pm), with different dishes on the menu each day. The classes cost €35 each and must be pre-booked with the embassy,

tel: 01-6673105.