Tequila! Head to MadCo in Chennai for all things Mexican this week

At MadCo, Chennai’s intimate speakeasy, we sip on a cocktail inspired by both a michelada and a picante, and bite into a buttery Mexican grilled cheese with some queso beer sauce. All that seems to be missing is a sombrero, for those perfect Instagram photos of course. 

For the next few days, the speakeasy will host a Mexican pop up, with a food menu curated by Chef Mathangi Kumar, and cocktails to go with.

There are a selection of cocktails to choose from and Rohit Rajput, the bartender at MadCo is excited about olives, gooseberry and even a secret hot sauce he has perfected that features in the drinks. If you like sweet notes, go the Marigold Highball way and if it is savoury flavours that you crave, the sathukudi cocktail comes with three different types of salt on the glass; regular, a spicy Andhra one, and coriander. 

Prawn tostadas
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Special Arrangement

Ancho chiles, among the most popular chillies used in Mexican cuisine have been imported and there is a slow cooked beef cheek in the birria chat. Also try the squid karuvad, dried squid which is a speciality from Keelakarai on some panko-fried calamari. Because this is Mathangi’s version of Tex Mex, expect a lot of fiery local flavours as well.

“I wanted to play around with Mexican staples and while the menu is meat heavy, there is a lot that will appeal to the vegetarians. The quesarotta for instance, comes stuffed with paneer, and we also have grilled baby corn tossed in a cowboy butter and orange miso glaze,” Mathangi explains. 

We tuck into fajita chicken, rich with cheddar and stuffed between fluffy fried potato buns, a panko crusted calamari that comes heaped with a generous sprinkling of squid karuvad, and semolina fried fish served on creamy cauliflower puree then topped with gobi 65, salsa and onions. The corn tortillas here are made from masa corn, which is a nice change from the store bought tortillas you see everywhere.

For the mains, the menu features roasted whole peppers stuffed with lemon-coriander rice, with the option to add juicy bits of chorizo for non-vegetarians. A creamy corn rigatoni, tossed in a garlic butter and white wine sauce, celebrates all things corn, befitting of a Mexican pop-up.

Owing to the ongoing LPG crisis, MadCo had downsized their menu and closed for lunch service just over a week ago. They then did an overnight pivot with induction stoves. “I am very proud of how resilient the team was. In 48 hours, everyone worked together and turned the entire kitchen electric,” says Santhosh Zachariah Abraham, MadCo’s managing partner. He adds that the pop-up is, in many ways, a celebration of his team, and their way of telling customers they are back, and ready for new challenges.

The Mexican pop-up at MadCo will run from Tuesday onwards for both lunch and dinner. For reservations, contact madco _chennai on Instagram.