Trust the natives

I felt a bit guilty dragging a Mexican friend to a Mexican restaurant in Prague, seeing as it was his first day in the city. But there would be plenty of time for pub food later, and I wanted to see how Las Adelitas - which opened in late 2009 to an excited buzz - stood up to the true test.

It didn't disappoint. The Mexican-run Las Adelitas serves authentic meals like you'd find in a casual, evening taqueria in Mexico, right down to the details of ingredients imported from the home country by the restaurant itself, which also doubles as a delivery service for those immobilized by their cravings for tacos, burritos, enchiladas and the like. It's not fine dining - sauces and salsas ended up on tables and T-shirts, at least in my case - and the tiny room quickly becomes boisterous, with each of the colorfully tiled tables packed on recent weekday visits. Those who hadn't reserved seating in advance were turned away or offered one of the few tables on the sidewalk.

The tables inside are so close together that, love it or hate it, the restaurant feels like one big fiesta, and you often have to shout over your neighbors' conversation to hear your own. Since the place is nonsmoking, there are often quite a few young families with small children, which can add considerably to the decibel level in such a small space.

But it's a fitting atmosphere for such friendly cuisine, and indeed, the Spartan interior may have arisen from necessity rather than design, seeing as there is little room for much furnishing, save tables. The devilishly good margaritas, made with quality El Jimador tequila, and available in classic, mango and chili incarnations, further the conviviality, especially by the liter jug for 329 Kč. A note about the tequilas on offer: They are high quality, perfect for sipping alongside snacks or starters, Mexican-style, rather than pounding back to avoid the sting.

Starting with a bowl of freshly made nachos is a must, and the green salsa, as well as the guacamole, was delicious. My friend commented that the green salsa tasted like it was from a jar - but the same jar that many places in Mexico use because it is so good (and quite difficult to make, using green tomatoes). It was smooth and quite watery but with a good kick, the chili seeds spreading out over each dipped chip.

The guacamole was homemade, a satisfyingly chunky cup of ripe avocados, roughly chopped onion and tomatoes. Guacamole - as well as salsas, extra beans, rice or sliced jalapenos - are also available as sides to any of the main dishes at extra charge.

The enchiladas rojas was my favorite dish sampled. The red salsa, made from dried chilis, packs less heat than the green, which is the way I prefer it in such quantities (having a pretty low tolerance for spiciness), and the sour cream and grated cheese on top were enough to add flavor without overwhelming the delicately marinated "tinga" style chicken inside the rolled tortillas. The portions are also sensible, and while you still feel a bit like a stuffed tortilla that needs to be rolled home after the meal, the cooks at Las Adelitas clearly focus on the flavors in a dish rather than simply piling on the extras to mask a lack of skill.

Red rice and refried beans automatically come with most meals, and make for good mixing and matching with other foods or leftover nachos. When we ordered tacos Al Pastor, however, someone forgot the "red" part of the side, leaving the rice grains bland and colorless.

Nevertheless, the tacos were quite good. Once tasted, the Al Pastor seasoning - a paste of cloves, cumin and dried chilis - is unforgettable. The seasoning clung to the chopped pork, and diced pineapple added a light sweetness. With one of the three tacos served, though, the juice had soaked through the soft tortilla, making it impossible to pick up. On the other side of the plate, the third taco didn't have nearly enough juice and verged on dry. There were also several very gristly bites of pork in each taco, one of which had to be discretely spat out.

The other dishes sampled, the tacos Dorado de Papas and the burrito de Conchinita, were excellent, the former being a great deal at 99 Kč for three crispy, fried rolled tortillas stuffed with flavorful baked potato and topped with salad, sour cream and cheese. This particular burrito came with nicely marinated "achiote" pork, pulled meat with a juicy tang packed into a solid and substantial wrap.

My Mexican friend, through the first mouthfuls of his enchiladas verdes, exclaimed, "Wow. This is really, really good. Exactly like what you'd get at home." I could tell it had exceeded whatever dubious expectations he may have had about finding true Mexican food in Prague, just as it certainly had mine.

Fiona Gaze can be reached at
fgaze@praguepost.com