Oranj, the first natural wine bar in Shoreditch, operates a rotating kitchen residency, and their upcoming guests are coming all the way from Mexico City.
One of the hottest taquerias in a city where the competition is fierce, Cariñito Tacos have made a name for themselves by taking the classic Mexican dish and infusing it with flavours and cuisines from around the world. Seeing as the Cariñito team features chefs who've honed their skills at some of the finest dining establishments in the world, including London's own The Ledbury, you know there's some serious culinary creativity on display here.
Cariñito Tacos are especially fond of the Issan region in northeast Thailand and Laos, finding a lot of sour, salty, and spicy overlap in the culinary traditions. As such, their Oranj menu will feature the following tacos, all made with specially imported Mexican tortilla flour:
- Taco Issan: Pulled pork belly with northeast seasoning, rice powder, chicharron (pork rind), and fresh mint.
- Taco de Coliflor Cariñito: Confit cauliflower with citric aromatics, fermented bean puree, and xnipec.
- Taco Canto: Pork confit in eight-spice mix, fried until crispy, flour tortilla, hoisin, homemade sauce, and house pickles.
- Taco de Berenjena: eggplant confit in soy sauce, seasoned with tamarind, basil, and fried shallot.
In addition, the menu will feature an array of other delicacies, such as grilled red snapper, marinated with pibil sauce, and lamb shank barbacoa.
The Cariñito Tacos residency at Oranj begins on 31 May and lasts until 29 July 2023. Bookings are open here.