Comida Dell'Arte
June 3rd, 2007
London is a hotbed of fine world cuisine - but it usually comes at a price.
So when a friend told me about Comida Mexicana, an understated restaurant around the corner from my flat in Clerkenwell where "you can eat the best spaghetti carbonara in London" for £3.50 (including a can of Coke or whatever tickles your fancy), I was happy to give it a try and boy was I right.
Actually, understated is the understatement of the century. From the outside, it looks more like a place where food is processed rather than actually eaten. The banner above the entrance hasn't changed since Maggie Thatcher was pounding the unions with her iron fist, and passersby have to sidestep two tables placed perilously close to the road.
The interior is spartan: three wooden tables and a handful of chairs. However, the beauty of the place resides just there: it's completely unpretentious. And the best is yet to come. Fifteen minutes or so after you order (yes, the food is freshly made and the wait is caused only by something called cooking), the discreet but friendly Bulgarian owner brings along this finest of Italian dishes: carbonara. A large scattering of Parmesan later and it's ready.
No nauseating cream - this is real carbonara. The balance between the bacon and the egg sauce is just perfect. Culinary paradise? I think so. But in order to keep your attention, the choice of dishes doesn't stop there.But don't count on me to tell you what they are. I don't even bother to look at the menu anymore.
Comida Mexicana
Goswell Road
London EC1V
