Burritos by Mafia Chef at Ashvita Bistro, Bawa road, Alwarpet

This time yesterday (28/07/16) I was just leaving Ashvita Bistro after having an amazing Burrito made by Mafia Chef. He is here as part of the pop up restaurant theme that is organized by Ashvita Events occasionally.

I had seen the poster for this event on Facebook and wanted to definitely try it since the Chef's expertise was from his Mexican friends' families kitchens during his time abroad so was expecting it to be authentic. 

Ambiance

The Bistro has a lovely ambiance. One can go there with a group of friends just to chill out and have a few eats and I was seeing just that happening. Ideal place for a date as well should say. There's a loaded bookshelf and lots of curios on the walls to catch your attention. Tastefully decorated. Plenty of different seating arrangements both outdoors and indoors amidst greenery. 
















There's even a store that has knick knacks. The usual menu featuring dishes from continental, Thai and Chinese food is available too. Since it was quite warm as usual, I chose to sit indoors.

Finally, the lowdown on the burrito

One word, EPIC, YUMMY! Sorry, was that two? :PP The burrito Chef Devansh recommended was the "Loaded Chipotle Burrito" whose description is a tortilla stuffed with Spicy Spanish rice, refried beans, Smoky and spicy roasted tomatillo salsa, pico de gallo, Chipotle sour cream, Smoked guacamole, mixed green and cheddar cheese! I've not had Mexican food before and had only had a burrito once elsewhere (bad experience) so I was not sure what to expect. And I was unsure if *rice* would go well in a burrito *roll*. Whether it would suit my palate I mean. But one bite into the burrito and I knew there was nothing to worry. ;)NjfjfjfjfjfjCompletely new to Mexican cuisin

New

I have no idea about Mexican cuisine. I was clueless about all the Mexican sauces but the Chef got me up to speed quite fast. For example, "refried" beans - turns out this is not fried even once in reality. It is the literal translation of the Mexican word frijoles refritos resulting in it being called "Refried!", Pico de gallo - which is freshly made salsa was smartly chopped up sprinkled with lemon, smoked guacamole (guacamole is an avocado based dip which I was eager to try. Avodacos have been imported to get that authentic taste Chef said.), greens - he uses Romaine Lettuce which has a more leafy flavor instead of the usual iceberg. All these freshly chosen ingredients meld together to make each bite an extremely yummy and satisfying one. Interestingly the ingredients are carefully arranged in inside the burrito so they aren't mixed up inside. The cut half looks lovely. Even the Tortilla was crunchy and just prepared, so there was an amazing unmistakably home made feel to it. I hope this quality is maintained. The crackle of the tortilla leads to the cheesy fresh moderately spiced rice complimenting the Chipotle sour cream with good amount of braised chicken in a chipotle adobo sauce. Mmmm, yess! The Pico de gallo can be heaped on if you love avocado flavor. This is one humongous burrito!

Since I had a good appetite I was able to finish it off. They present it cut half and wrapped in foil. It is a 12 inch tortilla they use so one of these can easily fill up two eaters if you're not that hungry. It's thicker than a coke can! :D I was feeling full for the next 6 hours and only had a very light dinner.

Pricing on first glance is on the higher side I would say. It was 325 per non-veg burrito and incl ST and SC (5%) pushed the price to Rs 368. But given the superb ingredients used, the quaint ambiance of the Bistro and mainly the yummy taste, this is well justified. Will be cool if they can offer a smaller version too in the future. Finally it seems the event has been extended to another 3 months from just a week due to the enthusiastic response! :)Eager to try the other varieties too!