We decided on Tex-Mex for Sunday lunch last weekend, and settled on Wild Chilies on Chulia Street, which was highly-recommended by some friends. To be honest, trying to find authentic Tex-Mex in Penang is probably next to impossible, though the folks at Wild Chilies put up an admirable effort.
We started off with some cocktails, including the Mexican Sunset - peaches, Amaretto, tequila and pineapple juice:
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Chicken quesadilla, with guacamole, Pico de Gallo & sour cream - I was pleasantly surprised by how light the chef managed to make this dish, and how delicate the chicken filling tasted. None of those strong, overly-spicy, in-your-face Indianized Mexican dishes one usually finds in this part of the world.
The guacamole was freshly-prepared, ethereally-light & with a remarkable restraint in the use of citrus juice, as if the ghost of a lime had just glided through, living behind the wispiest hint of its scent and flavor.
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Chicken cheese nachos with guacamole, Pico de Gallo & sour cream - this turned out to be my fave dish here: the lightest, crispiest nachos Iβd had in town. The toppings were also not too βassertiveβ, as was the case in many other places. I personally prefer gentler, mellower pickles which had been allowed to mature a bit, like the ones here, than the sharp, vinegary sort.
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Beef tacos - The cubed chunks of beef (pan-fried) were tougher than Iβd have liked, but the fresh lettuce & Pico de Gallo lent a nice crunch to each bite, whilst the sour cream & spiced-up cheese dressing on top gave a pleasant rich, creamy flavor to the whole ensemble.
I really liked the fresh tortillas used here.
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Coconut shrimps with arroz verde (Mexican green rice), vegetables and homemade chili sauce - crisp-fried, battered crunchy-fresh prawns. Iβm hard-pressed to find the Mexican element in that, but it tasted great. The chili sauce tasted more βThaiβ than Mexican - spicy, but a bit sweeter than one would find in a Mexican or Tex-Mex rendition.
Dessert: I was dreaming of having Mexican churros to dip into hot chocolate here. Sadly, Wild Chilies do not have a pastry chef capable of making Mexican desserts, so the only 3 options were brownie, cheesecake or β¦ banana split (seriously??).
So, I just traipsed round the corner, bought some βChinese churrosβ, or, more accurately, βyau char kway"(ζ²ΉηΈη²Ώ)β to dip into my hot chocolate.
To his credit, the waiter didnβt even raise an eyebrow when he saw this:
Definitely going back for the nachos. Probably give the other menu options (fajitas, etc.) a try. Itβs still a far cry from my fave Mexican spot in Malaysia: Kuala Lumpurβs Fresca Mexican Kitchen & Bar, or Singaporeβs Casa Latina or Margaritaβs.
Address
Wild Chilies Restaurant
273A, Ground Floor, Chulia St, 10200 George Town, Penang, Malaysia
Tel: +60 19-808 6894
Opening hours: 10.30am to 9.30pm daily
