Muchas Gracias, Muchas Gracias

Category: Eating Out

Written by Husen Fulhu, Photos by Muchas Gracias

It must have been on almost every food-inclined person’s mind. Having a Mexican place in Male. A few years ago, a friend of mine was telling me tacos will sell like hotcakes. “Because it’s got meat and flour and chili,” he said. “What’s not to like?”

Years later, in 2018, we saw MedMex, the city’s first Mexican outlet pop into existence. And now, here we are at Muchas Gracias – people are finally doing it!

Finding it might be a little difficult if you’re not familiar with Henveiru so take note. It’s a few meters up the little goalhi between Caféier and ROL, just behind Nasandhura, opposite Maavadi Store.

Muchas bares a trendy sign replete with a stylised mustachio and this Mexican iconography continues within the restaurant’s cosy interior. There are little stickers – a sombrero, a masked wrestler and others – on the glass pane that separates the outdoor section and the air-conditioned restaurant proper.

And inside is a striking piece of wall art, a vector image of an idyllic Mexican street with houses whose walls are radiant with bold reds and blues and greens, produced by local designer Lazzath.

The feel here is clean, contemporary and DIY – co-owner Hussein Nimaal made Muchas’ beautiful polished wooden tables with his partner Hassan Haleem.

Once we find a spot, we decide to try the tacos, the special steak and some passion fruit juice to wash it all down. There’s more to be had here by way of Mexican cuisine, however, you’ve got enchiladas, fajitas and nachos plus more standard fare like Mexican burgers and sandwiches.

The service here is excellent. Yes, we know it’s small, but the wait staff is incredibly attentive. They are quick to note down our preferences (no onions in the tacos, beef cooked medium rare, no sugar in the juice). I can’t recall any place in Male where the staff notes things down. Maybe Citron. It’s still early days though, the place opened up just this month, but it has to be said that this restaurant is off to a very strong start.

It takes mere minutes for the food to appear on the table.

The tacos, we must note, are available in soft shells. It’s great they have this option, not everyone likes their tacos crunchy. And these beauties are really worth writing home about. The dish benefits from great ingredients – the cheese is rich cheddar, the red kidney beans lend a slightly sweet dimension, the guacamole is fresh and scrumptious as is the sour cream. They were all in the tacos but they come separately as dips too, and all of them are homemade. Oh, and we really dig the hot chili dip (MG Homemade Chili Salsa) – it’s fiery so must be used sparingly. As for the meat, the beef is deliciously tender. Not a hint of onion. These guys are good.

Moving on to the steak, it’s sliced into bite-sized morsels and laid out on a bed of potatoes with greens and grilled bell peppers for company. The steak is cooked just as we like, so kudos to the staff. Biting into it, I taste the juice and maybe a hint of spices, although it’s hard to tell what they are. It’s good meat and a wonderful meal, though if I must choose, I will no doubt go with the tacos.

And, of course, the items on offer may change as Muchas has a soft-opening menu right now. We pray the tacos are never taken off the menu, though. Muchas gracias indeed guys!

* Check out their ‘Ramadan Combo Deals’, dine-in and takeaway, perfect for Tharaavees, game nights and GoT gatherings.

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