New and approved: Xolo, Christchurch

New and approved is The Spinoff’s series highlighting fresh hospo offerings. This week, Kathryn Chung recommends a visit to Xolo, which is serving up a bunch of new dishes after its chef-owners’ recent research trip to Mexico.

What is it?

Xolo (pronounced show-lo) is a vibrant little restaurant in the heart of Ōtautahi, dishing up authentic Mexican cuisine. Open for just over a year, the restaurant is run by chef couple Carlos Rodriguez (originally from Chile) and Karla Villa Delgado, who is Mexican.

Rodriguez says there are a lot of meanings behind the name Xolo (a Náhuatl word associated with the Aztec god of fire and the underworld). “We cook with fire, we serve and accompany our customers, and we want to show something different to what Christchurch knows about Mexican food.”

The chefs are big on fresh, bold flavours and are proud to introduce diners to the variety of dishes that come from Mexico. Yes, you’ll find tacos and guacamole, but also plenty of other dishes inspired by Mexico’s famous food regions, including Oaxaca and Villa Delgado’s home state of Jalisco.

Where is it?

Located in The Welder in central Christchurch, Xolo sits within a cool little complex that’s home to a number of fantastic restaurants and bars. Nearby, Imōto is a cosy spot for a post-dinner cocktail.

What’s new about it?

A whole bunch of new dishes have landed on the menu, inspired by Rodriguez and Villa Delgado’s recent research trip to Mexico.

Documenting their journey on Instagram, the pair visited mezcal makers, met a fourth-generation mushroom forager in the Oaxaca mountains, and collaborated with local chefs on restaurant pop-ups.

Carlos Rodriguez and Karla Villa Delgado

What are the vibes?

The team reckon “dining out should be a fun experience, not just about the food”, and they’ve really nailed that vibe. It’s relaxed, lively and welcoming.

The kitchen is open, and the couple have made it feel like you’re being welcomed into their home. You’ll often find them popping out from behind the bar to say hello and ask how your meal is.

The space isn’t too big, which gives it a nice communal feel – we quickly found ourselves striking up a conversation with the people next to us.

Service was fantastic. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable, and offered some great recommendations. We also appreciated the little plate of complimentary cornbread to kick off the meal.

Xolo is the kind of place you’ll want to come back to regularly, indulge in a few margaritas and work your way through some interesting new dishes.

Pozole blanco and frijoles puercos (Photos: Kathryn Chung)

What should I order?

It was a dreary winter’s evening when I dined, so the pozole blanco (pork broth) was especially enticing. I’d never tried a Mexican soup before and really enjoyed the balance of flavours. It was nourishing, with some interesting textures – in particular, the chewy hominy, pieces of nixtamalised corn (nixtamilisation is the traditional Mesoamerican process of preparing corn in an alkaline solution).

The tlayuda was another standout dish: spicy beef strips served on hand-pressed tortillas (which the chefs make from scratch) and topped with fresh shredded cabbage. The frijoles puercos – a dip made with pinto beans and topped with pork crackling and crumbly cheese – was a moreish start to the meal.

There are a handful of tacos on the menu, and I was curious to try the cactus, which was tender and tangy with a nice level of spice. The chicken gringa is a new addition, with great smoky flavours coming from the charcoal chicken and grilled pineapple.

Xolo also has a fantastic cocktail list. I had the smoky naranja raicilla, a blood orange tequila cocktail that was fresh and delicious. Alongside local and Mexican beers, there’s more than a dozen different mezcals to try and a nice selection of mezcal cocktails.

They even have a handy little take-home menu featuring salsas and tortillas.

What’ll it set me back?

Starter dishes and tacos range from $9 to $21, while mains will set you back around $40, plus sides. The starters are generously portioned and, for the two of us, a selection of these was plenty. Cocktails sit around the $20 mark. For a full meal with drinks, expect to spend around $50 to $65 per person – we definitely didn’t leave hungry.

Xolo

T6/20 Welles Street, Christchurch

Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm-9pm

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