Mexico Lindo Cantina & Grill has carefully preserved the tradition of the country's cuisine and lived up to the standard of serving guests from all around the world with its fiery Mexican fare.

Set up in an ethnic style, this cream colored villa, almost hidden away off Hongmei Lu, has a magnificent decor. The ground floor is the cantina bar, done up in pinewood and sienna tiles. The stained glass lamp shades across the restaurant and a unique mural occupying the entire wall along the staircase to the first floor is just awesome, yet more light in the restaurant is whished for.

Food is a passion in Mexico, a country which comprises mixed cultures. The diversity has contributed profusely in the nation's cuisine. Preparation of food in Mexico is often referred to as "mestizajei", or "mixing". Corn has been their staple for over a thousand years and is present in   nearly all the food in different forms. Beans and chillies occupy a major position in the cuisine. Fruits and vegetables such as squash, avocado, coconut and pineapple, spices like cinnamon, clove, anise and cumin and herbs like cilantro, thyme, and the pungent epazote also play a major role in   adding flavor to Mexican food.

We started our Mexican feast with the bocaditos – a term given to food served in small quantities. The first to arrive on our table was the Mexico Lindo Nachos ( 48  Yuan ) , a bowl of nachos served with cheese, red rice, beans, tomato salsa and guacamole. Guacamole, a famous Mexican condiment, is a thick paste of mashed avocado. Combined with citrus juice,  onion, and seasonings.

Mexico's proximity to the vast oceans makes fish highly accessible and we were ready to cash in on this geographical boon of the country by going for two unique fish preparations. Nicaraguan Tuna Ceviche ( 78 Yuan ), a dish of tuna marinated in lemon juice, pepper, cilantro and coconut milk, served as a good appetizer and the Tequila Cured Salmon Tostada ( 48 Yuan ), fillets of salmon cured in tequila, black bean mango salsa and avocado dressing, were both nothing but delicious.

Quesadillas and Fajitas normally take up an important role while serving a Mexican meal just like in our meal. Quesadillas are tortillas folded in half around a savory filling. Our first choice was the cheese-mushroom quesadilla ( 48 Yuan ), tortillas filled with chicken, cilantro pesto, cheese and salsa fresca.

For trying out Fajitas, we wanted a taste of the Mexican fieriness and we were suggested to try the Chipotle Prawn (98 Yuan), a dish consisting of marinated jumbo prawns and vegetables that are grilled over an open fire and served on a sizzler plate accompanied by a basket of tortillas, a bean curry and a spicy bowl of rice. The item was marked with "three chillies" expressing its hot flavor. The taste was amazingly good as the prawns were perfectly cooked making them sumptuous, juicy yet crispy. The accompanying dishes added to the fabulous taste of this meal.

Tasting too many items here was a bit difficult because each portion is quite enormous and , due to the cheese content in a few, the food is on the heavy side.

Apart from the usual drinks, Mexico Lindo also has a wide selection of tequilas and margaritas on their menu. Since no feast can come to a grand finale without a good dessert, the chocolate chilli cake (38 Yuan) fulfilled its duty and marked an end to our Mexican treat.

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