Vaquera Verde is a new Mexican inspired vegetarian & vegan restaurant in St. Hanshaugen, and two members of the Vegan Norway team were invited to test their tasting menu.
Vaquera Verde, translated as Green Cowgirl in English, is headed up by chef Montserrat Garza, and their mission is to serve authentic Mexican food by working with local producers that highlight native elements of the Mexican cuisine.
The place is brand new, cosy, and has a capacity of 30 guests. They also have a bar with a huge variety of drinks including some delicious cocktails, mezcal, beer, wine and alcohol free drinks and housemade agua frescas.
Let’s jump into what really matters here: the menu. Since it was a tasting menu, we got small portions of a variety of dishes.
To start was the ‘øko hummus totopos’ which was a colourful combination of chipotle, beetroot and avocado organic hummus dips. The hummus twist on traditional Mexican inspired dips was unusual to find but they were all really tasty, and the totopos (blue and yellow corn chips) were just perfect, even eaten alone.
Next up was the Esquites with cashew cream, lime and blue corn tostada. For us, this plate was ten out of ten, the dish was beautifully presented and we loved the perfectly seasoned corn as well as the combination of all the flavours together.
After that we got Gorditas, a sandwich made of organic black beans filled with salad and two different salsas. The black bean bread had an amazing texture, crunchy on the outside and very soft on the inside, and that combination with the fresh salad and the spicy sauces was just ideal. Esquites and Gorditas were our favourite dishes, together with the dessert.
The final dish before dessert was “Al pastor” cauliflower taco with fried tomatillo flower, pineapple and red salsa, yet again the dish was beautifully presented and combined original flavours. The cauliflower taco was good, but not our favourite.
To round off the evening, we had an empanada with caramelised sweet potato, marzipan and vanilla ice cream. The sweetness, different textures and combination of hot and cold made it a well thought out way to end a good spicy dinner.
The team was very kind and attentive, explained the menu with all the details, and made sure we felt comfortable. For 395kr per person you can get the 5 dish tasting menu and one agua fresca. This the best value if you want to try a variety of dishes, aren’t sure where to start or are in the mood to treat yourself. If you’re not hungry enough for the full tasting menu then we would recommend the Esquitas if you are in the mood for a small snack (85 kr for 2) or the Gorditas for something more substantial (180kr for 2).
It is so nice to finally have a Mexican restaurant in Oslo with such a strong focus on vegan food that is authentic and delicious. So the next time you’re in the mood for Mexican we highly recommend Vaquera Verde!
