La Masa
Glasgow
So, I’m in the office on one of these muggy, lazy Glasgow evenings, idly texting Luca when I realise that he’s in La Masa and it’s not only just over the river - it’s on the list of places to check out.
Boom, like a slug on speed I’m out the chair, in the car, crossing the LEZ and then spinning round the city’s relentless one-ways. Yeah I should have walked.
Anyway, I get here. It’s busy. It’s buzzy, kind of like a bar but not a bar because everyone’s eating.
Bold colours: wild pinks, mental blues, dangly orbs beaming golden light, the odd smeary-on-the-eye neon light here and there. Caramba. Mexican theme art too, maybe, from that secret theme restaurant warehouse they use to fit out new places?
Luca and Polly are at a primo table right by the window, plate glass behind, full view of the open kitchen straight ahead and to then left, ah, an Aztec poster.
Their table bears the scars of a meal just finished. Slurped cocktails, burst tacos, you’ve seen the movie. Burnished ceramic dishes with saucy smears, random scatters of fine diced onion, erratic and tiny tomato cubes and some de-corned cobs languishing as lazily as you would if your work for the night was done.
Now, here’s a waiter geezer zeroing-in with plate-lifting and table-turning in mind.
“I could eat more,” says my skinniest son. I could just eat, says I. And so, we go again.
Fish tacos to start. That fish (forget to ask which) white, batter crisp, shredded cabbage, pickled onion; a dollop of crema.
Fish tacos (pretty much battered goujons) you’re thinking? They’re everywhere nowadays. True. Let’s move on.
Double helping of Birria Tacos then, that beefy, stewy filling, cheeses melded on top of that, and is the taco itself actually fried (no mention of whether in the fat of the stew as it should be)? There are some jangling tanging salsa sensations to clean it all up. We like.
I ordered more corn, of course. Cobs. Creamy cheesy dollops lobbed atop in dessert-spoonfuls-from-a-great-height and with sprinkled herbs. They’re not bad, corn a bit flaccid, I’ve definitely had better I’m thinking. Though where? Taco Libre in Edinburgh? Hmm. Ka Pao here in Glasgow? Maybe. That pop up at the Acid Bar? Probably.
Get Ron's review two whole days before anywhere else.
But, no, hold hard. It was when Luca here, a mere bambino at the time, was in his full taco period. Ah, lockdown. How he cooked. Maseca, tortilla press, YouTube recipes and always served with that creamy, dusted, parmesany corncob-rolling shtick.
That very same tortilla press is entombed in the bottom of a drawer at ours now. But the presses in here are getting action. Look around tonight.
While I’ve been talking we’ve had the Oyster Mushroom taco with Guajillo Salsa. Now, here’s a blue corn quesadilla, with a dark chilli and garlic salsa Negra, Queso Oaxaco too says the menu.
“I think we’re getting into high-brow toast and cheese territory”, I disrespectfully suggest to the youngsters. Blank stares are returned. This is their fourth or fifth visit after all.
Later, I’ll search the La Masa website to discover exactly how they make their tacos. I see nothing by way of explanation on the menu, surprising given provenance is still everything in the booming taco revolution, and I’ll find zero info on the website.
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I look because I don’t really get that wonderful soft, evocative nixtamilized (oh go on, look it up) Masa Harina taste and texture coming through. Perhaps because the toppings with their herbs and salsas and the vigorous toasting that everything gets produces its own boom-boom flavours?
We briefly discuss this at the table and decide it must be flour made from corn though because Polly here isn’t into gluten and I’ve certainly already read somewhere La Masa is completely gluten free (don’t take my word for this).
We will eat on anyway: Salsa Fries, crisp, freshly made; a King Prawn Tostada; Dulce De Leche soft serve ice cream - all extruded like from a Carpigiani - with refreshingly fresh fruit.
Honestly? Not bad.
Menu: Tacos, tostadas, blue corn quesadillas and Elote corn; the taco revolution marches on. 3/5
Service: Staff very good, fast, friendly, relaxed and helpful. 5/5
Price: Maybe their secret weapon? Quesadillas £3.50, fish tacos £4, mushroom taco £3.50. Pay more for barbacoa. 5/5
Atmosphere: It’s downtown Glasgow not downtown Mexico City but they pull-off a good, light buzzy vibe. 4/5
Food: Presses the right buttons, varied salsas, reasonably interesting fillings. Only the Birria Tacos stood out. 6/10
Total 23/30
La Masa
26a Renfield Street
Glasgow
0141-473-1966
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