During my trip home to Malawi after two and a half years, it was only fitting that I visit one of Malawi’s newest restaurants. La Cantina is a Mexican restaurant located at 188 Area 43 in Lilongwe, Malawi. The eatery was started in 2019 by Sherrie Kankhomba and Tyler Smith on a mission to introduce Mexican Cuisine to Malawi. If their preparation in achieving their goals doesn’t scream dedication I don’t know what will, Sherrie traveled to Mexico and studied authentic Mexican cuisine in the city of Oaxaca. She brought to life what she learnt in the form of La Cantina.

La Cantina maintains a homey setting staged with warm lighting, cane furniture, and a beautiful bar. The staff, including Sindie Khonje and the rest of the team went above and beyond with their service to us. There is both an indoor and outdoor seating area, sitting indoors will offer you a quieter more intimate setting, however, it may get little warm. Sitting outside gives you the breeze and dinner under the trees and stars, but you definitely have to watch out for those mosquitos!

The menu hosts a variety of tacos, burritos, and an array of cocktails including a beautiful Sante Fe and Cucumber Chilli to name a couple. My meal consisted of a Sante Fe cocktail and an El Pastor burrito. A light wrap with slow-cooked pork shoulder in pineapple juice, red rice, black beans, pico de Gallo, cheese, and lime crema. The tangy flavored lime crema helped provide the perfect balance to the pork which had a slightly sweet undertone. The Sante Fe was a fresh lime margarita made with a beautiful Olemca Reposado tequila, but you can get the drink with no alcohol as well. I had a chance to try the Barbacoa beef burrito, similar to the El Pastor but served with Barbacoa beef and pickled jalapeño. The flavor was great as per usual, but please do reconsider the spice in it, there was only so much Sante Fe I could drink before wondering if it quenched the spice or if the alcohol rendered me tasteless.

La Cantina has acheived great succcess with introducing Mexican cuisine to the country, the cullinary experience gained from studying in Mexico shines through every bite and I hope others follow in their footsteps. A huge congratulations to Sherrie and Tyler on their opening and I look forward to getting back!