Wahaca will spice up the Wharf eating scene

"This is a new cuisine for Canary Wharf and something we think will really appeal," said Thomasina. "It's fresh, vibrant and massively regional. The variety is huge but it's a cuisine that's often misunderstood. Hopefully, we'll help people learn a lot more about it.

"Over 80 per cent of the dishes are authentically Mexican and one thing it certainly isn't is fusion food. This is a lot different to the type of Mexican food people have been used to for a long time in London."

Thomasina, 33, and Mark, 31, source ingredients from the UK, as far as possible, and try to ensure seasonal foods are used. But Mark insists there is no compromise on authenticity.

He said: "Even though we use British ingredients as much as possible it is still Mexican food. It wouldn't make sense to import everything. In Mexico they use local producers so it reflects that. It certainly makes your options broader in what you can use.

"Our meat is from Britain - why fly meat halfway round the world? - while our fish comes from sustainable sources. We also think seasonality is important, so we change the menu four times a year.

"We want to inform our customers' eating habits but without hectoring them. We try to do it in a fun way and hopefully that comes across.

"For example, we've been giving away packets of chilli seeds to encourage people to grow their own. In fact, we're keen to get people to eat more of their home grown veg because nothing can beat it."

That commitment to using produced sourced in the UK extends to the pair looking to develop a chili farm in Devon to supply the restaurants.

They will need it as the amount of fresh fruti and veg used is incredible, particularly to make the extraordinarily popular guacamole.

"We make our guacamole twice a day so it's always fresh," said Thomasina.

"That means we get through 230 cases of avocados, and there are 20 avocados in a case, so you can see why we need a good supplier.

"In fact, the most intensive part of what we do is the preparation, rather than the cooking. Our chefs spend four or five hours a day on prep - chopping and mixing - just to make sure everything is ready for service."

Wahaca already operates two very successful restaurants in Covent Garden and Westfield and Thomasina and Mark feel Canary Wharf is a perfect fit for their vision.

The restaurant decor has cost £1.5million and offers an al fresco cocktail terrace overlooking Canada Square as well as the 150 cover restaurant. The menu includes favourites like guacamole and churros, all at affordable prices.

There will also be a wide selection of beers and spirits on offer, and Mark admitted that's one area where they have made sure the supplies come from Mexico.

He said: "We still use Mexican beers. We did consider some British ones but we felt it was more authentic to stick to the imported brands. But we do talk about it every few months.

"We have also got some excellent tequilas and they are always very popular."

Wahaca will cater for the quick lunches many Wharfers demand, although they'd prefer diners to linger longer.

Thomasina said: "You can be in and out in 20 minutes if you need to be or you can take two hours if you prefer. It's really important to take your time over food if you can. But come in and try it.

"We'll be starting a takeaway service in February or March, mainly burritos, and people will be able to phone their orders through, which hopefully will keep people who can't go out for lunch satisfied."

There's little doubt both Thomasina and Mark are excited about the move into Canary Wharf, even if the restaurant scene is suddenly getting a little crowded.

"It's really positive," said Mark. "All the restaurants will be encouraging people to stay a bit later in the evenings and I think that night trade will be a big draw for people who normally head home straight after work.

"There are a lot of restaurants here now but we're all offering different types of cuisine and we're all good quality.

"Competition is good and I think there's room for all of us in Canary Wharf."

wahaca.co.uk.