Editor’s Note: We know food vendors rock the blocks on American ground, but street food is also the best way to learn about cultures worldwide. With that in mind, we’d love to hear about the street food you encounter in Rio, Montreal, Hong Kong, or wherever you may be. You know what to do – email me at amy@vendr.tv. Thanks a million, Mo, for leading the tour at our first street food stop, London.

Down by Waterloo station, you’ll find a little part of Mexico at the food stall Buen Provecho. A solitary street food vendor named Arturo Ortega serves authentic Mexican fare to unsuspecting passersby and to those in-the-know. Arturo brings color, character, and exceptional street food from his native Mexico City straight to the heart of the English capital. His stall – emblazoned with the simple words Buen Provecho or “good appetite” in Spanish – does a roaring trade during weekday lunchtime and for good reason. The food is outstanding.

Chicken Mole (Left) Cochinita Pibil (Right)

The star of the show is the Cochinita Pibil, a slow-cooked shredded pork stew, which combines the mellow citrus taste of cooked orange with achiote earthiness and a deep cumin backdrop. On the day I visited, the pork had run out by 12:30pm (the stall opens at 11am), which left some diners disappointed but not empty-handed as Arturo’s flavorful chicken mole is also popular. You can get either dish served as tacos or in a box with his popular red rice. Arturo told me some customers are concerned about getting the food on their clothes, but he argues that a messy Mexican ensemble is all part of the fun. I guess we’ll chalk it up to British peculiarity.

Pico de Gallo & Mole (Top), Guacamole (Left)

Now that his food stall has been open 18 months, Arturo plans to expand to a brick-and-mortar shop where he will diversify the food he serves. I hope he does soon, but make sure to visit his stall now to sample the best tacos in London before everyone else learns about Buen Provecho!

Have more London street food secrets you’d like to share? Leave them in the comments!

Buen Provecho
Waterloo Station (map)
London, UK

• Honest Tom’s Tacos (Philadelphia, PA)
• gastroPod (Miami, FL)
• Torchy’s Tacos (Austin, TX)