Madinat Jumeirah has opened the doors to it’s new Mexican restaurant at Mina A’Salam.

Tortuga was first announced by What’s On back in late November and out tastebuds have been tickling for burritos, tacos and those famous flavours of Central America ever since.

The vibrant and colourful kitchen and bar is headed by the award-winning Mexican chef Carlos Hannon, who brings with him experience working in Las Vegas, New York, Belgium, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and the British Virgin Islands.

A Mexican native of Lebanese descent with over 20 years experience in the kitchen, Carlos has studied and worked around the world. His history of international experience combined with his Central American roots strongly influence his dynamic culinary style and technique.

At the heart of Tortuga will be the philosophy ‘Mi casa es su casa’, which means ‘My house is your house’. According to the announcement, there will be “exciting entertainment, live tortilla cooking station and unique accents of sombreros and agave plants from the land of origin”.

The word ‘tortuga’ has many meanings, though most relevantly it is the name of island in the Gulf of California, the stretch of sea which separates the Baja California Peninsula and the Mexican mainland. The word is also Spanish for ‘tortoise’.

The restaurant joins the likes of Toscana, MJ’s Steakhouse, Pai Thai and the recently crowned What’s On’s Best British, Rivington Bar and Grill. The famous landmark, which sits in the shadow of the Burj Al Arab, held the Dubai International Film Festival starting December 6.