The tang of citrus touches the tip of your tongue as the rich fatty pork spreads its weight around, tipping a wink to the garlic and the cloves, then giving in to the soft corn tortilla.

The slight aroma of banana leaves pokes its head up. The chill Mexican folk music from the bluetooth speaker and the chatter of diners outside put you back in the present.

It's 11:09, and we're in Casazul, a Brighton tacoria whose brand and online presence punch way above its weight. It’s not exactly off the beaten track, around the corner as it is from one of Brighton’s most diverse streets, but I doubt it’s the sort of place you hit upon by accident.

Lucky for me and my girlfriend that we were brought there by our walking tour guide.

When you meet Gabriel, the man behind this combination restaurant, salsa maker, and Mexican food stockist, it’s difficult not to be thoroughly charmed. His warm enthusiasm and knowledge shines, and he’s generous with it.

It’s great when you meet someone knowledgeable and passionate about their subject matter. Even better when they’re unpretentious and un-snobbish, while still being discerning.

And when you discover he offers a full menu – not one or two sundry items – for vegans, you understand how much he cares about letting as many people as possible enjoy traditional flavours of Mexico.

Now, Brighton pricing is something we very much grade on a curve, especially once you’re out of London’s orbit. But Casazul is surprisingly good value-for-money, especially when you browse through his website.

This is the kind of stuff I like to see: simple, thoughtful, friendly design. It’s the sort of stuff that’s not hard to pull off if you find someone you trust to help you express what you want. You should check out the video on his website too – it’s the sort of thing anyone can do with a bit of flair and a five year-old iPhone.

The danger with good taste and simple design choices is that you can end up looking like a bigger operation than you really are. That’s why meeting people like Gabriel in their element is so important. Even if you are pleasantly surprised by someone’s fair pricing, putting a face to the brand and seeing the love and care that goes into the products… that’s the stuff right there.

Next time you’re in Brighton, make a point of popping in to Casazul – just on the right as you enter the open market from the London Rd – and getting some tacos.

And if you want some inspiration to help you make a noise without getting a whole team of brand wankers in, check the website and their Instagram feed.

Brighton is able to celebrate the small and independent without feeling like it suffers from tall poppy syndrome. It knows and celebrates what it is, in all its chaotically disparate glory.

What has Brighton got – in attitude – that so many other major city centres seem to lack? It's that fervent celebration and encouragement of the indie. A friend of mine used to joke that the only thing Brightonians are intolerant of is wheat. But the deeper into the heart of the city you get, the more you realise there's just very little appetite for the mega-chains blighting every other high street.

Round my way there's a petition to stop the new McDonald's being built. They've tried it once or twice before and it hasn't stuck, because we can get an actually good burger that didn't come from a touchscreen.

This newsletter isn't about the high street, or about food – it's an exploration and celebration of what happens when we get outside and bump into people. We could've ordered tacos from our hotel and an underpaid lad on an escooter could have delivered them to us. But then we wouldn't have met Gabriel, and wanted to take him home.

Gracias por la comida, amigo.