An unofficial Christmas lunch with some uni girlfriends brings us to Mexico. Sadly, not literally. I wish though. This new kid on the block is situated where the late District Dining used to be (still sad I didn’t get the chance to visit). Mexico first started in New Zealand (that sounds really wierd) with two places already established, and branched out offshore here in our Sydney Surry Hills streets.
Mexican food has become increasingly popular within the last couple of years and I bet will continue to be so.
Decorative graffiti walls greet patrons upon entry. The artworks are so intriguing.
We’re here for Saturday lunch and arrive soon after opening (primarily to avoid the crowds). There is outdoor seating however due to the overcast day, we decided it’d be best to sit indoors.
Complimentary sauces are on offer which cater for those who like to have their heads blown off with chilli sauce, like me.
A pineapple jarito is a non alocholic soda, and was told it tasted much like ordinary soft drink.
Crispy Potatoes tossed in celery lime salt with spicy tomatillo dressing $6
The crispy potatoes were exactly that, crispy and I’m so glad they were (I hate being disappointed). And to that, they were golden and delicious. The perfect amount of celery lime salt seasoned these babies which made it a delight to eat. The spicy tomatillo dressing wasn’t spicy but it did add a nice refreshing feel.
Wild Mushroom, fennel, marjoram, sour cream, toasted pine nuts Soft Shell Taco $6
A generous portion of wild musrhoom, grilled fennel and pine nuts lay on a soft freshly grilled tortilla. It was fresh, it was light however I found it needed a sauce of some sort to bring it altogether (and to my dismay, the chilli sauce wasn’t the solution).
Pibil rubbed pork with black beans, red cabbage, guajillo and sesame Soft Shell Taco $6
Although I didn’t get to devour this, I was able to have a taste of the pibil pork and my oh my did that pork rock a party in my mouth. It was rich in flavour and so incredibly tender that it was absolutely perfect for a taco. I was eyeing my girlfriend for every bite she took.
Agave Caramelised squid with shaved fennel, cumin and baby corriander soft shell taco $8
Something on the blackboard special catches my eye and its the agave caramelised squid soft shell taco. The squid pieces are so tender there’s not even a struggle to take a bite of the taco with everything keeping in tact. The fresh fennel and baby corriander offset the sweet caramelised flavour with a touch of cumin hitting the back of the throat. Two thumbs up from me.
I was quite sad that the much talked about coffee and ancho braised beef rib wasn’t on the special’s board. I may have to do some stalking and go back when it features again.
Roast eggplant, green onion and walnut with black cumin sour cream Quesadilla $12
It’s so hard to go without a quesadilla when eating mexican, so what do you know, we order it. There may have been a lack of cheese in this quesadilla but it still was a hit, especially smeared with some of that black cumin sour cream. I loved the contrast in textures of the soft roasted eggplant and the crunch of the walnut pieces. It really worked a treat together.
Pumpkin, white bean & agave dip served with flour tortillas $6
We found it weird that one of our starters came near the end of our meal. Nonetheless the dip is just beautiful. There’s nothing complicated about it, it showcases the simplicity of ingredients and flavours and with the perfect amount of seasoning, it can be a real winner.
Mexico’s Fried Chicken $12
Chicken that said it is not to be missed on the restaurant menu sure got me interested. At first glance I sighed with hopes that my first bite would change everything. Sadly, I was disappointed because it lacked the crunch that fried chicken is supposed to give you, and it was overcooked and stringy. Sad face.
Mexico is a great casual place to hit up a good feed with a bunch of friends with some very attractive sounding cocktails. I imagine the scene would be much more buzzing in the evening, especially during after work hours and dinner service. I need to return back for those cripsy potatoes and hopefully get my hands on that coffee and acho braised rib.
Check out some more posts by other humans.
Mexico Food & Liquor
17 Randall Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010
Tel: +612 9211 7798
http://mexicofoodandliquor.com.au
The food looks so fresh & colourful, all looks good except for the chicken – didn’t even really look like fried chicken in the pic! Disappointing that it lacked the crunch – that’s my favourite bit too!
Yeah the look of the chicken wasn’t appetising at all. And the taste wasn’t either. At least everything else made up for it!
Ohhh I didn’t see crispy potatoes on the menu! How could I have mised it!
Yeahhhh!! How could you have missed it?!?
Gahh how could I have missed the crispy potatoes on the menu! Love the tacos there but I’m with you about the wildroom taco. Lacked a bit of flavour.
Omg didn’t see those crispy potatoes on the menu! And @Tina, the fried chicken I had wasn’t that stringy (but ur right, it wasn’t super crunchy either), but @Foodpornnation told me her one was drenched in oil, so fried chicken is defs not a great dish there.
But I really like the variety of the soft shell tacos they have there :)
Sounds like chicken may be a no go? Hopefully it won’t be like that for other diners!! Yes love the soft shell tacos. Impressed with the flavour combos.
ahhhh the famed beef rib! i still have dreams about it!
Me really wants the ribs :(
The restaurant looks lovely. What a shame about the fried chicken. But you are so right – this type of cuisine is becoming so very popular here – and that’s great because I love it xx
Fresh. Playful. Colourful. Tasty! That’s what comes to mind when I think Mexican :)
I was sad to hear that District Dining closed as I hadn’t yet visited but this looks like a good enough replacement! :D
I’m sad that I couldn’t compare lol
I loved the clean flavours of the mushroom taco so that was my fav :) It’s such a great place for drinks and a bite!
Yeah raff and Simon said you guys loved it that time you went! What a shame. I was really looking forward to it.
Mmm I really like the look of the food there! :) And those potatoes look so crispy-just the way I like them!
They are crispy indeed! They won’t let you down
That fried chicken sure does look a little arid. I really like the sound of those potatoes!
The chicken made me sad. It really did. Potatoes made up for it though.
Must pay a visit soon. Reading about it on too many blogs!
A bit expensive but it taste taste clean and fresh.
“Crispy Potatoes tossed in celery lime salt with spicy tomatillo dressing” dude. that looks/sounds amazing.. and I find it really hard to find *properly* crispy potatoes in restos.. A shame that not everything was fantastic though but I do want to try that beef rib too!
We SHOULD try that rib Christine! Lets hunt it down!
Aw so sad that the chicken wasn’t up to scratch. But at least you weren’t disappointed by those crispy potatoes – they look amazing!
the crispy potatoes look delicious!
They were!! Best crispy potatoes I’ve had.
Oh no! But the chicken looks so amazing! What a disappointment. Mind you the pork sounds like it made up for it. You will have to go back and order a serve just for yourself!
Very disappointing indeed. Would be happy to return for the starters and tacos. Yumm