Mexican

Chimac

Kimchi Carnitas

(shoestring chips, caramelized kimchi, spicy pork, fresh tomato salsa, mozzarella cheese)

★★★★☆

Aged Kimchi Pancake

(kimchi, onion, scallion)

★★★★☆

Bulgogi Quesadilla

★★☆☆☆

Fried Chicken – Bloody Sweet (chilli paste base) and Ultra Crispy (salt and parsley)

★★☆☆☆

Spicy Pork Burrito

(spicy pork, steamed rice, tomato salsa, crispy coleslaw, jalapenos)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

It was a bit of a shame that there were so many unavailable menu items on the night that we visited as the menu here isn’t that big to begin with. That being said, what we did manage to order was tasty and satisfying. So if you haven’t had Korean-Mexican fusion before (or you’ve had but are looking for somewhere decent), give this cosy little place a try.

Chimac

Shop 1, 39-47 Peel Street, West Melbourne, VIC

(03) 9939 5916

http://www.chimac.com.au/

The Black Toro

Coconut Kingfish Ceviche – young coconut, tomato, cucumber, chilli

This basically tasted like an amazing curry dish – fresh and creamy, with a bit of heat from the chilli.

★★★★☆

Grilled Corn On The Cob – chipotle mayo, ground masa, lime

I love grilled corn and whenever I see it on a menu somewhere, I always order it and then compare it to the corn here at The Black Toro. It’s been years since I’ve had this and after my first bite I felt super ecstatic as the corn was still as incredible as I remembered it to be.

★★★★★

Spicy Pulled Pork Tacos – soft corn tortilla, sriracha mayo, cabbage slaw

These were some tasty tacos and I really appreciated how they were served on a warm plate so that the tortillas would remain soft and warm for longer.

★★★★☆

Salmon Tartare – avocado puree, radish, toasted black sesame, puffed rice chicharon

The salmon needed a bit more seasoning otherwise this was a light and enjoyable dish.

★★★☆☆

Crispy Pork Hock – masterstock braised pork, guajilo chilli caramel, green apple salsa verde, butter lettuce

Sticky, sweet, and full of flavour. I made such a mess wrapping my pork up but it was totally worth it.

★★★★☆

Dessert Tasting Plate

Can’t pick a dessert? Why not try everything!

★★★★☆

Passionfruit Tart – berries, toasted meringue, mint

Beautifully presented with a lovely balance of sweetness and tartness. Meanwhile the combination of the smooth filling, the fresh fruit and the dehydrated fruit provided delightful texture variation.

Deconstructed Peanut Butter Cheesecake – chocolate ice cream, peanut butter ice cream, honeycomb

Best eaten with a little bit of everything on your spoon, as the peanut butter was extremely rich on its own.

Chocolate Brownie – salted caramel, popcorn, vanilla ice cream

These brownies were phenomenal – extremely smooth and highly decadent. They tasted amazing on their own, and the other additions were merely added bonuses.

Arroz Con Leche – coconut rice pudding, saffron spiced pear, cinnamon, walnut

Creamy and satisfying.

Overall:

Always a great experience. The food, service and ambience is brilliant, and the grilled corn is still my absolute favourite in Melbourne!

The Black Toro

79 Kingsway, Glen Waverley, VIC

(03) 9561 9696

http://theblacktoro.com.au/

Jalisco Mexican

Mexican Street Salad

(aloe vera cactus, feta, corn, pico, lime)

This was my first time eating cactus so I had no idea what to expect. The cactus itself was fresh and juicy, but its taste was subdued by the pico and the lime. In any case I really enjoyed this refreshing well balanced salad.

★★★★☆

Chicken Quesadilla

(pulled chicken grilled with cheese, served with salsa)

Simple cheesy filling encased in a crisp tortilla.

★★★☆☆

Street Corn

(grilled corn on the cob with paprika, parmesan, chipotle mayo and lime)

This juicy charred corn needed more chipotle aioli to take it to the next level.

★★☆☆☆

Tiger prawn, cabbage, pico and chili-lime mayo taco

★★★★☆

Chili con carne, pico, feta and rocket taco

★★★☆☆

Fish, cabbage, pico and chili-lime mayo taco

★★★☆☆

Sangria

(red wine, brandy, triple sec, fresh fruit)

★★★☆☆

Overall:

Not only does this place offer authentic Mexican food, they also offer an impressive selection of tequilas (90 so far)! There is no doubt that the team behind Jalisco Mexican love their tequila, so much so that they named this place after the most popular tequila producing state in Mexico. According to Mexican law, only Jalisco and limited regions in surrounding states are able to produce tequila.

What I really liked about this place was the atmosphere and the decor. The bar was colourful and vibrant, while the beer garden looked like an awesome place to kick back and relax with friends.

The bar

The beer garden

The beer garden is perfect for large groups and can accommodate 50-70 people.

There is also a private function room upstairs which can seat up to 35 people.

What’s even more fantastic about this place is that they offer FREE home delivery service 7 nights a week from 5pm! If only I lived closer.

Jalisco Mexican

69 Chapel St, Windsor, VIC

(03) 8899 6636

Home

*Disclaimer: I dined as a guest of Jalisco Mexican.

El Chino

El Nachos Montana

(corn chips, grilled mozzarella, salsa mexicana, organic black beans, guacamole, jalapeños, sour cream)

★★☆☆☆

Sweet corn on the cob

(charred corn with smoked paprika, sour cream, parmesan, chilli)

★★☆☆☆

Conchinita pibil

(organic pulled pork, slow cooked in achiote chilli, orange, pickled Spanish onions, and apples)

★★☆☆☆

Mexican rice, organic black beans, warm tortillas

★★☆☆☆

Pork taco (pulled pork, chilli, orange, pickled Spanish onion)

Beef taco (beef in chipotle and smoked paprika, salsa verde, coriander, lime)

Prawn taco (pan fried prawns, purple cabbage, salsa mexicana, and chipotle aioli on blue corn tortilla)

★★☆☆☆

Overall:

Awesome courtyard out the back, friendly staff, unexceptional food. And why is this place called ‘the Chinese’?

El Chino

214 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North, VIC

(03) 9078 7974

http://www.elchino.com.au/

Nachos Mexican Cantina

175 Waverley Rd, Mount Waverley 9888 3866

Enchilada New Mexico

Two chicken enchiladas topped with a fried egg and melted cheese, served with rice, frijoles and a taco

= ★★

Texas Chilli Burrito

Ground beef simmered in a variety of chilli powders rolled in a flour tortilla with tomatoes, onions and cheese, topped with guacamole and sour cream, served with rice and frijoles

Faintly spicy burrito filling that brought to mind a tasty bolognese sauce

= ★★★

Overall:

The food is decent but pricey, so bring your Entertainment Book voucher if you have one.

KOBA

119 Hardware St, Melbourne 9973 8425

Korean Sliders

Sweet brioche bun served with short rib patties, Korean slaw, ssamjang mayo and crispy onion rings

= Excellent

Beef Taco

Marinated beef, tomato salsa, kimchi and Korean slaw

= Not bad

Kimchi Fries

Crispy fries topped with cheese, kimchi sauce, onion relish and sour cream

These fries were so addictive. Who knew Kimchi and fries went so well together?

= Good

Koba Fried Chicken Wings (Soy Garlic)

Not so crispy but well flavoured juicy chicken wings, with a sprinkling of quinoa for added texture

= Good

Spicy Pork Korrito

Sweet marinated pork, kimchi rice, melted cheese, tomato salsa and kimchi

= Good

Overall:

Incredibly tasty Korean-Mexican fusion! Service was quick and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Note that there is limited seating here (as this place is tiny) so grabbing takeaway is a good idea.

Radio Mexico

11 Carlisle Street, St Kilda 9534 9990

Corn on the cob

Calabaza picante taco

Albondigas

Quesadillas

Thoughts:

Corn – every time I venture to a new Mexican place, I always try the corn. (On a side note my favourite places so far in terms of Mexican grilled corn are The Black Toro and Mamasita) So I found the corn here to be wonderfully sweet and smoky, with just the right amount of cheese on it (ie. enough to flavour but not overpower) = Good

Calabaza picante taco – a delightful combination of spicy roast pumpkin, corn, goats curd and pepitas (chipotle roasted pumpkin seeds) = Good

Albondigas – mildly spicy meatballs (that contained beef, pork and rice), salsa, homemade crema, served with green rice. This was my first Mexican green rice experience, and I am hooked! This rice was full of flavour and was simply delicious! = Good

Quesadillas – corn tortillas with a cheese filling that gets toasted on the barbeque. There are two filling options available: the first being potato and chorizo, the second being bean, corn and roasted capsicum. Both were tasty but I probably enjoyed the vegetarian one more = Good

Overall:

Quick service, relaxed atmosphere, a funky place serves up some pretty tasty Mexican food. Note that this place does not take bookings.

Acland St Cantina

2 Acland St, St Kilda 9536 1175

Salted caramel ice cream churros tacos

Triple chocolate & chilli trifle with passionfruit

Thoughts:

Churros tacos – I initially thought that this was going to be a mix between a churro and a taco but it turned out to be churros dough that had been piped out into a round flat shape. As it turned out the combination of warm cinnamon churros, cold salted caramel ice cream and crunchy praline, drizzled with dulce de leche sauce was just terrific = Excellent

Trifle – comprised of a passionfruit jelly-like layer, a chocolate mousse layer, a more dense chocolate layer, a scoop of some sort of sorbet (i couldn’t tell what is was because my tastebuds were overwhelmed by all of the chocolate!) and shaved white chocolate on top. There was no taste of chilli at all though. Maybe they forgot to add it? Nonetheless, a rich creation that I would recommend for any chocolate lover = Good

Overall:

I have walked past this place so many times never realising that there was a restaurant here. So we were given the choice of either dining in the brightly coloured retro front area or the dark modern candle lit back area. We decided on the back area as that was where the crowd was at, including the DJ who was happily doing his thing in a dim corner. Service was good but the noise level here was considerably loud so this is not the place to go to for a quiet catch up. Dessert wise, this place was absolutely delectable.

Fonda Mexican

248 Swan Street, Richmond 9429 0085

Charred corn with chipotle aioli, ricotta salata and lime

Thick chips with chipotle aioli

Vegetarian Taco

Chopped beef Burrito

Chicken Burrito

Chicken Quesadilla

Thoughts:

Corn – charred and juicy with a distinct cheese flavour due to the ricotta salata (pressed, dried and salted ricotta). Would have liked to have had more chipotle aioli on it though = Not bad

Chips – thick crunchy chips that were very addictive, especially with the chipotle aioli! = Good

Vegetarian Taco – a light and fresh taco that encased a potato and mushroom croquette, pickled cabbage, avocado creme and coriander = Good

Beef Burrito – a thick tortilla that encased premium beef, black beans, salsa roja and chipotle aioli. A dense and filling burrito that left an enjoyable little spicy after taste = Good

Chicken Burrito – a tortilla that encased chicken, organic quinoa, mexican slaw, shaved apple, watercress and avocado crema. Every bite contained a lovely bit of crunch, a delightful mix of flavours = Good

Chicken Quesadilla – a toasted tortilla that encased roast chicken, queso fresco, wild rocket, avocado crema and celery root. While this quesadilla as a whole was very tasty, what I enjoyed the most about it was the chicken. Tender and bursting with flavour thanks to the free range Bannockburn chicken that they use = Excellent

Overall:

The place to go for cheap, simple Mexican food that actually tastes great! This is one of those places where you have to go and order at the counter, but the service here is fast and staff are very friendly. Keep in mind though that this is a no bookings place and that the kitchen does close early (eg. 9pm on a thursday night).