Mexican cuisine

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/

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.

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).