Mexican food has been popular in Melbourne for quite a while now, though typical Tex-Mex cuisine is the form that’s more prevalent here, particularly at fast food outlets. El Sabor translates to ‘The Flavour’ and sits at the calmer end of Victoria Street where Libertine used to be. El Sabor still offers tacos and burritos, but authentic Mexican fare is what they take real pride in.
The upstairs function room is quite popular, especially in cooler weather, when people can remain toasty by the open fireplaces. They’ve retained the golden wall and chandeliers from Libertine, giving the room a more up-market flair. There’s also a rather interesting round table for six that’s quite sought after.
To start, we tasted the beef empanadas. Thin and perfectly crispy corn-meal shells encased tender slow-cooked beef and a subtle hint of panela cheese. These were accompanied by sour cream and salsa bravas. Also on the table were a few bottles of El Yucateco hot sauce, including the XXXtra hot Kutbil-ik Mayan Style variety, which is not for the faint-hearted.
The Alitas – BBQ chicken wings – were marinated with tasty spices and served with jalapeno mayonnaise and refreshing pico de gallo (6 For $10, 12 For $15). Cooked well and satisfying to the palate, these are a certain crowd pleaser.
Next came the Tamales De Pollo (3 For $18) – steamed corn husk parcels stuffed with corn flour, chicken and ancho chillies and served with sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole. I loved the smoky char-grilled aroma they released. Corn husk is more commonly used for making tamales in Central Mexico, whereas banana leaves are more common in the South. Opening the corn husk revealed steaming cornmeal and chicken that was flavoured with well-balanced spices. The chilli flavour was only very subtle. It gave the impression of home-cooked food and I can see this being comfort food for some – they were our favourite dish of the night.
Arriving next were the sopes. The cornmeal cakes were filled with refried beans, rather than having them sitting on top. Slow-cooked pork, picked onion and coriander were then arranged over it. They may look small at first, but were quite filling and satisfying to the stomach and the palate.
Our final savoury for the night was the slow-cooked beef tostaditas (4 For $12). Also with the beef was a corn salsa, cucumber, mayo and panela cheese. Like many things, the tostaditas tasted even better when eaten with hands!
We ended dinner on a sweet note with the churros (5 For $15). They were dusted with cinnamon sugar and were accompanied by two dipping sauces: dulce de leche and chocolate sauce. The chocolate was a blend that included a Mexican dark chocolate, and is so moreish that apparently some customers drink it straight.
North Melbourne is not currently known as a dining destination, but things seem to be slowly changing. As one of these local gems, El Sabor is definitely worth a look for out-of-the-ordinary Mexican food.
Disclaimer: I was invited to dine at El Sabor as a guest, however, opinions expressed here are purely my own and not influenced by them in any way.
El Sabor
500 Victoria Street
North Melbourne, VIC, 3051
(03) 9329 9477
http://www.elsabor.com.au/
Bambaleros, Canterbury
18 Saturday Apr 2015
Posted Bambaleros, Breakfast/Brunch, Canterbury, Latin American, Mexican, Restaurants, Spanish
inIt was my first time venturing into Maling Rd, even though I’ve driven past on Canterbury Rd so many times. I was surprised to find such a quaint shopping village inside! Bambaleros is a Mexican/Spanish cafe that offers brunch with a twist and also have their own coffee roaster.
I chose the Flamenco Eggs – Spanish baked eggs, packed with a mild Chorizo, roast capsicum, tomato and topped with spiced breadcrumbs served with garlic infused sour dough. The menu description didn’t mention its cheese topping, and I was surprised to find the eggs were more scrambled rather than whole, but I was pleased to find it so full of other ingredients too and it was a tasty, filling and satisfying lunch.
Bambaleros
84 Maling Rd
Canterbury, VIC, 3126
(03) 9836 5385
http://bambaleros.com.au/
Maya Tequila Bar & Grill, South Yarra
09 Tuesday Sep 2014
Posted Drinks, Latin American, Maya Tequila Bar & Grill, Mexican, Restaurants, South Yarra
inAiming to provide fresh and tasty Mexican food (and of course, tequila), Maya Tequila Bar & Grill has a menu mainly designed to share. It has a kitchen out the front of the restaurant, the bar at the back and plenty of tables around and in-between, allowing it to cater for functions. To try a variety of things, I ordered a Paloma, the Pollo Frito and a Pollo Mole Burrito. And yes. I did eat this all myself.
The Paloma was recommended by the bartender and it was wonderfully refreshing. The chicken ribs were incredibly juicy and the moist meat, crispy coating and tasty sauces made for a winning combination. Although the menu said there were frijoles in the burrito, I couldn’t spot it. I was starting to get full at this point, so my stomach was probably thanking me for the loss of the beans anyway. The tortilla was crunchy and its tasty contents made for a warm, comforting meal. This was the first time I’ve had a burrito with a tortilla this crunchy and I have to say I quite liked it.
Maya Tequila Bar & Grill
74 Toorak Rd
South Yarra, VIC, 3141
(03) 9866 8836
http://www.mayabar.com.au/
Guzman Y Gomez, Melbourne CBD
05 Monday May 2014
Posted Guzman Y Gomez, Latin American, Melbourne CBD, Mexican, Restaurants
inToday is Cinco de Mayo (i.e. the 5th of May) and as part of he celebration, Guzman Y Gomez was selling burritos and burrito bowls for $5. Fortunately I came in and ordered right before a huge crowd of about 15 people walked in. Although it was quite busy most people got takeaway so it was easy to find a seat. My pork chipotle burrito bowl arrived within minutes of ordering. It had slow roasted and shredded pork shoulder, rice, black beans, tomato, coriander, onion and cheese. More coriander, chopped onions and sliced jalapeño peppers were free for the taking at the condiment bar, along with four salsas of different levels of spiciness. There was roasted jalapeno (mild/medium), salsa tapachula (medium), smokey chipotle (hot) and habanero (extra hot). I tried a bit of each and decided that the one that matched the pork the best was the chipotle salsa. I’m not sure if it was meant to be like that, but I found that the salsa tapachula had a stronger smokey flavour than the chipotle and didn’t seem to go well with the pork. The ‘extra hot’ habanero had about the same heat as cut red chilli commonly served in Asian restaurants.
After adding the salsa the burrito bowl was quite tasty and the meat was tender. Overall, not a bad option for super speedy service and a friendly atmosphere.
Guzman Y Gomez
289-299 Swanston St
Melbourne VIC 3000
(03) 9988 1402
http://www.gyg.com.au/
Amigos, Melbourne CBD
04 Tuesday Mar 2014
Posted Amigos, Latin American, Melbourne CBD, Mexican, Restaurants
inAlthough the menu description made it sound like it would be quite sweet, it was more salty than sweet, which actually suited me better. The chicken was pretty tasty, not dry, and the mix of grilled and raw vegetables lent the dish a variety of flavours and textures.
Amigos
75 Hardware Lane
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
(03) 9670 7797
http://www.amigos.com.au/
Paco’s Tacos, Melbourne CBD
27 Friday Sep 2013
Posted Latin American, Melbourne CBD, Mexican, Paco's Tacos, Restaurants
inI was catching up with a friend during a long lunch break and since she works right across the road, we decided to meet at Paco’s Tacos. The tacos are all $6 each; today I went with chicken and prawn. If you’re looking for something filling, the chicken would be better than the prawn, which only came with two pieces of prawn. My chicken taco had a bit too much sauce; by the time I got around to eating it the soggy tortilla had split down the centre, making it very messy to eat. Although the chicken was tastier, I liked the lighter flavours of the prawn slightly better.
Pacos Tacos
Level 1 500 Bourke St
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
(03) 9663 3038
http://www.pacostacos.com.au/
Fonda Mexican, Richmond
06 Friday Sep 2013
Posted Fonda Mexican, Latin American, Mexican, Restaurants, Richmond
inAfter perusing the menu we settled on sharing a kangaroo fillet burrito, which consisted of 12” tortilla (made by Abbotsford Convent bakery) filled with spiced black beans, pumpkin, fetta, salsa roja, pepitas ($16)
We were told the kangaroo fillet would be cooked rare. Most of the pieces arrived being more like medium-well done, but I didn’t mind since we weren’t eating the kangaroo as a steak. There was a nice charcoal flavour around the outside. The tortilla was one of the best I’ve had so far: slightly browned but tender and chewy. Some crunchiness in the burrito was given by the toasted peptitas, which I thought was a nice touch. Surprisingly there was also white quinoa included in the burrito, which wasn’t in the menu description. It helped make the burrito lighter than what it would have been if it were all substituted with black beans.
Fonda Mexican
248 Swan Street
Richmond, VIC, 3121
(03) 9429 0085
http://www.fondamexican.com.au/
Mamasita, Melbourne CBD
12 Monday Aug 2013
Posted Latin American, Mamasita, Melbourne CBD, Mexican, Restaurants
inThe entrance to Mamasita is a very discreet door next to a 7-Eleven, with the actual restaurant located on the floor above it. I arrived about 5 minutes before 12pm so I joined the short queue out the front. When the doors opened everyone was seated quickly; I got a seat at the bar, very close to the open kitchen. Having browsed the menu beforehand I already knew what I wanted, so I ordered the famous elotes callejeros (“Street Style” chargrilled corn, queso, chipotle mayo & lime, $4.9) and de Lengua y Cachete (braised ox tongue & cheek, pickled veg & ghost chilli mayo, $6)
I was provided with 2 bottles of hot sauce – one with tomato and one without – and a small dish of salsa verde, which were recommended for the tacos.
The corn had been coated in cheese just before being served so after a few minutes the cheese had melted into a nice layer. There was also a line of paprika-based spice mix sprinkled on one side. Curiously, the dollop of chipotle mayo was only on the end of the core and I didn’t actually notice it there until I was half-finished. The corn was sweet and the flavours tasty, but it wasn’t as good as I expected.
The ox taco, on the other hand, was better than I thought it would be. The taco was crisp but still soft and not oily or soggily overladen with sauce. The flavours were simple but satisfying and it went well with the salsa verde. The tongue had been thinly sliced and had a very tender and delicate texture – a little bit like nicely cooked duck, but finer.
After I’d finished I thought I may as well order another taco since I was there and not overly full. The weather had also turned rather ugly and I didn’t want to be walking around outside. I got de Pescado (grilled fish, lime, achiote paste, red onion salsa & chipotle mayo, $6). The flavours were light and fresh, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as the braised ox taco.
All together, the total came to around the same price as a typical brunch dish. I look forward to coming back to try some of the tostaditas, though those will require company if I wish to try more than one flavour.
Mamasita
Level 1, 11 Collins St
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
(03) 9650 3821
http://www.mamasita.com.au/
The Table Restaurant, St Kilda
12 Tuesday Jun 2012
Posted Latin American, Mexican, Restaurants, St Kilda, The Table
inThis modern Mexican-inspired restaurant is just down from Sapore. It was quite small and cozy inside. There may have been an outdoors seating area, but I couldn’t see out the door. About a third of the floor was taken up by the bar and open kitchen. Having an open kitchen meant it felt more inviting and casual, which was a lovely atmosphere. This is what we had:
Soft tacos:
– Corn Battered Snapper, Pico de Gallo, Avocado and Coriander
– Sugar Cured Spanish Mackerel, Cucumber, Radish, Pico de Gallo and Avocado
Ceviche:
– Scallops with Preserved Lime, Agave, Jalapeño, Toasted Almond, Blue Corn Chips and Coriander
Mains:
– Charred Swordfish, Tamarind and Agave Chutney, Smoked Bacon, Green Beans, Brandade and Salsa Verde ($32.50)
– Grilled Beef Eye Fillet, Chili Rellenos Filled with Braised Ox Tail, Baked Mushroom Tamale and Salsa Roja Jus ($38.50)
The taste of the mackerel was so subtle I couldn’t taste much of it with the radish and pico de gallo, other than the texture. The snapper was a decently sized piece and was nice and crispy, contrasting nicely with the avocado. Maybe the snapper was also more appealing because it was such a cold night. The mashed avocado used in both tacos was very smooth and creamy.
Again, the flavour scallops became a bit lost in the other flavours of the dish, but the texture was appreciated. The circular, blue corn chips were quite interesting and are homemade.
The bacon was salty, as expected, but went nicely with the brandade. I honestly forgot what was in my dish and thought the brandade was just mashed potato. Oops. The tamarind and agave chutney was really nice and went well with the swordfish. I did think half of the swordfish was slightly overcooked and would have preferred a thicker piece, but it wasn’t too bad.
Mum’s beef eye fillet was the standout of the night. The meat was so tender, juicy and flavoursome that it was definitely worth the wait.
All in all I really enjoyed our meal. Though not all the flavours came through the dishes, the food was fresh and tasty. Service was also excellent.
The Table Restaurant
49 Fitzroy St
St Kilda, VIC, 3182
(03) 9534 6803
High Tech Burrito, Hawthorn
06 Wednesday Jun 2012
Posted Fast Food, Hawthorn, High Tech Burrito, Latin American, Mexican, Restaurants
inThese burritos were highly customisable, even if picking one straight off the menu. A2 went for a large custom veggie burrito, while I ordered a Spicy Cajun burrito with prawn. A2’s wasn’t that flavoursome even though it had both mild salsa and pico de gallo, but then again…she did just order veggies. The spicy Cajun sauce was very tasty and also pretty hot; more spicy than the Schnitz burger I had the other day, which had both jalapenos and chilli flakes.
High Tech Burrito
838 Glenferrie Rd
Hawthorn, VIC, 3122
(03) 9818 1482