Mejico
105 Pitt St (cnr Hunter St)
Sydney
Mejico has a great buzz to it. Its deceptively big as well as it stretches quite a long way back from its street entrance. Going through the entry foyer you get to see some of the food being prepared right there in front of you. Then you move through the bar area which is the largest tequila bar in Sydney. Moving on you pass a massive communal table on your left with smaller tables on your right and also ahead for the rest of the restaurant. At the rear on the left is the main kitchen, which is clearly visible for diners there - and even has a bar area along it for those dining alone or just wanting a food show while they eat. They've worked hard at Mejico to go the extra mile to give you an experience that you will remember - and it works.
The market fresh guacamole is one of the signature dishes of Mejico. Its a great dish with the added appeal that it is actually made at your table right in front of you with a mortar and pestle. Basically a whole avocado is combined with Spanish onion, coriander, lime juice, pistachio nuts, ground pepper, salt and chilli. It was great to watch it being prepared so expertly and it tasted amazing and the golden plantain chips (which actually look like slivers of crisp banana) went perfectly. For only $9.00 this is a must do dish here!
Of course if you're eating Mexican food it's a must to wash it all down with a few drinks. We tried two lovely concoctions - "An Easy Road" consisted of espolon reposado, pineapple and rosemary leaves. It disappeared very quickly as did the deliciously tasty "Sweet Desire" a blend of tromba blanco, espolon reposado, lychee, pomegranate. The drinks here are seriously good.
We moved on to try the Atlantic salmon ceviche. It arrived in a serving of four on crisp tostadas that they make there on the premises.
The salmon had been diced and combined with citrus juices to "cook" it and then mixed with coconut cream, orange, Spanish onion, jalapeno, charred Serrano chilli and toasted coconut.
It was a combination of flavour that fused so well together. While the ingredients had distinct tastes none of them overpowered the dish.
We both love ceviche and we've eaten it at quite a few places.
This was lovely and only $14.00.
Mlady decided to sample a few things - oink.
She started with the soft shell tacos. The presentation was extremely appetising as you could see everything in them.
They came filled with grilled ocean trout, chipotle mayonnaise, pickled red cabbage and jalapeno. Again a great combination that went well together.
She said "they were oh so yummy" and that they had a lovely bite to them - with the chipotle and jalapeno flavours.
A serving of three was only $16.00.
She started with the soft shell tacos. The presentation was extremely appetising as you could see everything in them.
They came filled with grilled ocean trout, chipotle mayonnaise, pickled red cabbage and jalapeno. Again a great combination that went well together.
She said "they were oh so yummy" and that they had a lovely bite to them - with the chipotle and jalapeno flavours.
A serving of three was only $16.00.
These tasty torpedoes were made from sweet potato, cumin, onion and manchego cheese.
They did look great and we were both surprised at the generous size of them.
Again they got the seal of approval from the croquette connoisseur and were described as "absolutely delish".
At only $8.00 for five of them it was great value.
My main course was huuuuge.
I chose the glazed pork ribs that had been slow cooked for eight hours. I was warned it was a big serving for the hungry - but that didn't scare me away. Perhaps it should have - it wasn't just big - it was massive. I love ribs and these were great.
It was a struggle finishing them and I'm not a small eater - just ask Mlady!
They came bathed in chipotle chilli marmalade and dotted with blackened corn. An added bonus was a side serving of polenta chips - which is standard for every serving of this dish. It's one of the more expensive dishes at $34.00 but it's worth every cent and more. Every second table had this dish and there were no complaints! We also had a few glasses of the Zolo Malbec from Mendoza in Argentina which was very nice.
The agave-glazed caramel fudge was the recommendation of head chef Daniel Schai - and what a recommendation it was! These things are amazing and they definitely had a real wow factor. Presentation was again great but the flavours were also amazing. It came with a vanilla biscuit base with cinnamon and a citrus mousse. The divine toffee shards and a pile of pecans completed it. Mlady savoured them as she slowly devoured every morsel.Oink again! They were thick, rich and tasted like a top shelf fudge should taste. This is another real winner and must try for only $12.00!
I was a bit less indulgent and had the milk chocolate shot that came with tequila infused with cinnamon sticks, hibiscus flower and pecan nuts. It was a rich drink with a kick to it that was amazing. A lot of people try this and for only $8.00 its so easy to see why.
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| Head Chef Daniel Schai and Ricardo |
Mejico is a great place with a lively atmosphere, tasty and tangy food at decent prices and really good service. It's popular - they have regularly served over 1,000 tacos in a day and nearly 700 people in a night. A lot of people like this place and more will once they try it!
Sir and Mlady dined as guests of Mejico. Special thanks to Mejico owner Dr. Sam Prince. Also thanks to Ricardo for brilliantly looking after us on the night. Our visit was arranged by Justine Henschke and Sally Lewis of The Cru Media.
