Jimmy Blanco Latin-Australian Kitchen
54 Foveaux St
Surry Hills, NSW
Jimmy’s is narrow and long so it could be easy to walk straight past it without seeing it. Bad luck for anyone who does though – there is certainly good food and good value here. This place has plenty of character, with a warm and cheerful vibe. We didn’t get to meet Jimmy, the namesake and founder, but his presence can be felt. The walls and menus tell stories about his interesting but notorious background, his cheeky personality and his love of food.
For starters we wanted to try the Pisco Sour, a delicious lemony cocktail made from the authentic Pisco spirit which comes from a quirky totem-pole shaped bottle. So good and refreshing.
There are three menus – lunch, tapas and dinner with a good range of options such as ribs and mini burgers, wraps and salads plus the more exotic Latin inspired dishes. This place would really suit everyone.
Onto the share dishes now! Salt and Pepper Squid (always a fave) came out golden and crispy with sweet chilli sauce on the side. The Beef Empanadas were outstanding, with the spicy wagyu filling wrapped in the most perfect pastry ever! They were just the right consistency and bursting with flavour.
Also from the tapas menu, we chose Gambas al Pil Pil, which was another awesome dish of spicy prawns. They were tossed in a crispy sprinkle of chilli and crushed garlic which was divine. There was a definite bite of spice but not overpowering.
Espinaca Salad arrived with a lime-cumin dressing over an array of goodies. There was baby spinach, mint, roasted pumpkin seeds, sweet potato, diced radish, Spanish onion, coriander and charred sweet corn! Could a salad have any more in it?! Lovely fresh flavours and a nice crunch – this was a meal on its own.
The wraps from the lunch menu are generous and of high quality, as we soon found out. We had El Gringo, marinated chicken fajita mix with salsa, guacamole, sour cream and lettuce. That was a great combination which Dame K loved. Dame M was impressed by the El Chapo, spicy shredded beef with sour cream, guacamole, parmesan, corn, cherry tomatoes and lettuce. They don’t do things by halves here! The beef was mouthwateringly tender and cooked to perfection. These wraps can be taken away for an outstanding and good value office lunch.
JB’s Classic Triple Cheeseburger blew us away as it landed on the table. A tower of meat and oozing cheese with the crispiest bacon, bourbon-infused onions house-made pickles and salsa. Wow. If only we had more space for this we could have done it justice. The Jimmy Blanco experience finished with a funky good coffee and tea (love those cups!) and a couple of very satisfied Dames.
We really loved this place and would recommend it to anyone who appreciates variety, value, generous servings and a lively atmosphere. Saturday Tapas nights would really be a blast, with live music and great specials. Open weekdays for lunch and Tuesday to Saturday for dinner. Thanks to part-owner Christian for taking the time to chat with us, and the lovely Maria for making us so welcome.