Fonda Mexican

Seen this place's name pop up everywhere lately, so since i'm on a Mexican obsession phase, I decided I might as well give it a go. Walking in, you are greeted with a amora of Mexican from the kitchen near the enterance.

Going through the menu I decided to try something from each section.

Started my meal with the corn and I must say this was such a let down. I honestly didn't think modern/fusion Mexican resturants can get this wrong. The serving size was small and it was obvious they used frozen corn cobs rather than fresh corn cobs. At $3.50 a per serve it's not exactly cheap and considering a fresh full size corn is only $0.70 in supermarkets, it was not just up to scratch. If it intends to compare with other Mexican resturants such as Mamasita's, they should really reconsider where they source their ingredients.

Chipotle aioli chips were next. The chips where fluffy and crisp, but the chipotle mayo did nothing for me. I regretted choosing the chips over the nachos.

There was no way I would go to a mexican resturant and by pass a taco. I ordered the fish taco, this was crisp fried battered fish in a bed of cabbage, onion and pickled carrot. This was not bad compared to all the other disappointments. The fish was very juicy and completemented the other parts nicely.

Then there was the burrito. The tortilla was pressed and made with the order. The fresh suppleness of the wrap was very nice. The beef and black bean salsa was a nice change to the usual salsa and beef mix you get at places like Salsa's and Taco Bill. I really enjoyed this, but I was also full to the brim at the point. If I go back I would order this and forego the chips and corn.

The quesadilla wraps were also made on the spot. I had the Chorizo option with this. This was quite a spicy number with the salsa, chorizo and jalapenos. I think this is better suited for someone who really likes a kick. For me I needed a bit more freshness and crispness to balance out all the cheese and meat.

I would reccomend you get a drink to complement your meal. I got the Lime and passionfruit margarita. At times, with the chorizo spiciness and the meatiness of the burrito, it was a saviour on my taste buds.

Overall, I was disappointed. This might have something to do with my recent visits to Mamasita's, El Loco and Paco's Taco. Once you compare it to these other places, it doesn't quite feel like it lives up to the hype. 13/20

Paco's Taco

Lately I've been obsessed with Mexican food and my research lead me to Paco Taco. Situated near MoVida on the rooftop, this place would sure make a cool 'date night' in summer. Sadly, I didn't go on a summer night, but a winter midday for lunch. Fortunately, I had a bit of sun to keep me warm.

When you look over at this place, it looks like just a canteen/bar type of place, which it kind of is......

All tacos are $6 so pricing won't come into play when picking out the filling for your taco. Since this is a taco joint, I'll start off with the tacos. I ordered 3 of the 6 tacos on their menu. To keep it basic I got the prawn, beef and pork. They served the tacos with lemon and coriander, to be quite honest, it wasn't that spectacular. After, trying the tacos at El Loco in Sydney, these seemed rather ordinary. Personally I found the large amount of coriander a bit of an overkill... I guess if you haven't been to El Loco you might like it more than I did.

The Nachos were a different story. The corn chips were loaded with flavour and topping. The Salsa Verde and the cheese just worked so well together and the salsa and guacamole was fresh and balanced the flavours so well. I think they should change their name to Paco's Nachos. If you visit this place, this is a must try.

Then, there was the BBQ corn. Char-grilled corn with chipotle mayo, queso (cheese) and lime. You simply can't get this wrong. The sweet juicy flavours from the corn with the cheese and chipotle mayo is just something I just keep eating if I was sitting in front of the television.

Then there was the doughnuts. These little suckers were loaded with either chocolate or caramel sauce. Not great for the waist line, but it was a treat on the lips. Personally I like the caramel over the chocolate, but the 2 friends I was with both prefer the chocolate. Not my favourite dessert under the sun, but it is something I won't mind if I visit again.

 

Overall, this place is not too pricey. However don't expect American street cart taco prices. It does aim to be slightly upmarket. Not a bad experience, I would definitely be visiting this place a bit more in summer. 14/20

Menya Mappen

Back in Sydney for work. Had dinner plans for catch with a friend, but get a call last minute that she has to cancel... What to do..? Well I still need to be fed regardless.

Since it was a Thursday night, I wondered down to Westfield to see if anything there catches my attention. If you have read my previous post, you will know I like my truffle oil, Parmesan chips. So I get myself a serving of that to start nibbling on.... However chips alone isn't quite dinner and since I was in Sydney with spare time, it felt a bit of shame not to try something new.

Keep wandering around and I find myself on George Street passing Menya Mappen. I have walked passed this place a number of times and I've always been curious to try it. Since it was a freezing day, soupy noodles sounded like the way to go.

I was a bit surprise to see how busy the place was, and also a bit overwhelmed. It looked confusing and I had no idea how to order. Took me a few minutes before I realised they didn't do ramen (which was what I originally had a craving for) but only did udon, soba and rice. The place was set up in a way that it's similar to a US school canteen, you line up order and with a tray pick up things along the way. Other than noodles, and rice they also had a good selection of tempura, side dishes and other Japansese street food. Now onto the food...

After 5 minutes of deliberation I finally settled for the Bukkake spicy pork udon, with extra soft boiled egg. The udon was made just right, smooth silky and not too soft. The soup was full of flavour and that spicy pork really packed a punch. The highlight had to be the egg though. Boiled just to the point where the yolk was still runny.

As much as I wanted to try everything, I was almost full so all I could try was the takoyaki from the tempura bar. Hmmm this wasn't anything special, think it was sitting there for awhile so it was slightly soggy.

Overall, I think for a fast food joint, it's pretty awesome. For less than $15 you can get yourself fully stuffed and if you compare it to how much McDonald's and KFC cost these days, it's pretty good value. If you just want a quick cheap meal, think you can't go wrong with this place.

Next time, I go back to Syd, I will review it's sister store in Chinatown where they do Ramen.