Sydney is ditching Tex-Mex for more authentic flavours
NEIL Perry’s new venture Bar Patrón By Rockpool is the latest to join the Mexican wave, as Sydney embraces the authentic, light, fresh flavours of Mexican food. Here’s where you should be eating this weekend.
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TEX-Mex is out and handmade tortillas are in as Sydney embraces a new, authentic style of Mexican dining.
Stodgy, heavy dishes such as nachos and burritos — an American interpretation of what Mexican food is — are being nixed in favour of authentic, light, fresh flavours.
Bar Patron by Rockpoolopened yesterday in Circular Quay with a menu that spans aguachile, a chilli-spiked Mexican ceviche, pozole, braised pork and hominy soup, and chicken with mole.
Rockpool Dining Group culinary director Neil Perry says the menu is all down to head chef Pamela Valdes (below with Perry), who hails from Veracruz, Mexico. And to ensure authenticity, they’ll be pressing 600 corn tortillas a day.
Perry says the secret to great Mexican food lies in the tortillas and salsas “and the rest of it looks after itself”.
“We’re doing masa (corn) for sure, not flour tortillas,” ghe says. “Just forget it, that’s more gringo than anything else. There is just nothing like a fresh tortilla. There’s nothing else you can buy that has the fragrance, deliciousness and lightness like this.”
For Perry, Mexican food makes sense in Australia’s climate.
“The food is so flavourful and light,” Perry says. “Forget nachos, we’re not going to do burritos and stuff invented by Americans that’s just really heavy and not representative of Mexican cuisine.”
He wants to teach Sydneysiders that there’s more to tortillas than just tacos.
“Tear the tortilla, sop up all the sauces and build little finger sandwiches, rather than just building a taco,” he says. “Taco is a street food but in a restaurant you tear up tortillas, it’s just how we eat a meal with bread.”
33 Bayswater Rd, Potts Point
The Barrio Cellar team opened seafood-focused Chula late last year, luring a chef from Mexico City. You can see the influence in dishes such as the snapper ‘a la Contramar’ which is named for a popular restaurant in Mexico’s hip Roma Norte neighbourhood that has a dish just like this on the menu. Brunch is now available on the first Sunday of the month, with egg tostadas, short rib chilaquiles and most of the dinner menu if you feel like ordering the fish.
Basement, 58 Elizabeth St, Martin Place
A late night tequileria, with a seriously good selection of tequila, mescal and Mexican street food including tacos and quesadillas. There is also a selection of Aus-Mex, such as the hamberguesa — hamburger with pickled jalapeño and chimichurri mayo — as well as the hamerguessa burrito if you want it wrapped in a tortilla rather than a bun.
Shop 3, 177/179 Glenayr Ave, Bondi Beach
Ex Rojo Rocket and Mr Moustache chef Pablo Galindo is behind the menu which includes Oaxaca cheese fondue, with free-range chorizo, cactus and warm tortillas. Tacos are on the menu and the cocktails are focused on mescal — tequila’s stronger and sexier cousin.
20/23 Norton St, Leichhardt
Ignore the odd location in the Italian forum and come for the tamales. In fact, pre-order the tamales so you know the masa-dough parcels filled with either chicken mole, pork or vegetables and wrapped in banana leaf. The sopes, with homemade tortillas, are also a winner.
105 Pitt St, City
One of Sydney’s first fancy Mexican restaurants, it heralded the start of the move away from Tex-Mex to something closer to authenticity. Go for the theatrics of the guacamole smashed tableside, a mix of avocado, serrano chilli, Spanish onion, lime juice, coriander and pistachios served with plantain chips.
EL TOPO
Level 3, 500 Oxford St, Bondi Junction
Inspired by the cuisine of Oaxaca, you can’t not order one of the region’s specialties: chapulines. The crunchy roasted crickets are dusted with chilli, garlic and lime. Forget that they’re bugs and you’ll want to make this your new favourite bar snack.
1 Young St, Neutral Bay
Channelling a southern California crossed with Baja vibe, this is “Mexicali” cuisine that doesn’t pretend to be traditional, but it is delicious.
Originally published as Sydney is ditching Tex-Mex for more authentic flavours