Can you finance a wedding with bags of Flamin’ Hot Doritos? I hope so, because this budget-balancing scheme is why Abe’s Comida Mexicana exists. By day, it’s Abe’s Coffee Supply: the Leichhardt cafe Abraham Golski has run for more than two years. By night, it’s Sydney’s only joint specialising in Dorilocos, a Mexican street food. “The translation is crazy Doritos,” Golski says.

The concept involves slitting a bag of chips open and using it as a portable bowl for a wild variety of toppings: pickled pork rinds, hot sauce, peanuts and even gummy bears can be added. Its culinary cousin is Tostilocos, made with Tostitos tortilla chips. Frito pie and the “walking taco” are Americans riffs on this meal-in-a-chip-bag notion.

Doritos are snackable, sure. But ultra-industrialised corn chips never struck me as romantic until I learnt why Abe’s Comida Mexicana opened in November. After proposing to girlfriend Carolina Montesinos, Golski needed extra income to fund their big day. “I should sell Dorilocos!” he thought.

It’s an extension of the home-style cooking he does to connect Montesinos to her Mexican birthplace, although some recipes have proven more experimental than others. “My first Dorilocos that I made for her at home had Violet Crumble crushed up, I put in chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce, maple syrup,” he says. “I went really crazy.”

Her verdict? “She loved it,” he says. “That’s how it all started.”

Similar versions might emerge as specials at Abe’s Comida Mexicana, but the current Dorilocos menu leans savoury. The only sweetness here is a syrupy and gently spiced chipotle sauce. Start your order with either Doritos Cheese Supreme (the elite choice) or the Flamin’ Hot alternative, then opt for a chicken, beef or vegetarian filling and request your spice level: mild or hot.

Your Doritos packet gets stacked with guacamole, lime, various salsas, sour cream, chips and slow-cooked meats or jumbled veggies. The bag will sag with the warmth of boiled black beans as you cradle it in your hand.

Dorilocos are mega-fun to eat: each chip scoop is a lucky dip of flavours. You might score guacamole with pico de gallo (fresh-cut tomato salsa) in one bite, or Doritos squiggled with chilli-sweet chipotle sauce and sour cream in another. Vegetarians are offered the cool crunch of carrot, cucumber and corn, while meat eaters will find their chip packet layered with chicken or beef that’s stringy and soft after eight hours of slow cooking.

Some people enjoy the sauce runoff that turns the bottom of the bag into a soggy Doritos scrap hunt. I prefer eating quickly to maximise chip crunch. I’ve tried Nachos Supreme Dorilocos in mild mode, and braced for Hot Ones-style humiliation after attempting the spicy level with Flamin’ Hot Dorilocos (but got through with low-key sniffles).

My only Dorilocos embarrassment was fumbling the chip bag and getting guacamole and beans on my skirt. Eating here might fast-track your laundry day, but it’s worth it.

Tacos are a bargain: $12 for three, piled with various meats or boiled cactus for vegans. Sure, the pineapple in the al pastor is tinned, but the tortillas are impressively made from scratch (the ace Olotl pop-up in Newtown does this, too). You’ll see Golski and Montesinos roll balls of dough and hear beepers go off as they steam, press and flip tacos in 25-second intervals.

In-house drinks include an ace cinnamon-spiced horchata, which Golski preps overnight and monitors between serving oat lattes and espressos during the day. His shelves stock beans from his dad’s roastery, Suspension Coffee. It’s one of many personal elements on display: like colourful decorations from Montesinos’ town of Emiliano Zapata (named after the Mexican revolutionary who said it’s “better to die on your feet than live on your knees”).

Although their wedding is scheduled for 2026, Abe’s Comida Mexicana will continue after their big day – even after the savings goal is complete. “I’ve found my calling,” Golski says.

Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.