Mamasita

Mamasita is our favourite Mexican restaurant in Melbourne. We have been here for lunch, dinner and supper, and it is consistently good but come early (before 5.30pm) for dinner or the queue will be long. Those who have been to Movida Next Door and Chin Chin will appreciate this fact. With the amazing selection of drinks and food options available, it is no wonder why Mamasita is so popular.

This time we had:

Elote callejero ("Streetstyle" chargrilled corn, queso, chipotle mayo and lime) - A favourite on the menu, the corn is always sweet and juicy, and the salty and sour combination with the sweet corn simply gets your appetite going.

Plátanos machos (Crispy plantains, frijoles, cucumber onion salsa, guacamole and queso fresco) - This has changed slightly over time but the slightly thicker plantains go well with the beans and other toppings.

de Puerco (Al Puerco-style pig's cheek, fiery apple and white cabbage) - This taco is deliciously simple, meltingly soft cheek with some crackling and crispy apple and cabbage. Yum!

de Lengua y Cachete (Braised ox tongue and cheek, pickled veg and ghost  chilli mayo) - Again, a deceptively simple looking taco but tastes amazing with the kick from the dressing.

Pulpo a la barbacoa (Barbecued guajillo-braised octopus, jicama napales salsa) - Some places really know how to prepare their octopus and Mamasita is no exception. Perfectly prepared, it is not only tasty but the octopus is tender and the smokiness from the barbecue is wonderful.

Drinks are always amazing, be it the sangria or tequila or even the non-alcoholic drinks like the Mexican salted caramel shake which is a dulce the leche drink and is like a dessert on its own or the refreshing Sandia y Fresa agua fresca which has watermelon and strawberry flavours.

Sweetcorn ice cream - if you still have room for dessert, a light refreshing ice cream will do the trick.

Service: :star :star :star :star :star
Quality of food: :star :star :star :star :star
Value for money: :star :star :star :star

Type of venue: Mexican,  Latin American,  Tapas

Worth a return visit? Yes.

Address: Level 1, 11 Collins Street,  Melbourne VIC 3000

Fonda Mexican

After hearing some good things about Fonda, we thought we'd give it a go. We had  been to Radio Mexico and Mamasita (we think Mamasita is the best) previously. All in all, it was sadly rather disappointing. Apart from the venue and the quesadilla we ordered, everything else was average.We had:

Coconut and acai (coconut water,  acai, mixed berries, lime and mint) - could not taste the coconut water so it might as well have been normal still water.

Iced coffee (spiced coffee,  white chocolate infused cream) - the spice mix was a little weird and unfortunately we do not rate this drink. Chai flavoured would have been better. The spice mix was bitter.

Charred corn (Chipotle aioli,  queso, fresh mint) - dry and not well seasoned. Anyone who has had the Mamasita version as well will know what we mean.

Braised beef tacos (lime infused cactus,  guacamole,  pimento berries,  shaved cabbage) - again, very dry taco and lacked seasoning. It was not worth AU$7 for a dry taco.

Adobo chicken quesadillas (chatted corn,  baby spinach,  jalapeno-basil aioli,  toasted ancho chillies) - this was the standout. Chicken was moist and the aioli was delicious.

Sadly, this place just doesn't compare to Mamasita, both in terms of quality and value.  A Mamasita review to follow.

Service: :star :star :star ½

Quality of food: :star :star ½
Value for money: :star :star :star 

Type of venue: Mexican,  Windsor

Worth a return visit? No.

Address: 144 Chapel Street,  Windsor VIC 3181