Mexican't!
Last week some friends/coworkers from San Diego (though currently living in Perth) were in town for a few days. Having heard people rave about the Mexican food at a place called Mamasitas, we decided to take them there and try it out. What better way to experience good Mexican food than with fellow San Diegans who would appreciate it (and are probably having similar withdrawals).
When Phil first stood in line at 5:45 he was told an hour. No big deal, after all the great reviews we'd heard we could wait an hour for a decent meal. We were content with grabbing drinks down the street and waiting for the call. Soon an hour became 90 minutes, and we went back to check. "We were just about to call you, it will be twenty more minutes." Ok, we've waited this long, it seems silly to give up now. So we wait outside and watch more people jump in line.
Finally two hours later we are seated at bar seats in this little tiny room. The bar menu looks decent, though the $10 Pacifico and $18 Margarita seem a bit steep. Chips are $8 here (you don't get ANYTHING for free in Australia!) and the salsa is not even worth writing about. The guacamole is decent, though it could be a lot better with a pinch of cilantro. Err, coriander, whatever you want to call it here.
Time for dinner to arrive. One friend ordered the tostada. It arrives on a long plank of wood. We all stare at it with puzzled looks on our faces. It seems that they have confused tostitos with tostadas - on the plank are four chips, each about an inch and a half in diameter with little piles of meat on top. Is that really a meal? I suppose for $15 it will have to be. Next to arrive are the two plates of enchiladas... cleverly disguised to look exactly like taquitos. Stuffed with potato and goat cheese, they are quite tasty. But we are forced to ask... has the owner actually BEEN to Mexico? Apparently he lived there for six years. What part? New?
Fortunately for me it is harder to screw up a fish taco...
Seems to us like these Aussies have been had. Sure, it might be good food, but I don't think any of us would describe it as Mexican food. If forced, perhaps Southwestern-influenced? But despite the two hour wait, the tostitos and taquitos, and the $18 margaritas, we had a grand time laughing at ourselves, the food, and the thoughts of opening up our own taco shops.
When Phil first stood in line at 5:45 he was told an hour. No big deal, after all the great reviews we'd heard we could wait an hour for a decent meal. We were content with grabbing drinks down the street and waiting for the call. Soon an hour became 90 minutes, and we went back to check. "We were just about to call you, it will be twenty more minutes." Ok, we've waited this long, it seems silly to give up now. So we wait outside and watch more people jump in line.
Finally two hours later we are seated at bar seats in this little tiny room. The bar menu looks decent, though the $10 Pacifico and $18 Margarita seem a bit steep. Chips are $8 here (you don't get ANYTHING for free in Australia!) and the salsa is not even worth writing about. The guacamole is decent, though it could be a lot better with a pinch of cilantro. Err, coriander, whatever you want to call it here.Time for dinner to arrive. One friend ordered the tostada. It arrives on a long plank of wood. We all stare at it with puzzled looks on our faces. It seems that they have confused tostitos with tostadas - on the plank are four chips, each about an inch and a half in diameter with little piles of meat on top. Is that really a meal? I suppose for $15 it will have to be. Next to arrive are the two plates of enchiladas... cleverly disguised to look exactly like taquitos. Stuffed with potato and goat cheese, they are quite tasty. But we are forced to ask... has the owner actually BEEN to Mexico? Apparently he lived there for six years. What part? New?
Fortunately for me it is harder to screw up a fish taco...
Seems to us like these Aussies have been had. Sure, it might be good food, but I don't think any of us would describe it as Mexican food. If forced, perhaps Southwestern-influenced? But despite the two hour wait, the tostitos and taquitos, and the $18 margaritas, we had a grand time laughing at ourselves, the food, and the thoughts of opening up our own taco shops.
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