(definitely)Crispy (sorta)Mexican roast pork tortillas

My current food fad is a new found fascination for Mexican cuisine - no... not Tex Mex "Gag-a-mole" microwaved cheese-caked nachos... I'm talking about the zingy, spicy, fresh and complex flavours of Mexico.

I guess my feelings towards the things I used to hate about what I thought was a representation of Mexican food (think dodgy kebabs dressed as burritos, the aforementioned nacho disasters, etc) are exactly the same emotions towards the misrepresentations of Chinese food that make me cringe (I don't want to come across as a food snob but special fried rice and combination chow mein aren't exactly special or a sought after combo in China).

And so - in my journey towards discovering the flavours of ol' Mexicana, I whipped up my interpretation of that cuisine over the weekend in the form of a super crispy roast pork belly marinated in fire roasted green chilli, fresh coriander, lime juice/zest, garlic and olive oil.

In keeping with theme, I decided to serve this in a tortilla (store bought - I am only an el novice!) topped with home made guacamole (pimped up with fresh lime, coriander and chopped tomato) and a fire roasted red capsicum salsa. The flavours worked incredibly well together - the kick from the heat of the chillis and the tang of the limes balanced beautifully with the sweetness of the capsicums. And of course - the super crispy crackling on the pork belly added an addictive textural element to creaminess of the avocado in this comforting dish.

As far as food fads go - this one is definitely here to stay - just as I know that there is hope beyond the thick battered sweet and sour pork atrocities that are so prevalent in Chinese restaurants all over the world - my dream is that I will find myself in the streets of Mexico one day laughing with a few amigos at those nasty nachos. Viva la Mexico!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

That Little Mexican Place

Mexican food outside of the States and of course... Mexico... has a pretty bad rep due to the confusion with tex mex cuisine - consisting usually of sloopy greasy nachos and soggy burritos. Of course, just like good chinese food isn't about satay chicken and mongolian lamb, real Mexican food is nothing like tex mex has made it out to be. Quite the opposite, authentic Mexican food is fresh, light, complex and darn right exciting.

That Little Mexican Place in North Perth (and now also in Vic Park)... is exactly as its name describes.. a small eatery that serves up honest Mexican food. We dropped by for a lazy weekend lunch - crab meat empanadas, freshly made tacos with shredded pork and salsa verde, shredded goat tamale and a beautiful albondigas in chipotle and tomato salsa. Everything was fresh, zingy and so exciting to eat. The empanadas were a highlight - the beautiful corn pastry encasing perfectly seasoned crab meat. The albondigas were also incredibly addictive - mexican meatballs served piping hot in a chipotle and tomato sauce - smoky, rich and so moreish.

The food at TLMP is very well executed - and for those who may not have discovered what real Mexican food is all about, it is a fantastic place to visit to taste what I think is truly one of the most underrated cuisines in the world.

That Little Mexican Place
382 Fitzgerald Street
North Perth

Sunday, August 16, 2009

The good... the ugly... and the bloody tasty

I've never been to Mexico - and I'm not sure if I'll get there anytime soon. But there's something festive about the idea of Mexican food - nothing pretentious, spiced up, often very messy and when done right - oh so tasty.

So its sad that Mexican food often gets a bad rap with the cheap and nasty versions served up the world over. From greasy and sloppy quesadillas to stale and crusty tacos - Mexican food has also become associated with stuff you devour when you've had too many a cheap margarita and its the only way in which you can get the maximum grease in the shortest amount of time to ease the pain.

And so it was a pleasant surprise when M and I stumbled upon the Flying Taco, a tiny Mexican diner tucked in North Perth for a late Saturday lunch (no we weren't drinking heavily the night before).

Everything is made from scratch here - from the delicious smelling tortilla to the addictive range of salsas. We ordered two burritos, a carne asada (grilled sliced steak marinated in lime juice, garlic and oregano) and the carnitas (slow cooked pork with grilled fresh pineapple). Both were excellent and were stuffed with delicious fresh ingredients as well as refried beans and Mexican red rice.

Nothing fancy here at the Flying Taco - as a matter of fact you might walk straight past it and head to the buzzing gourmet foodstore and cafes just next door. But drop by and be rewarded with some genuinely good food.

And whilst I probably won't get the privilege of visiting Mexico anytime soon, making amigos with its food here in Perth isn't such a bad substitute in the mean time.

The Flying Taco
40 Angove Street
North Perth
www.flyingtaco.com.au