Mexico Food + Liquor, Surry Hills

There's been a recent spate of Mexican joints opening up in Sydney.  Late last year District Dining shut its doors and reopened as Mexico Food + Liquor. I'm disappointed to see District Dining go...their crispy school prawns and crispy pigs ear were both things of beauty.  Needless to say Mexico had some pretty big shoes to fill for me.
 

There seems to be quite a bit talk in the "foodie scene" about the wave of Mexican restaurants hitting Sydney. Some people say the Mexican fad is about to hit us...other think it's here and on it's way out. Either way I've got my fingers crossed as I LOVE Mexican and I hope that something as great as Melbourne's Mamasita lands here VERY soon.

The space that once was District Dining has completely transformed - the only thing remaining seems to be the wooden floor boards. It's all a bit "day of the dead" inspired with loads of Mexican kitsch adoring every spare inch of wall space - it's a very fun space.

Swah, Tara and I had spent the day eating and trudging around Surry Hills in the rain - the eating was fun, the rain not so much. Swah declared that a good stiff drink would help dry our soggy shoes and a carafe of Strawberry Margarita ($25.00) was duly ordered. I'm not a big drinker, but I do like my cocktails and this went down very easily.

I've fallen in love with soft shell tacos and the wild mushroom ($6.00) taco piques my interest.  Crammed with mushrooms, fennel, marjoram, sour cream and toasted pinenuts it's texturally very interesting.  It's just a little messy as all soft shell tacos need to be, but it needed a bit more punch of flavour for me, some salt perhaps and hot sauce.

The roast eggplant, green onion + walnut with black cumin sour cream ($12.00) interestingly tastes more Indian in flavour than Mexican.  This, along with the glass of booze I've had, confuses me as it's not a flavour I was expecting in a Mexican restaurant.  Swah declares the quinoa, wild rice, green bean, grilled zucchini salad with mustard greens ($10.00) is the best salad she's very had. It's pretty darn good and we go spoon for spoon in polishing it off. I especially love the pomegranate seeds that are dotted through the mix along with cubes of creamy of feta.

The crispy potatoes ($6.00) are tossed in celery lime salt and served with a "spicy" tomatillo dressing.  These are REALLY good, super crunchy and incredible moreish. The tomatillo dressing isn't too spicy - I could've handled a bit more heat but chilli wimps will be happy.

Mexico is pretty decent and it's a good dining option for this end of Surry Hills.  I don't think it's Sydney's answer to Mamasita which just means we need to make another trip back to Melbourne soon. Oh well.

Mexico Food + Liquor at 17 Randall Street, Surry Hills. Phone them on 9211 7798.