Saturday, June 29, 2013

Mejico, Sydney CBD


The Mexican craze continues with new kid on the block Mejico opening up digs next to the popular Jamie's Italian.  It's great to see more CBD dining options on offer these days - even when they are a tad expensive for my wallet.  Options are options and that's all good in my books.


The Mejico team have made good use of the long narrow space.  Bright walls and exposed bricks give this place a groovy, modern edge.  I think it's a good place to have a drink or two and a morsel to eat before heading out for the rest of the evening.


The menu here leans more towards a modern take on Mexican food rather than good old Mexican street food that I'm still dying to wrap my laughing gear around in Old Sydney Town.  Whilst tacos, grilled corn, ceviche and guacamole all appear on the menu you'll also find unusual suspects such as glazed pork ribs (which I've read are pretty spectacular).


We kick this off with Mejico's signature Market Fresh Guacamole ($9.00) which has the added theatre of being made by the deft-handed waitstaff right at our table.  Our avocado, Spanish onion, coriander are all pounded to smithereens within a matter of minutes in a traditional "molcajete". With a splash of lime juice the guacamole is ready to be devoured with a serve of crispy plantains. This is a great dip, really flavoursome and smooth and the salty plantains are a great texture balance.


Compared to the fabulous guacamole my blackened corn is a bit of a let down for me. Our serve is tiny and for $7.00 I would have hoped for more than a teeny piece of corn split into for little rounds. For my taste buds I also think they were a little heavy handed on the smoked paprika (and I'm part Hungarian so that is saying something as we're born with paprika running through our veins). More corn + less paprika = a winning dish.


Although vegetarian tacos don't feature on the menu for some strange reason they are available if you ask your waitstaff. I asked a few staff a few times before I finally heard what I wanted to hear, that "yes - of course Vegetarian Tacos are available".  I think the contents of the taco change often hence it's not on the menu though I don't see why they can't add "vegetarians tacos - ask your server for today's options". I thought my three petite quinoa tacos were really tasty and fresh, but was hoping for a bigger serve for $16.00. The taco shells themselves are quite little - about palm sized.


The Portobello Mushrooms and Croquetas ($28.00) is a tasty but unexpected dish to see on this menu as the flavour and presentation of our serving seemed more towards modern Australian than Mexican for me. That said there are some Mexican flavours pushing through - tomatillo salsa, black bean puree, ancho chilli, cumin and manchgo. It was a nice dish - I just wanted more, especially when you're sharing with two other  hungry ladies.


Am I getting tight in my old age?  I was hoping for a more substantial meal for the price we paid. I think I've been hanging around in Chinatown too much this year where for $15 you're full as a goog when you waddle home. Have you been to Mejico yet? Am I just being a grumpy old tight-wad?

Méjico on Urbanspoon

26 comments:

  1. I visited the other week, and while I really enjoyed the food, I did find it quite pricey - it came to nearly $50 a head, and really, I just don't have that kind of money to splash around all the time!

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    1. I liked most of the food too...I just wanted to be fuller!

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  2. I've been meaning to go to Mejico - but I definitely am becoming tight in my old age, so thanks for the heads up! ;)

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    1. I think it's a fun place for a snack/drink after work before heading out somewhere else.

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  3. Definitely not like eating in Mexico... big servings and small price tags!

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  4. I've been and we were in a large group. I thought the pricing was okay, just inconsistent. For instance the ribs were huge and good value I thought. But we got maybe 5-6 plantain chips for the guacamole. Odd. But the ribs were GOOD.

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    1. Yes, pricing always seems to work out better in bigger groups.

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  5. A dear reader told me that she enjoyed it but thought that the portions were really small! It sounds like you had a similar experience! :)

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    1. I think your dear reader & I are on the same wavelength.

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  6. I debated going here but @loveswah said it was blah so I never bothered. then I read some smh thing and they tagged mejico as red hot. It seems to be very much YMMV.

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    1. It's probably "red hot" as it's new -- but I did read a SMH review that made the same point about the small serves. That @loveswah is one smart cookie.

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  7. Keep sticking to Chinatown I say! Fabulous food at affordable prices.

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  8. the serving sizes do look very small!

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  9. I've been seeing this pop up on my instagram feed! Need to know if it's as good mamasita over here!

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    1. Mamasita is in a league of its own. I don't think there is anything in Sydney as good as Mamasita.

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  10. I've heard about the small serving sizes here. Though the freshly made guacamole is an excellent idea, I do wonder if it is worth the price tag. But it sure looks tasty!

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    1. The guac was GOOD & I loved the novelty of having it made at our table.

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  11. I do really like the sound of the guac being made to order - that's as fresh as can get!

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  12. I'll be in Sydney this week and am looking forward to discovering new CBD digs like Mejico. I love the presentation of the 'guac but the prices do seem a bit steep - eeek $28 croquetas?!

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    1. It's a good option for dining in the CBD where, if we're honest, there's not much going on. You'll find some good places though...

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  13. i like the food but definitely agree with you about the portions along with the prices. was a tad bummed at how small the tacos were.

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