Express Lunch @ Contrabando

When you have a team lunch to celebrate a team members promotion and they mention a lunch spot that is a great place for a quick lunch with a good deal I had to google it.  I hadn't seen alot of reviews on nor heard much about Contrabando, so I was excited about going.

 

 

 

Turns out it's where the Noble House used to be - look for the upside down sign out the front.  It's unassuming and full of mystery as you head downstairs into a moody lit room, with local artwork hanging on the walls.  It's obviously had a make over (or make under as it's more grungy and graffettied than Noble House was)  Cheeky and playful.

 

The menu looks great, with flourishes of Southern Californian, Mexican and Latin American influences.  There are a few dishes that are enticing but we are all here for the express lunch which is on Monday and Thursday.  Four tapas size dishes and a beverage (beer, wine or soft drink) for $20, that's a real bargain in the city!

 

The beverage choice is either a Salvados on tap or a Vaquera, peruvian Apple Cider.  I go with the cider and it's cold and light and fruity.

 

When the corn arrives we all dive onto it.  There is something about corn when cheese, chipotle and lime are involved. 

 

 

 

 

 

The mazorca are chargrilled, topped with queso freso, lime and a chipotle mayo with a hint of heat.  They are delicious!

Everyone is taco crazy these days and this crispy fish taco, with tomatillo salsa verde and pico de gallo is a tasty little number on super soft tortillas.  I could be in Baja right now!

The third dish was probably my least favourite.  The choripan, which is essentially a chorizo hot dog comes with habanero mustard and salsa criola.  It was nice, just not a favouite.  The mini chorizo sausage had a nice smoky flavour with a kick of chilli.

We finish the meal with the wagyu beef quesedilla.  This is a big hit.  The rich flavour of the beef is tasty and topped with a salsa verde, the crispy tortilla sandwiches it all together.

 

The staff are fun and friendly and it's a great place to have a quick lunch at.  As it is in the CBD it is a suits and corporates type of lunch spot, but it's a great spot!

 

I know I'll be back...perhaps next time I'll indulge in a $10 cocktail.

 

 



Tasting the new menu @ Los Vida Mexican Westfields Sydney

For a restaurant that is on the (quieter) sixth floor of a shopping centre in the middle of the Sydney CBD, where food courts abound, bars surround and competition is fierce amongst restaurant space, particularly Westfields where there has been a turnover of restaurants in recent years, Los Vida is making a name for itself.

Many visitors to the centre may not even know that it exists, diners may stumble upon it or hear about it from word of mouth. I think that can be a great thing.  Organically growing for it's great food.  The restaurant has a chance to grow and strengthen their foundation and it does not become the restaurant flavour of the month before diners move onto something else. It’s a contender!  

Ever since Los Vida opened their doors in January of this year they have built a solid following of regulars that return again and again, me included.   I was hooked from my very first meal (read about it here), however I have dined here many times since and often recommend Los Vida to work colleagues and friends.  

Los Vida is not your atypical Mexican joint offering cheese and refried bean laden tortillas or artery clogging cheesy, spicy beef covered nachos (although that does hold a special place amongst the cuisine). Mexican cuisine is so much more than that. Los Vida embraces fresh, vibrant flavours while upholding an authentic modern presence in their dishes.

I'm back at Los Vida to discover new delights on their newly launched menu. We are seated at a booth out front of the restaurant in an airy space within Level 6. Table tops are tiled in rich blue hues, chulola chilli sauce sits next to salt and pepper and the area oozes ‘south of the border’ charm.
 
While firm favourites have been kept on the menu, some have been replaced and newly added dishes enhance and already mouth watering menu. There is a new selection of ceviches, an extensive tacos list, a few new mains and new salads to mix things up. For those that would like a cocktail or two there is an extensive cocktails menu with wine and beer too.

The menu is designed to share dishes and I note that are vegetarian/ vegan options and a great selection of gluten free options. Our waitress enthusiastically points out choice dishes and recommendations.  

We have ordered a vast selection of dishes and I find I am having food envy of other diners around us.

We begin with the Scallops Aguachile $13 - scallops with cucumber, red onion, jicama and Serrano chilli atop a crispy gordita.

There are only two in a serve but each bite packs a fresh zesty punch of lime, fresh cucumber and warming heat of chilli. This is fresh and exciting. Just a little disappointed on the serving size.

A hefty serve of Enfrijoladas arrive. $15 

A choice of chicken, beef or mushroom we have gone with the more traditional beef with black beans sauce, cheddar, iceberg lettuce, queso fresco and sour cream. The crispness of the iceburg lettuce adds a fresh crunch to the refried black bean puree enveloped between a chewy textured tortilla. I like it.

Is your mouth watering yet?  Mine is...

Always a fan of a good taco, thankfully the taco menu hasn't been tampered with but embellished with to new ones. A Yucatan fish taco and a chipotle prawn taco.  Tacos range between $5- $8 or you can do a rack of 7 for $30.

Opting to try both we are happy.  The Yucatan fish taco has grilled barramundi with Yucatan style marinade, smoky rojo sauce, zesty lime cabbage and pineapple salsa. The Chipotle Prawn taco has tender prawns with poblano chilli, refried beans, chipotle sauce and avocado.  While they both have various degrees of heat from the different chillis, the fish is fresh and crunchy where the chipotle prawn is creamy with the avocado and bean puree.  They are both great additions to the menu, but I prefer the Yucatan one slightly more.

I’m intrigued by the sound of the Torta Ahogada - $16.  It's a ‘drowned’ spicy pibil style shredded pork roll and refried beans bathed with arbol chilli sauce.

It’s a wet style ‘burger’ and the shredded pork is smoky and tender with hints of earthy cinnamon. We like this a lot and it's a decent size.

One side that comes highly recommended is the Rajas. $5

 

It’s a small bowl  (bowl in the front above) of poblano chili, onion, potatoes, zucchini, corn kernels and sour cream.  It is served as a condiment side but I would have eaten the whole bowl and secretly between you and I...I would have licked the bowl clean if I wasn’t in public.….yep it was that good.

Every visit I always have to have a serve of the patatas bravas. $7

 

A mixture of fried potatoes, sweet potatoes, brava sauce and aioli w chives this is a huge serving but so addictive.

So full and satisfied I think we may have groaned a little at this point. I may have eyed off the bunelos and chocolate tart for dessert….but I will have to pass on Los Desserts…for today.

From a previous visit there are a few dishes that remain on the menu and are favourites.

Hibiscus Flower Flautas  - crispy hibiscus flowers with cheese and wrapped in a chunch corn tortillas with salsa verde and queso fresco.  these were nothing like I expected and was pleasantly surprised.

 

I can highly recommend the grilled corn. topped with coriander, butter, lim and chipolte cream with queso fresco.  These are another addictive side and very happy to see that it has stayed on the menu.

And lastly I leave you with a fish taco, beer battered barramundi with zesty lime, cabbage slaw and 3 styles of jalapenos (including deep fried) with chipotle mayo.

While I have always enjoyed my dining experience and the food at Los Vida but with the new menu they have just risen the bar.  Los Vida has done a great job in incorporating the change.  Thanks again for a fabulous lunch.

*Roofood dined as a guest of Los Vida and Cardinal Spin

 

Giveaway introducing the New Taco Grande at Los Vida @ Wintergarden

 

Los Vida, Sydney CBD’s purveyor of authentic Mexican cuisine, has added a traditional northern Mexican dish to its Wintergarden store menu. With a recipe passed down by the people of Sonora, Los Vida invite you to devour the Taco Grande: a “man-sized” large flour tortilla filled with either Guajillo Lamb, Tinga Chicken, Chipotle Beef, Pibil Pork or Adobo Mushroom.


To celebrate the new mammoth lunch time offering, Los Vida are giving away 500 Taco Grande’s. Head to www.facebook.com/LosVidaMexican to nab one for yourself.

The Wintergarden, 1 O’Connell St, Sydney CBD

 

Los Vida @ Westfields Sydney

 

Mexico sits high on the travel bucket list and I hope to travel there soon. Amongst many reasons, I have always loved Mexican food and the more I read about the regional specialities and delve into more traditional cuisine the more I want to go.  Mexican food is not all about burritos, enchiladas, nachos and cheese laden dishes or the odd margarita. That’s more Tex-Mex and holds it’s own up North  but in fact, true Mexican cuisine is extensive and regional and includes fresh, zesty, healthy salads, fruits and vegetables, long, slow braised meats and dishes with deeply flavoured layered sauces, chilli’s and fluffy tortillas.  It’s diverse and cultural and has kept its roots from the Aztecs and Spain, along with a few other cultures thrown in to the mix over the years.

 

So today, I just came back from a fabulous lunch with the girls.  We road tested a new restaurant that has recently opened on Level 6 of Westfields Sydney.  Los Vida (which means The Life in Spanish) is offering traditional, fresh, tasty Mexican food and at very reasonable prices and a sit down restaurant in Westfields. Perfect!

Our server is welcoming and friendly and we are seated in a booth outside the restaurant (inside Westfields) for a quick one hour lunch catch up.  We arrive at noon, so it’s not busy yet (but once word gets out I think it’s going to get busier).  We are positively drooling over the menu.  As there is so many dishes we want to taste, we decline one of my greatest loves, guacamole and corn chips, as a starter, but I do note it for next time. The list of tacos look enticing and we choose one each, with the idea of cutting each into three to taste each one.  On arrival we realise that would be messy and we just eat the one we chose. 

 

 

I go with the Pork Taco – filled with pibil braised pork, caramelised pineapple, habanero & radish with pickled onion.  Anything ‘porky’ will always grab my attention but add caramelised pineapple and I’m sold!  I opted for the corn tortilla and this was a perfect wrap to go with the pork and pineapple.

 

The other two tacos are the Beef Taco with chipotle adobo, sesame oil, coriander, chives, red onion, lemon juice, guacamole and poblano chilli w sesame seeds and the Fish Taco with beer battered barramundi, zesty lime, cabbage slaw and 3 style jalapenos w chipotle mayo.  I nibbled on an escaped deep fried crispy jalapeno from the fish taco and it was delicious. Note that you can order a taco sampler for $30 (which includes 7 tacos). 

We do end of up sharing the rest of the meal. Next up we dig into a big bowl of Ancient Grain Salad with quinoa, broccoli, kale, butternut pumpkin, corn kernels, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, parsley, jalapenos and pomegranates with a Tequila dressing. This salad was so fresh and tasty and nourishing.  I was expecting the Tequila dressing to have more of a boozy zing to it, rather this was smooth and delicate and I wasn’t disappointed.  Really lovely salad.

 

 

It’s the Beef Ribs that grab my attention.  Two large meaty ribs, doused in a chipotle glaze (and very saucy) topped with radish, spanish onion and pickled habanero.  The flesh is fork tender and literally fell off the bones as we cut through it.  The sauce has a hint of heat.  I would highly recommend this dish.

 

 

For sides we go with the Farmers Grilled Corn, sprinkled with queso fresco, lime, chipotle crema and butter and coriander.  However, it’s the Patatas Bravas side dish that stops me in my tracks.  Crispy cubes of potato AND sweet potato covered in brava sauce and garlic aioli with chives.  Oh my this is a comforting dish and I take a moment to relish it.

 

 

 

Apart from always enjoying lunching with my friends and catching up with them, I really enjoyed Los Vida and the delicious food on their menu.

No room (nor time) to go with a  dessert….we sit back, bellies full and feeling satisfied and we all have little grins knowing that we will be back again for seconds!

Mucho Love!

Flying Fajita Sisters @ Glebe

Friday night found me in Glebe, a part of the city that I haven't really explored before.  A group of 7 of us were dining at Flying Fajita Sisters, a Mexican restaurant in the heart of Glebe.  This suburb is buzzing on a Friday night.

After a rocky start, where our online reservation was not found, an no table available on arrival, we were sent away for a bit before returning to us being forgotten about.  That's okay we can move on from this and we are eventually given a table upstairs. 

We were all starving by this stage.  The dining room is buzzing (including a large party of 20 or more making it very loud).  Quick orders of drinks and appetisers first up before perusing the menu for our mains.  The staff are quick and efficient and friendly.

menu

 

Elderflower, Green Apple and Agave Margarita 

(not mine as I'm DD tonight)

 

This was strong and tangy, just how a margarita should be!

 

For starters we all shared the Mixed Platter.  A platter with 6 different dips and salsas with a big platter of toasty, crispy tortilla chips for dippin'.  We have guacamole, salsa, tomatillo salsa, queso fundido, pipian, frijoles.  Plenty to go around.

I especially love the guacamole (bottom left), the tomatillo salsa (middle left), the queso fundido (top right) and the pepian (middle right).  The pepian sauce is made from roasted pumpkin seeds and has a wonderful nutty flavour.  The tomatillo salsa has a good chilli kick and is fresh and green. As for the guacomole...I wish I could have had my own bowl!

  

 

Along with our dip platter we also ordered a large serve of vegetarian nachos laden with gooey cheese and refried beans.  These were great.The grilled jalapenos and capsicum on top of oozey, gooey cheese and warm crispy chips....everything a good nachos should be!

 

 

The food and drinks came out fast in the lively restaurant and the staff are super attentive. There wasn't a long wait between courses as our mains arrived. 

 

The date had the burrito filled with sweet chipotle chicken and black beans, tomatillo salsa and cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla and served with sour cream, guacamole and corn salsa.

 

buritto

 

 

The vegetarian flying fajitas were a fabulous serve of grilled vegetables on a hot grill with salad, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, olives, jalapenos, pineapple, refried beans and rice

 

vegetarian fajitas

　

The chimichanga is a crispy fried tortilla wrapped around a filling of chicken, mexican rice and served with cherry tomato salsa, sour crea, guacamole, cheese, olives and salad

who wants a chimmichanga?

There was an enchilada ordered, along with Camarones y Chorizo ala Diabla, which are king prawns and chorizo fried with chilli and tomatoes but I didn't get photos of these. Remember I was meeting my man's friends for the first time and a little shy at taking food photos! LOL - he is only just getting used to it......

So what did I order? I decided on two tacos (as I was nearly full from appies!) with one Huachinango taco and one Al Pastor taco. 

The Huachinango taco had grilled snapper with guajillo salsa, black beans, and queso fresco (fresh cheese) on the traditional two soft tortillas. This was mediocre (I'm not one to give negative feed back on the blog usually but this was not great). The snapper was grey and had a very odd taste. The Al Pastor with pulled pork, a grilled pineapple salsa and queso fresco was a little better.  The pork was smokey and spicy and the pineapple salsa was sweet and juicy.  Again served on two soft tortillas. However, I wasn't wowed by this.  Maybe I was just full and couldn't appreciate the whole taco experience.

 

All in all, the evening was delightful, meeting new people (my date's mates) lively and enjoyable.  I loved the Wall of Pain they have down stairs.  A shelf full of various hot sauces that you can help yourself to for the extra kick!  I would like to come back here and give it another go.  We all enjoyed the appetisers more than our mains.  Maybe it was a busy or an off night (they did have a large party to cater to).  The atmosphere is definitely fun, with a fiesta flare throughout the restaurant.

 

El Loco @ Slip Inn - a little bit of mexican in the CBD

 

My lunch time meeting had me dining at El Loco @ Slip Inn, part of the Merivale portfolio of bars and restaurants around the CBD.  My visit also happened to coincide with National Tequila Day.  Now, we did indulge in a sneaky glass of savignon blanc, but unfortunately there was no shots of tequila consumed. (It's lunchtime people and there is an afternoon in the office - so some decorum was needed!)

 

The Slip Inn has had a makeover -  going with a mexican inspired setting outdoors - and I was feeling a little be el loco at the Sand Bar.  It may have been a little chilly out but we decided to eat al fresco in the open/undercover bar with its funky, mexican inspired tables and stools and the outdoor heaters blazing.  The menu is Dan Hong inspired mexican which includes tacos, special hotdogs, pulled pork and fish laced with pico de gallo, chipotle and salsas!

the sand bar

 

With a cheeky glass of sav blanc in hand we ponder on the menu and can't decide.  There are just to many choices and I know I'm already going to come back to try out more.  A few recommendations by the manager, and the suggestion of the special lamb taco that is on tonights menu for National Tequila Day and we order.

roast lamb with marjoram taco with cabbage slaw,salsa verde and pimenton

 

We start off with a soft shell taco with roasted cubes of lamb in marjoram with cabbage slaw, salsa verde and a sprinkling of pimenton on top.  It's full of flavour, the lamb is tender, the cabbage is crunchy and fresh and the salsa verde gives a nice herbage hint. I like this very much and being a 'special' I'm glad we went with it.

chorizo quesadilla - chorizo, jalapeño and cheese quesadilla
with chipotle mayo

 

Next up is the chorizo quesadilla - discs of smoky chorizo between 2 tortillas with queso cheese and a side dip of chipotle mayo.  I have tried so many quesadillas and I have never been wowed by them.  This one is tasty.  What's not to love about cheese and chorizo but next time I'll go straight to other menu options.

 

roast Pork with mexican rice, apple and cucumber salad and pineapple salsa 

 

You can go past pork belly with crackling!  I'm a sucker for crispy pork cracklin' and this dish did not disappoint.  Succulent and juicy the pork is great and the cracklin' I sliced off and kept to the last bites.  I loved the apple and cucumber salad.  Apple really gives a salad an extra zing of freshness and the pineapple salsa is roasted and smoky and smooth.

We receive a surprise offering from the chef, as the manager passes by he leaves a dish of Arepuelas  Hot and fresh out of the fryer - little Colombian doughnuts with a raspberry jam centre.  They are amazing but be careful has you bite into them - that raspberry jam is STEAMING HOT! Cinnamon, sugar, jam and fluffy dough - amazeballs!

little balls of heaven

 

El Loco @ Slip Inn is a great bar for a long lunch, a drink afterwork or even for your next work event or function.  It can offer various spaces or exclusive use and it's laid back and casual but a funky place to chill!