Sorry it's been sooo long between posts! It's been a crazy month filled with birthday's, catch ups and a trip away to Perth. On the upside of not having a minute to spare, I have lots of exciting things to post about! So you'll be hearing lots from me over the next couple of weeks. But first onto Mamasita....
Mamasita
Mamasita meaning 'Hot Babe' in spanish has been 'the talk of the town' since opening its doors in Melbourne. After my third visit I can see why people love this taco and techilla bar, and keep coming back for more. Probably because I'm one of them!
The no booking policy (except for large groups) means that most nights there is a long line of hungry people trailing up the staircase in hope of getting a table. After my first visit we worked out that the key is to get there early, say 6pm when there aren't too many people in the que. Then you leave your name and number and head off elsewhere for a few drinks.....and wait for the call to let you know your tables ready. We headed off to Madame Brussels which is close by for a few Sangria's. Now onto the food!
Tortilla Chips w Guac & Salsa
Not long after being seated we ordered some crispy tortilla chips with guac and salsa to share while we studied the menu. I always order these to start - they're delicious! Mamasita's menu consists of a lot of small bites for one, and some larger dishes for sharing. I normally stick to the small bites, but because there were five of us dining this night, i thought it was a good opportunity to try some of the larger sharing dishes too....the verdict...keep reading and you'll find out.
Tostaditas
These bite size Tostaditas are my fav thing on the menu. They are a crispy corn chip piled high with different toppings. We ordered some of the De Pollo which has chargrilled chicken, avocado, chipotle mayo and queso fresco. We also got some of the De Carnita, which has slow braised pork shoulder, pickled jalapeño and chicharron. They are simple but have such an intense flavour! I also love the presentation, with them being served up on a chunky wooden chopping board! Make sure you try these!
Tacos
The tacos are designed to serve one and aren't very big. I would recommend ordering two. There's six different filling options to choose from. Most of us got either the fish or prawn. They are my two fav fillings. The filling's are really simple, but the flavours are so punchy and fresh! The salsa that's
served with the tacos is amazing. So make sure you sprinkle your tacos with it.
Street Style Corn
I'd heard a lot of talk about Mamasita's street style chargrilled corn cobs. And I was happy that they lived up to the hype. Smeared in queso, chipotle mayo, a squeeze of lime juice and grilled to perfection. They were super juicy like a good cob should be.
Now onto the larger sharing dishes......
De Pollo Quesadilla
The Quesadillas are great for sharing. We ordered the De Pollo which has a filling of Char grilled chicken, coriander, queso criollo, pico verde & queso fresco. It was topped with the same yummy salsa that was served with the tacos and a sprinkling of cheese.
Chickpea Fritters
This dish came out and I was really excited because it looked so colourful and pretty, with the bright purple cabbage and the jalapeño herb sauce. Sadly my fellow diners and I were a bit disappointed, as the flavours were a little bland and the fritters weren't crispy like you expect fritters to be.
Squash & Goats Cheese Tortillas
Like the chickpea fritters these stuffed tortillas just didn't excite our taste buds. The Tortillas were deep fried which made the dish a little greasy. I think if they were pan fried and crispy it would have been much more enjoyable. My advice is stick to the smaller dishes because they are just so much more delicious! I know when I head back to Mamasita I'll be ordering my usual choices of the tostadas, tacos and the must have corn.
Sweetcorn Ice-cream Cone Topped With Caramel Popcorn
Now I'm not a fan of mixing sweet and savoury, so I had my doubts about corn flavoured ice-cream. But boy was I wrong. It was delicious! The ice-cream was so creamy. They must have churned the corn for hours to get it so smooth!! I especially loved the addition of the sweet caramel pop corn that sat on the top of the cone.
So to sum up my latest visit to Mamasita. Although the larger sharing dishes were nothing to be excited about, I still love this place and will continue to head back there whenever I get a craving for mexican. I'll just make sure I stick to the smaller dishes. Make sure you get to Mamasita and give it a go!
Mamasita Address
1/11 Collins St
Melbourne
Out Of Pocket
Tortilla Chips w Guac & Salsa: $9
Tostaditas: $12 - $16 (4 per serve)
Tacos: $5 - $7
Street Style Corn: $4.90
De Pollo Quesadilla: $12
Chickpea Fritters: $19
Squash & Goats Cheese Tortillas: $21
Sweetcorn Ice-cream Cone Topped With Caramel Popcorn: $6
Red Door Corner Store
I've been wanting to go to Red Door Corner Store cafe for a while now. Not only because I've heard great things, but also because it was my local milk bar growing up. Pulling up to the cafe memories came flooding back of me and my sister riding our bikes down to get our TV Hits magazine (we were so cool), and some powdered jelly babies (which nowhere seems to sell anymore! Which is such a shame because they rocked)
The place has a great relaxed vibe to it, and is decorated with a cute quirky feel - with different shaped baking tins and cooling racks hanging on the walls like artwork.
The menu isn't huge. But has a nice variety of different options to choose from. I decided on the...
Coconut Crumpets Served w Rooftop Honey
I was intrigued to what home made crumpets would be like, so was excited to give them a try! They came to the table on a cute little wooden chopping board, and I loved how the butter was resting on top of a wooden spoon! Very creative. When the waitress put down the dish in front of me she explained that the honey was fresh from the bee hives on their roof top. Which I think is so unique and cool. After my first bite they weren't really what I imaged. More like a scone than a crumpet. And I think they must have run out of coconut the day I was there, because I couldn't really taste any coconut flavour at all. So the verdict was that they were ok, but prob wouldn't order them again, unless I was feeling in the mood for a scone. Which isn't often for me.
Banana Bread w Whipped Orange Ricotta, Oven Roasted Stone Fruit & Hazelnut Dukkah
My girlfriend I was having brunch with ordered the banana bread. It came to the table and I got instant food envy. I hate it when that happens! Luckily I was offered a mouthful. It was delicious!! The banana bread was nice and moist, and tasted amazing with the orange ricotta drizzled over the top. The juices that were resting underneath were from the baked stone fruit, and the banana bread had soaked up some of the of it which added something special to the flavour combination. This dish was a definite winner!
I'm not a coffee drinker, but my girlfriend told me that it was a good coffee. I took a photo purely because it looked so pretty! he he.
So if your in the Northcote area pay The Red Door Corner Store a visit, and enjoy the laid back atmosphere, and the homemade, fresh non fuss food this place has to offer.
Red Door Corner Store Address
70 Mitchell St
Northcote
Out Of Pocket
Coconut Crumpets Served w Rooftop Honey: $9.50
Banana Bread w Whipped Orange Ricotta, Oven Roasted Stone Fruit & Hazelnut Dukkah: $15
Coffee: $3.50
I've got so much more to share with you! Look out for my next post on the Vic Market tour I did last month, and some other exciting places I've visited.
