By Anto Coates
Last Friday we hit up new Mexican eatery La Boca Loca in Miramar for an early
lunch. We arrived right on 12 and it was a good thing too – the place was
packed by about 12.30.
The first thing that struck me was the décor. The stools (which can be seen on their blog under ‘stuff we love’) are
really cool, although a little more weighted towards form than function. The
dining room is in keeping with the up-market fast food of a traditional taqueria,
with a variety of seating arrangements, from booths to bar stools. The dining
room still has that ‘new’ smell of fresh paint, timber and plasterboard…but the music was at a
good volume and the staff were warm and welcoming. So the nett result had us
ready to inhale some top-notch Mexican food.
Being convicted Emerphiles we ordered ‘dos’ (‘two’ for
non-Spanish speakers) Emerson’s Pilsners to start, which we sipped while
browsing the menu. Since it was our first visit, we put our fate in the hands
of our waiter, working as a team to plan a belt-loosening Mexican feed. I find
this a great way to see if staff know their menu or are just there to convey
food and ask "how was it?” Our waiter had us sorted in two shakes of a coyote’s
tail and was off to get things underway. Before I’d even finished my next
boring anecdote we had delicious hand-made corn chips and guacamole to shut me
up. The chips were so good they got us to speculating on their origins and the guacamole was
beautifully creamy with just the right amount of piquancy. Those about to get
on an economy-class long-haul flight might want to avoid it since the salt
content is leg-crampingly high, but it only confirmed the quenching ability of our
Emerson’s Pilsners.
We ordered an array of dipping sauces, which the waitress
helpfully arranged in a line from hottest to mildest. All were good, including
the mild chipotle sauce, and the hottest one was delicious. When clearing the
table the waitress saw we still had dip left and offered more chips without
prompting, showing the type of awareness and consideration that we love in our
wait staff.
The three main plates we shared were refried bean burritos, pork
tacos and enchilada del
pollo. We loved all three dishes; my only gripe was that the sauce was a little
prevalent on the enchilada, making it a touch soggy. I watched them prepare one
(the kitchen’s open) after we’d eaten it and it’s a fascinating and flamboyant
procedure.
To finish we had caramelized bananas with peanuts rum and
honey, served with a scoop of Waddington’s home-made Pedro Ximenez icecream on
the side. I’m not usually a dessert person but this one was heaven…the ice cream
is an optional extra but is well worth the extra few dollars. The warm, the
cold, the sweet, the sticky, the bitter, the nutty…glorious.
By the end of our meal, the place was really humming – we offered
our table to a family with young children – and finished dessert at the counter.
If this Friday lunchtime is anything to go by, La Boca Loca is already the next
big thing. Anyone who likes their food fast, flavoursome and fun will get a
real kick out of it.
Oh and tell them Anto sent you -- they'll stare at you blankly since I never introduced myself.
My rating: 4 stars
out of 5