THERE’S a new bandito in town.
It’s not Brad Pettitt wearing a hemp poncho and an up-cycled moustache, but a restaurant called Frida Mexicana.
Back in the day, a plate of sizzling fajitas en route to your table would turn heads and was all the rage, but nowadays small tacos (taqueria) are the in-thing.
It’s part of a wider movement towards share plates and grazing, with many folk not having the time or inclination to hunker down for a three-course epic.
Along with the stalwart Mexican Kitchen, there’s now La Cabana and Gorgeous George, so the Mexican Wave in Freo is slowly turning into a tsunami.
Since opening last year, Frida Mexicana has gone down a storm with locals. Thankfully I booked as it was packed to the gunnels on a Tuesday night during the Easter holidays.
It felt like one of those “in” places and the restaurant was heaving with young couples, families and the odd group of pensioners who wanted to keep things spicy.
There was a lovely alfresco, where you could sit and watch Fremantle in all its ramshackled glory (it was the usual procession of eccentrics, misfits, druggies and boring middle-class families like us). Inside was cosy and rustic, and it felt like a federation house that had been converted into a restaurant.
The menu was divided into botanas (snacks), share plates, burritos, taqueria, bigger plates and desserts.
It was a nice range that covered all the favourites as well as a few surprises like the carne y papas fritas, mango and bocconcini salad, and empanadas.
I was with my wife “Special K” and two young kids, so we decided to order the Feed Me Tacos, which was great value with all nine tacos on the menu for $69.
Meaty kick
There was also a Frida Platter ($90) with totopos, chicken wings, ceviche tostadas, empanadas, mango and rocket salad, quesadilla and dessert.
It was very busy and Frida pride themselves on making their fresh meals from scratch, so there was a bit of a wait, but it came just in time before my kids started stabbing each other with the cutlery.
Frida hand’t skimped on the toppings and there was a yummy kaleidoscope of colours and textures, almost like an impromptu artwork, with everything from pumpkin calabaza rostizada to lamb barbacoa.
Out of the meat ones, the beef carnitas was particularly enjoyable with an intense flavour kick from the 12-hour slow cooked beef and accompanying cheese, chipotle mayo and coriander.
Coming a close second was the carne asada with perfectly cooked flank steak and some nice cheese, chimichurri and Spanish onion.
The veggie tacos weren’t just there to make up the numbers and the fried eggplant was very enjoyable – a moreish mix of panko crumbed eggplant, pickled cabbage, chipolte mayo and ricotta salata cheese.
For good measure, there was a couple of seafood numbers and the tacos de camaron was my favourite from the whole meal.
A delightful combo of lettuce, prawns, avocado and tomatillo salsa. Often prawns can be like rubber bullets in Mexican dishes, but these were plump and juicy.
My wife enjoyed the baja taco with battered fish, slaw, lime mayo and pico de gallo.
The only one that didn’t work for me was the roasted pumpkin, which was left on the plate after everyone had a tentative nibble.
The tacos were super filling and probably another small side would have been enough, but we had ordered the nachos bravos ($20 plus beef $6).
These were sophisticated, almost deconstructed nachos with the pulled beef seperate from the corn chips, melted cheese, gucamole, salsa, pico de gallo soucram and jalpenos.
Maybe I’m old school, but it was too perfect and I wanted an industrial slag heap of nachos that collapsed into a satisfying, messy whole. The ingredients were good quality, but there wasn’t that trademark flavour punch.
As I reached for my Rennies, I glanced up and saw a portrait of Frida Kahlo on the wall, the Mexican painter the restaurant was named after.
There was some nice design touches and it’s no surprise the place is run by the same folk who own the popular Sana and Sandrino next door. While lacking the refinement of the tacos at La Cabana, Frida Mexicana serves up big bold flavours with high quality ingredients, has more choice, and is well priced (especially the “Feed Me”).
There’s a lively buzz to the venue and it’s a good shout for a fun casual meal when you’re out in Freo.
Frida Mexicana
97 Market St, Fremantle
fridamexicana.com.au
by STEPHEN POLLOCK