Last friday, me and my friends went into Mamasita's after a day at the zoo which proved to be one of the ideal times to dine there. As it was after lunch and before dinner. So there was no queue and there was a bustling but not crammed amount of customers in there which added to the very cosy atmosphere.
Upon arrival, I noticed how grand yet unpretentious the bar looked - certainly inviting. And the dangling light balls/things which added a more modern edge to the place.
We we're greeted politely and taken to our table. The service was impeccable for a casual dining place such as Mamasita's. Waiters and waitresses readily poured water into your glass and helped us through the menu during ordering. So as service and atmosphere goes, this place gets a 10 out of 10 from me. But now to the food. Oh, the food!
When I had to explain my experience at Mamasita's last friday, I was literally out of words as I was slowly...or rapidly building up to a mild heart attack in Olive's car. I was just lost for words, all I could manage to articulate between taking in deep breaths were remarks such as "explosion of flavours", "my mind was blown" (and still is) followed by a whole bunch of moans and sighs. I'm not even sure how'd I'd describe my attempt at describing my experience as anything less than "this girl may just be a little too enthusiastic, borderline crazy!". At one point, I liked my reaction to that crazy cat lady who made a real/spoof (yet to know which one it is) eharmony video - "I want them in a basket!". But seriously, I WOULD want Mamasita's famous Corn on the Cob (appearing as "Elotes callejeros" on their menu) in a basket!!
And yes, I know that "corn on a cob" doesn't sound too exciting maybe even slightly messy (which it is) thus putting you off ordering it BUT believe me when I say it is the BEST corn on a cob I've ever and probably will taste in my life, it's worth getting messy over! It literally BLEW my tastebuds away, I was buzzing with excitement as I savoured each kernel of corn on that cob! The melt in your mouth kernels covered with a generous amount of queso (some sort of awesome tasting cheese which I first mistakened for coconut), mayonnaise, lime (if preferred) and then the BANG of the chipotle that's smeared neatly on that cob. It really does make for the perfect starter. Just talking about it gets me excited, I want some right now! But we also ordered the Tortilla chips with both salsa and guacamole to accompany those salty, corn crisps (what I assume are house-made chips) to share. The guacamole was the stand out between the two for me.
We each ordered our own tacos and I ordered the "de Camarones" which is simply their prawn taco which Jen said was meant to be really good. And boy...did it hit all the right spots! Each prawn was journey in which I didn't want to stop taking. Marinated in habanero chillies & chipotle almond salsa, those prawns had hints of spice but it wasn't overpowering, it was just enough to wake up your tastebuds if they weren't awake already and the almond rounded off the spice nicely. Will definitely go back for this too.
We also ordered the "Enchilada de calabaza con pipián rojo" to share which were two stuffed tortillas filled with roasted pumpkin and caramelised onions with a "pipián rojo" sauce and "queso fresco" cheese. This was certainly more subtle in flavours, tasting similar to butter chicken. The cheese and the sauce go really well together. As a whole, this was a very comforting dish.
At first I rated the food 9 out of 10 but now that I think about it - it certainly deserves a big fat 10! I can't really find any fault in it. I simply LOVED it. And I will definitely go back again and again. I cannot recommend Mamasita's enough! Seriously. Especially for a casual day or night out. GO THERE NOW if you can!
Char out!
P.S: Thanks Z!
