Mamasita Revisited

Horchata

Gave Mamasita a second chance a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised :) I'm not sure whether it was the fact that we were there for lunch and the atmosphere was significantly less hectic, or just that the kitchen had realised that standards were slipping and decided to pull up their socks but what an improvement compared to the last time I was there more than 1 year ago!

Given that it was lunch on a work day, and I wasn't in the mood for anything with alcohol in it, we were recommended to try the "horchata" by the waiter who explained it to be a cloudy white-coloured, sweet drink made from rice... Ok... It sounded interesting enough and promising enough for me to give it a go. I wasn't disappointed :) It was very tasty and quite unique to any other drink I've ever had. My lunch buddies and I were very happy with our decision to try this drink. Definitely worth sampling if you're ever dining at Mamasita.

Elotes callejeros - chargrilled corn, cheese,
chipotle mayo and lime

Tostaditas

To start, we ordered the "elotes callejeros" - basically grilled corn, topped with mayo, cheese, chilli and lime. I loved it. Well worth the slightly uncomfortable process of eating the corn straight off the cob, and the potentially awkward moment of getting some stuck between your teeth...

Next, we ordered 2 sets of tostaditas - crab meat, avocado, cucumber, tamarind, mayo & habanero, and orange-cured venison, chilli, radish. The crab meat tostaditas were a winning combination. The venison tostaditas were tasty, but I found the texture of cured venison to be quite different to anything I was used to. But I still liked both tostaditas.

 Then we ordered the grilled fish tacos - very tasty! The seasoning was just my cup of tea, and the chunky onion, parsley, chilli and olive oil mixture that was served with it was the perfect accompaniment.

Next we had the chicken quesadillas - very tasty, but not a standout like the previous 3 dishes. Still it was very enjoyable.

Grilled fish, lime, achiote paste, red onion salsa & chipotle mayo tacos

Chargrilled chicken quesadillas

Next we had the snapper ceviche. Ceviche is made from fresh raw fish marinated in an acidic medium (usually lime juice) where the acidity of the juice cooks the fish. It is served chilled, usually with other condiments like onion, chilli and herbs. It is very refreshing and the texture of the fish is just right. The ceviche at Mamasita was very tasty - tangy, spicy and fresh. I really enjoyed it.

Finally, we had the roast duck breast with adobo sauce, pickled cherries and coriander. While the duck was cooked perfectly, it lacked proper seasoning - my lunch buddies and I found this dish to be quite bland. Kinda sad because it had the potential to be so amazing.

Snapper, tomato, olive, green chilli,
lime and coriander ceviche

Roasted duck breast, red chilli adobo sauce,
pickled cherries & coriander

So, this lunch experience has given me newfound faith in Mamasita's food offerings. And lesson-learned: best to check this place out during lunchtime as it is less chaotic and noisy, which allows you to actually hear the other people at your table and have proper conversations. And try the Horchata! It's good :)