Firstly I love Mamasita and enjoyed every meal I've had there and I'm even pretty patient about the whole queue thing they have going on. Just have to write a quick review though that this Friday night wasn't quite so good.

It started off well with only a few people ahead of us, a warm welcome and a cooler temperature in the restaurant. Apparently they have a new air con unit.

Food was hit and miss sadly although service was as friendly as it always is. The elotes although super tasty as usual; I love the spicy, zingy lime and cheesy flavours were actually cold but I was so hungry I forgave them that and ate it before I considered sending it back! And before I knew it the corn had been eaten and I felt a little disappointed I hadn't been more patient and got a hotter version...

Anyway it was minor flaw and sadly there was another minor flaw coming. The ceviche was too sharp and tasted more of lime than fish.

And then the major flaw; the black pudding taco was horrible and I usually love black pudding. I took one bite and found it over greasy, too squidgy, too fatty and not tasty so I had to leave it. It was not pleasant.

Positive experiences include great venison tostaditas which we'd not had before. The roast potatoes (also a new dish for us) were also great.

If this had been my first Mamasita experience I would wonder what the hype was about. But I know it can be great so I was more disappointed than anything else. I guess much like our Gingerboy experience, it must have been an off day. Unlike our Gingerboy experience I'm prepared to give this place another chance because I've experienced a non off day and I have enough faith that it will be good again...

_Post holiday catch up over Mexican food - yes please? And that was the plan with Ling and Noah. The conversation would be good for certain so hopefully the food would also be up to scratch.

High Tech Burrito is on Glenferrie Road and looks like another quasi Subway or fast food outlet. And it's the usual fast food drill, look up at a menu, order at the counter, take a seat in a plastic chair at a melamine table.

I actually arrived early so took a seat and waited and I wasn't made exceptionally welcome but nor did I receive funny looks for sitting there alone with no order. When we did finally order the attendant was friendly and offered an opinion on what was good when asked so this marked High Tech Burrito as a step above one of the many fast food chains.

We shared some nachos and chose the nachos loco which come topped with pico de gallo, black beans, sour cream and a choice of meat and we chose pulled pork. As Ling is a non cheese lover, we requested the cheese on the side. Good nachos! The actual nachos were crisp and light and in spite of eating lots they didn't get too greasy or heavy on the stomach. The pork was tender and there was a good amount of it.

Ling went for the fish tacos which she declare ok but not a huge hit. I'm giessing the fish was frozen.

I went for the:

GRILLED FAJITA BURRITO
GRILLED STEAK OR CHICKEN SAUTÉED WITH PEPPERS AND ONIONS, MELTED CHEESE, SPANISH RICE, SALSA, LIME SOUR CREAM, IN A GRILLED FLOUR TORTILLA

I opted for steak and the meat tasted fresh and of good quality. The whole thing tasted good but I guess it's hard to mess up this kind of mushed up together meal.

Steve and Noah went for:

GODZILLA ™ THE MONSTER STEAK & CHICKEN, BEANS, SPANISH RICE, CHEESE, GUACAMOLE, LIME SOUR CREAM, LETTUCE, TOMATOES, ONIONS, BLACK OLIVES, AND MILD SALSA IN A GRILLED FLOUR TORTILLA.

It was just huge. You can see in this picture that it's a burrito that needs both hands. Given there was not much left behind of this animal of a burrito, we can only conclude it was good!

High Tech Burrito does offer a superior burrito to the likes of Salsa's. The quality of the core ingredients is better so altogether a better burrito is created. Having said that is it worth travelling out to...hmmm...I probably wouldn't make the trek myself as Salsa's is ok enough to satisfy a craving! If in the area, it's worth a drop in for sure.

After a day session on the beer, what better to fill bellies than Mexican cuisine.

Our group of 5 headed to Bluecorn in the hope that margaritas and chilli would warm us out of the Melbourne rain.

At 4:30pm the place was pretty much empty but that suited us. I settled down to a strawberry and coconut margarita. There was a wide choice and between us there was punch, espresso margarita and beers ordered.

Service was efficient if not the warmest but certainly acceptable.

Nachos with melted cheese, guacamole, salsa and sour cream came out quickly for us to share and this was a great start to our meal. Not too greasy and not too overladen with topping that the nachos go soggy but enough so that the nachos have a decent covering. We also shared some fat chips with chilli salt. Not quite fat chips but roasted baby potatoes they came with sour cream and a sprinkling of spring onions and were also delicious

Between us we ordered a variety of burritos (twice baked and too large to wrap) and I had the rump steak fajitas. There were murmurs of appreciation as we dug into our dishes. The steak fajitas came with rice and about 5 tortillas. The steak was tender almost as if it had been stewed and the flavours strong and powerful. The guacamole tasted fresh and I really enjoyed it.

The restaurant is small so I can imagine it can get hot, sweaty and frantic on a busy night but for us on a wet Saturday afternoon it was perfect!

Friday night was date night and we decided to have an early dinner at Mamasita. We ummed and aahed about going to City Wine Shop for a bottle of wine beforehand but then just thought we'd go straight to Mamasita instead to guarantee no wait for a table.

It was a beautiful Melbourne evening; a little blustery but we enjoyed a really pleasant walk down Collins Street. As we neared the Holy Grail, we could see hordes of people lined outside and it was only 5pm!

This was my second time here and Steve's first and I was really up for a good feed and a fun time!

We hoped the masses of people were lining the street because the door hadn't opened yet. As we joined the end of the queue the door opened and we moved from being 50 yards outside the entrance to the actual entrance. We paused for a while at the bottom of the stairs and there were a couple of brief stops as we moved up the stairs but before long we were there!
 
An exchange of smiles later, and we were shown to two pretty good seats at the back of the restaurant where we had a good view all down the dining room. I think the tip the waiter gave me back when I first came which is to be really nice, certainly didn't hurt and it made for great service and we had a good time. I think it means a lot to stressed out, hardworking wait staff when customers show they're happy to be there and having a good time. I know I certainly appreciate it when my clients want to work with me than demand things from me.

Anyway we settled in and ordered some drinks. Steve commented that he found the little bar stool to be a little uncomfortable but I guess I have insulation on my behind so was pretty ok. I ordered a grapefruit and tequila slush thing which took a little getting used to; a bit too salty but I began to enjoy it more towards the end when it was less salty.

We made our way around Mexico with tasting different bottles of lager. Yes me; I drank lager! I think with all the great flavours of the food, lager actually went really well with it.

Last time I came, we simply asked the waiter to feed us and that was great. This time, having tried a few things, I had a better idea of what I wanted to eat and not eat so Steve and I made our own choices.

We started with a shot of pozolito which is a spiced pork soup with strip of tortilla chips and a wedge of lime. We were given little forks to pick out the pork meat and then share the broth that was left. This was ever so satisfying with warm, peppery flavours that made the tongue tingle. Perfect on a cold Winter's night and pretty good on a Melbourne Spring evening too!

Next were the amazing elotes callejeros which is effectively "street style" chargrilled corn ont he cob, queso, chipotle mayonnaise and lime. South America must be a happy place if everyone is roaming the streets eating corn on the cob on a skewer! This is Mamasita's signature dish I think and I love it so much. I can't eat normal corn on the cob anymore. I love the way every bite gets the cheese and the mayonnaise and the citrussy lime. Admittedly the cheese smells a bit like feet but it tastes so good.

And here end my pictures because I was told, in a very nice and friendly way I must say, to turn off my flash and subsequently the rest of the pictures didn't come out as lighting was not great. You'll have to rely on my descriptions instead.

Next up were the tostaditas which are little tortilla crisps with a topping on it. We went for de maíz which was more corn, black beans, epazote, jalapeño sals and queso fresco and also the pollo ones, chargrilled chicken, avocado, queso fresco and chipotle mayonnaise. Toppings were generous and these mounds of goodness along with a crispy tortilla crisp were a delight. I love the black beans even though they're vegetarian and the chicken ones were also so so tasty.

The lamb quesadilla that came next was actually nice and light and not too heavy. The tortilla wasn't greasy and the filling was just right.

We shared a small ceviche - ceviche de atún which was yellowfin tuna, blood orange, avocado, pickled jalapeno, lime, coriander and toasted sesame seeds. The flavours weren't as complicated as the description sounds. Tomato and tuna were the overriding tastes and it was fresh and tasty enough. It's like a poor man's take on the tuna and tomato dish at Jacques Reymond and I'd probably not bust a gut to have to order this one again but it was pleasant enough.

Our main course was the estofado de cabra - chipotle braised goat, roasted sweetcorn paste. The portion was generous and the meat tender. It came off the bone very easily and was rich and dark. Wrapped up in some tortilla it was rich and meaty. Got to admit though that the goat flavour wasn't particularly strong and it could have been lamb that we were eating.

We had absolutely no room for dessert and had to waddle our way back home. Upon reflection, the food was great at Mamasita and if the waiters treat you well it's a fun place to be. Our seats were a great viewing platform for people watching. I'd love to come here with 6 friends and Steve and just ask to be fed. It's fun to watch people eat with their hands and share the dishes - all very convivial and sociable. Sadly I know that Fridays and Saturdays are booked out till January and booking a table for February now seems a bit too premature even for me and I'm a planner.

When we return, the corn and the tostaditas are a must. I'm then open to trying different things and extending the repertoire. The rest of the dishes although very good, aren't mindblowingly so that they have to be experienced again. However the standard and quality provide me with the reassurance and confidence to try everything else including more beer!