The first time I attempted to have dinner at Mamasitas was a couple of weeks ago. I arrived at the address a little early, just eager to see what it looked like and hopefully, get us a table. Believe it or not, on a cold Saturday night, there was a queue of almost 40 people outside. MD and his wife arrived late that night and Mamasitas won't seat you until your entire party arrived. Tough luck, so we left for Izakaya Den.
The second attempt was better because we actually got a seat. We booked tickets to see The Nutcracker, so we went for a pre-theatre dinner. Walking up that dark flight of stairs, you will be greeted by the endless bustle of the bar, the kitchen and the hoard of excited people consuming their Mexican tapas-style food. To be honest, the next place I know that serves Mexican food (that is edible) is Amigos (please don't squirm). I've heard a lot about Mamasitas and PG has been here before, so I have high expectations.
The menu is pretty extensive and somewhat foreign. It is also printed on some kind of subway map or train route of the city. The list looked foreign to me but well explained. So quickly, we picked what we liked from it along with a few drinks.
Chicken Mole - possibly the least favorite. The chicken breast was a bit dry and this was my first mole dish. The taste was a bit confusing but interesting at the same time. I guess I'm trying to make out where the cacao flavor is. It's a bit spicy but not hot. This is definitely a decadent dish for poultry.
Ceviche - PG loved this one. I've had bad experiences with ceviche before, having had them in Manila. Most of the time in a tropical city like Manila, eating raw fish submerged til cooked in vinegar is not a good thing. For my palate, this one passes the test. Try it if you're looking for Mexican style sashimi.
Bite sized tacos - The one on the left is with crabmeat and avocado and on the right is red beans with corn. The one on the right won hands down. Really tasty and it sits well with the small taco. The crabmeat one is a bit confused in flavor.
Quesadilla with truffle oil and mushrooms - This is a unique combo and we all loved it. I can't really sense the truffle oil from the quesadilla. We rarely go for anything vegetarian but this one is really good. The mushrooms made up for the meaty texture. I can eat this by myself. Yea, I'll do that next time.
Prawns with green almond sauce - This dish is the night's winner. The green almond sauce was just amazing. It's rich, creamy and reminded me of a pesto flavored sauce on top of grilled prawns, except that it's less oily. I can imagine this sauce on pasta with pecorino.
Chocolate pudding - I know I raved about the Spiced Chocolate pudding in Portello Rosso being the best out there. This one will be number two. Remember to save room for this one.
Ambiance-wise, the place is terribly small and most times you have to share tables with other people, which rules out your privacy. Seated from anywhere, you seem to be near the entry-way, where hungry people wait for your table. In terms of service, they're very curt and helpful, offering the occasional chat when they're not busy ushering food out from the kitchen, through the bar and to the table.
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