Welcome to The Latch Tastemakers, where we sit down with people who know a city’s scene like the back of their hand to ask their must-try restaurants, cafes and bars. Dive into our Tastemakers series and curate your ultimate hit-list, whether you’re exploring your own city or venturing somewhere new.
Toby Wilson is a big name in Australia’s Mexican food scene. Since 2016, he’s led the kitchens at Sydney taco eateries Ghostboy Cantina, Bad Hombres and Taco King and now runs a food truck-turned-permanent takeover of The Norfolk Hotel, Ricos Tacos. He’s also travelled through Mexico countless times.
Wilson says Australia’s Mexican food is not only different from what it is in Mexico but also from the US — we have our own spin on it. In the last decade access to quality ingredients has improved and that’s helped better our Mexican food scene.
“Ten years ago we were seeing mayonnaise used as salsa and a lot more Tex-Mex, less traditional takes on Mexican food,” Wilson says. “Now it seems there’s a new Mexican place opening in Sydney every week. There’s obviously a demand for it. People are getting more educated about Mexican food and what it should taste like.”
While Australians have grown up with some ingredients often used in Mexican dishes like lime, coriander and avocadoes, we still aren’t comfortable with other foreign ingredients in the cuisine. That comfortability will take time, says Wilson.
So what are some of Wilson’s favourite Mexican restaurants in Sydney? Which joints does he consider to be top of their game?
Comedor
For an elevated Mexican dining experience in Sydney, Wilson goes to Comedor which opened in a 100-year-old Newtown warehouse in July this year. Wilson is good friends with the restaurant’s head chef Alejandro Herta and sous chef Alex Heery.
“They’re doing really interesting stuff,” he says. “It’s not strictly traditional Mexican food. They’re pulling a lot of influence from Thailand and Japan and some native [Australian] ingredients. They’re putting them together and making it cohesive while still holding a lot of Mexican traditional techniques and ingredients in there as well.”
Ricos Tacos
The Sydney Mexican restaurant with the best atmosphere? Wilson says it’s his Redfern restaurant Ricos Tacos on a Saturday night.
“We’ve got the chargrill out,” he says. “We’re doing carne asada [grilled and sliced beef]. Sitting in the courtyard under these fairy lights is an unbeatable experience.
“On a Saturday order the carne asada. Any other day I would get the ceviche tostada that we toss through coconut or I would get the al pastor [thin slices of pork] which is a real classic.”
Maiz
Another Sydney Mexican favourite of Wilson’s is Maiz on Enmore Road in Newtown. The restaurant is the brainchild of co-owner Juan Carlos Negrete Lopez, a former sous-chef and permaculture designer at Three Blue Ducks.
“Juan Carlos is doing some great stuff,” says Wilson. “A lot of Oaxacan recipes. Still a bit creative — putting his spin on things but a lot of traditional stuff from his Hispanic roots.”
Tacos Tacos Tacos
Finally, the one place Wilson goes for tacos in Sydney when he’s not eating them at Ricos — “though it’s pretty rare” — is Potts Point laneway eatery Tacos Tacos Tacos. Wilson orders suadero [meat cut from the cow’s middle] tacos.
“It’s beef brisket cooked in its own fat really slowly,” he says. “Kind of confit-like. And that goes on a tortilla with this beautiful chilli salsa. It’s one of my favourite things to eat. But everything on the menu is nice.”
Related: Is Australia Ready for Authentic Mexican Cuisine?
Related: Riding Sydney’s Wave of New Mexican Restaurants
Read more stories from The Latch and subscribe to our email newsletter.
