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2023-06-01
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[ Chicano | 上環 ]I’ve tried most of the Mexican places in HK and still looking for the best one. Today I went to try this sorta-newly opened restaurant in Sheung Wan with a friend. What separates Chicano from other Mexican places is that they are not trying to be innovative or contemporary with their dishes. Their main objective is to share the authentic flavours of Mexico. One of the founders of Chicano, Gabriel, says that he opened Chicano to share his grandmother’s cooking as he couldn’t find
I’ve tried most of the Mexican places in HK and still looking for the best one. Today I went to try this sorta-newly opened restaurant in Sheung Wan with a friend.
What separates Chicano from other Mexican places is that they are not trying to be innovative or contemporary with their dishes. Their main objective is to share the authentic flavours of Mexico. One of the founders of Chicano, Gabriel, says that he opened Chicano to share his grandmother’s cooking as he couldn’t find any other restaurant in HK that deliver the flavours of his home after being here for 7 years.
After tonight, I can say everything on the menu is either a hit or a miss and certainly on the pricey side. Definitely not like the tacos in Mexico which sell for $10HKD.
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Guacamole and Chips $128
Of course, we had to start our night with some guacamole and chips. Their chips aren’t made in-house like TSM and lack the fresh corn flavour. We asked the server if they make it in-house and she said “Yes, we fry them in-house”, they fry it themselves but source the tortilla else where 😅. The fry on them can also be better as they are quite pale. Our basket also came cold and not hot and we had to ask them to refry it just to warm it up.
The guacamole on the other hand is smoother than others and resembles a sauce more so a dip. The flavour is great though, with very fresh and ripe avocados with some juicy and refreshing tomatoes and red onions. They also incorporate cilantro into the guacamole which I liked.
Portion-wise, it is on the small side as the size of the chips themselves isn’t too big. The guacamole is reasonably sized.
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Tostada de Ceviche de Pulpo $158
We also got their octopus ceviche as another starter as it was recommended by the founders and guests. However, we both found this dish to be the most underwhelming and not worth the price. The octopus is sliced quite thinly and lacks texture and the dish’s flavour profile is rather one-dimensional, spicy and sour but also not. The ceviche was served on a tostada that was very soggy and probably sat for a while before being served. The avocado was a nice touch but the whole dish and the salsa macha (chile árbol, peanuts, sesame) is very unmemorable.
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Tacos de Pescado $ 168
As for the tacos, we went for the fish tacos as our server said they are the most popular ones. Fortunately, these were delicious and by far the best fish tacos I’ve had in HK.
The fish itself is so fresh that you can actually taste it is sea bass! It’s also perfectly fried thus tender and flaky. The batter on them is paper thin but also fluffy (reminds me of Chinese-style fried fish/shrimp) and incredibly well-seasoned with this spiced and salty coating. The fish is also not overloaded with toppings and sauces like other Taquerias but given reasonably so the ratio is not imbalanced. Only a few slices of cabbage are given as topping to add some crunch and allow the fish to shine. Sauce on top is a light crema and salsa roja (made with pasilla morita chillis and tomato) which is tangy and not too spicy.
Portion-wise, it is $56 per taco which is quite expensive and you may have to order more than one plate if your party is large as two tacos is not very filling.
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Cauliflower Mole Negro $168
We also tried this cauliflower dish, expecting a whole head of cauliflower but it is actually half a cauliflower, and they still charge this high price😰. That means it has to be good right? Well, the taste is very average. They use a special mole sauce which has chocolate in it (but it is a savoury sauce with chillis) and it tastes very unique and tasty but doesn’t really work with the cauliflower in our opinion. The pickled red onions are way too acidic and strong and the cotija cheese is quite non-existent. The almonds added an unnecessary crunch and offer no flavour. I don’t recommend this dish as it is unjustifiably expensive.
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Tamales de Hongos $148
This is my favourite dish of the night and you can’t get it anywhere else in HK. It’s my first time trying tamales and I’ve got to say, it’s really good but only for the people who like these textures. It’s made with masa harina (same as the tacos) but instead of it being toasted, it is steamed in a banana leaf with a filling instead, becoming sorta like a dumpling. The masa is very creamy and grainy with a subtle sweetness and pronounced corn taste. The filling was assorted mushrooms and Oaxaca cheese which works really well together as the mushrooms are cooked very thoroughly, removing all water and becoming these bite-sized umami-bombs, paired with the savoury cheese and it was literal perfection with the corn.
To make it even better, add some of their salsa guajillo which is my favourite salsa of the night as it has strong roasted tomato and pepper flavours. Their pico de gallo is refreshing and crunchy, great pair with the soft tamales.
The only problem I have with this is the portion size which is tiny! One tamale is not even the size of my palm 😫 but was so delicious I could have eaten four😋
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Churros $78
We ended our night with their famous churros which my friend deemed the best she has had in HK! I wouldn’t know as these were the first ones I’ve tried but they were quite delicious 😋 The outside is crunchy and the inside is shockingly fluffy, soft, and doughy (although not dense) and I really enjoyed the layer of cinnamon sugar to give flavour and crunch (although more cinnamon would be appreciated). The salted caramel adds flavour and another layer of texture without being too sweet or overpowering, this sauce was very good on its own and ate a few teaspoons by itself.
Although these took 30 minutes to be served, they were served freshly fried which I appreciate.
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推介 🙆🏻♀️ for tacos and tamales
💬 Overall, not a bad time here and very much enjoyed the tamales and fish tacos (the only dishes I would come back for but would definitely come back for) but I felt everything was overpriced. I know this is the central district but still. Our bill was 1k total without drinks and we weren’t even that full. Had to go to Messina and fill up on samples and 6 scoops of ice cream (read review haha) The service is also quite slow and lacklustre. It was a Thursday night and they were very busy but I expect them to be able to handle this pressure.
🗓 Revisit? ✅ ⭕️for tamales/ ❎
Guacamole and Chips
$128
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Tostada de Ceviche de Pulpo
$158
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Tacos de Pescado
$168
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Tamales de Hongos
$148
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Tamales de Hongos
$148
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Cauliflower Mole Negro
$168
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Churros
$78
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