This was published 8 years ago
Chica Bonita brings stylish Mexican dishes to Manly
Festive atmosphere and positive buzz make Mexican street food a delight.
By Sarah Berry
WHO Alexandra Smart, fashion designer at Ginger & Smart; from Bondi
WHERE Chica Bonita, Manly
Diners in the Chica Bonita cafe in Manly. Credit: Ben Rushton
WHY "A friend took me on a sunset ferry to Manly, which I hadn't done in god knows how long. We arrived at Manly, which isn't my beach, and discovered this amazing little Mexican restaurant. It was inexpensive and you know when something just surprises and delights you? It was down this obscure side street off the mall. It's tiny and people were sitting out in the street waiting for a seat.
"The decor is really authentic – Mexican knick-knacks and hanging crosses. It's a layered fitout and – I don't know whether they've consulted an interior designer but – it's thought through and has a bustling, great vibe."
Fashion designer at Ginger & Smart, Alexandra Smart.Credit: Getty Images/Lisa Maree Williams
WHAT "I had the Baha fish taco and the cochinita pibil [shredded pork] taco with a chilli margarita. Don't miss the chicharron sopes [pork crackling on a tortilla]."
ABOUT "I love cooking, especially with all the herbs that are flourishing in my garden at the moment. My favourite meal of the day is lunch. I love a long, luxurious lunch catching up with friends.
"We are in Paris [right now] showing our collection to international press and buyers with the Australian Fashion Chamber."
CHICA BONITA Shop 9, 7 The Corso, Manly 9976 5255, chicabonita.com.au
Open Tuesday to Sunday for lunch, 11.30am-3pm, and dinner, 6-11pm. Lunch menu from $6, dinner items from $5; dessert $10.
Pulled Pork and salad bowl at Chica Bonita. Credit: Ben Rushton
FOUR OUT OF FIVE STARS
REVIEW Tucked at the back of an otherwise nondescript, narrow arcade, we are lost before we are found.
What we find is worth the wait, for it makes up for its small size and ambiguous location with festive atmosphere and positive buzz.
A honey trap for hipsters and cool older folk, the hole-in-the-wall restaurant has trendy types spilling out while they wait for a seat. It is hard to tell patrons from the casually dressed, hipster staff amid all the humming activity. When we do, we discover that it pays to get to this restaurant early – or not be in any rush to eat. At 7pm on a Friday night, my companion and I are told there is a minimum one-hour wait.
We are directed to wait on a barrell called Barry and we sit happily on stools, soaking in the good tunes and the restaurant's energy over Mexican local beer, Pacificos and jalapeno margaritas in (hipster) mason jars. The margaritas, $9 a pop, are nicely balanced with a good amount of bite – in equal parts from the tequila and the chilli, if you order the jalapeno margaritas.
Water is poured from old Patron tequila bottles, while the quirky decor is all exposed brick and wall murals, brightly coloured tiles and neon "taco" signs, skulls and cactus plants.
Chica Bonita, playful and purposely haphazard, manages to hijack the senses and transport you to another, more cheery and exotic place. The food hits the right spot too and is messy, fast, fun and delicious. Chimichangas (mini deep-fried burritos with a delicate pastry), we are advised, are the order of the house. We choose the crunchy chipotle chilli "chimis", which arrive arranged on a wooden board, and are peppered with coriander. The bite-size pieces – $12 for four – pack a pleasing punch but are nicely offset by a cooling salsa of yoghurt, cucumber and coriander.
A vibrant bowl of ceviche ($15), thinly sliced market fish cured with lime and spices, comes with a brown paper bag side of spiced corn chips. Elegant flavours are made accessible with the sides and not-too-precious approach to presentation. It is Mexican street food and it is good. My meat-eating companion and my vegetarian self are both pleased.
The feasting continues with brisket and grilled cactus tostadas (small toasted tortillas with toppings similar to tacos) that come lashed with lime and chipotle cream. The toppings are generous but light and they are a snatch at $6 each. Tasty, but probably the most underwhelming of the dishes we order.
Spicy fries with cheese, black beans, guacamole and salsa hit the spot for flavour. They're piquant and moreish and manage to avoid the common Mex-fare problem of sogginess or flabby flavours.
Chica Bonita (which means pretty girl) is not fine-dining stuff, but it is not meant to be. Although it is hipster, it is not pretentious. With (excellent) margaritas around the $10 mark and moreish, affordable food, it is well worth the ferry ride to get lost and then find yourself at this little Mexico in Manly.