La Puerta

It's not often you get a lime on your plate these days. Lemons, yes, but limes were a horrendous $2 each in Woolworths last week. Even in season (January to April) they're never what you'd call cheap any more.

So when fresh lime turns up in cocktails, in ceviches and as wedges with main courses at new Latino cutie La Puerta, you know there's something going on. No, not a Colombian drug cartel – enough with the stereotyping. Someone in the kitchen believes that lime is integral to South American cooking, no matter what the price, and refuses to compromise. Others would call that madness; I call it integrity.

That someone is former Mexicano head chef, Colombian-born Oscar Espinosa, who is now serving up Latino favourites with a distinctly Colombian accent. The indoor/outdoor vibe suits the place, with a small terrace on the street for summer dining and a bar table at which to prop with a Yerba Mate Pisco Sour or a cold beer from Argentina (Salta or Quilmes), Colombia (Aguila), Mexico (Dos Equis) or Manly (4 Pines).

The passion here is very much on display, from the small red heart-shaped lights hang from the ceiling, to the dramatic mural of two tango dancers, legs entwined in full flight. The menu, too, is a checklist of longing and homesickness for many South Americans; with corn so integral that 22 of the 24 dishes are listed as being gluten-free.

Things kick off with a Peruvian tiradito ($10 for two), a modest portion of finely sliced kingfish, dressed to order with lime juice (ker-ching) flavoured with the all-important aji amarillo chilli paste, rubbly fried garlic and red-vein sorrel leaves. It's fresh, tangy and likeable with an undercurrent of heat. It makes me want to try the Peruvian kingfish ceviche ($25) as well, to get my fix of that lovely mix of lime juice, chilli, fish juice and onion called leche de tigre (tiger's milk), but I'm too late to the party, and it has sold out.

Luckily there are still arepitas ($5 each) left, because they are adorable. Small, round, almost fluffy corn cakes, they're topped with a pile of shreddy, smoky Cuban-style beef. La Puerta pollo ($22) is like chicken in a basket, Colombian-style; a hot-off-the-grill hotch-potch of marinated, slow-cooked then charred chicken pieces, served on gingham greaseproof paper with grilled vegetables.

Next up, brined and roasted pork belly ($24), the sweet, slightly firm meat lined up on twin purees of avocado and red bean, topped with chorizo dust in a curious mix of cheffy plating and domestic comfort. And yes, there's a big fat wedge of fresh lime on the side.

The popular tres leches cake ($13) is very likeable; a free-standing turret of dense sponge soaked in "three milks" (condensed, evaporated and cream) and topped with berry compote.

Wines are mainly Chilean and Argentinian labels, including the Amalaya Blanco Torrontes Amalaya Blanco Torrentes, a pleasant enough floral, citrussy white from Salta in Argentina ($11/$56). And FYI, there's a wine dinner coming up on November 11 with wines by South American specialist importer Jed Wines.

Espinosa's wife, Spanish language teacher Catherin Rodriguez, brings much warmth and care to the table, and while there can be forgotten orders and uneven waits between courses, there is too much to like about La Puerta to come down hard on it. Like putting limes before lemons, and pride before profit. Be it madness or integrity, it's a lovely thing to see in a little family-run diner in Neutral Bay.

THE LOWDOWN
Best bit: Local, personal, charming.
Worst bit: Dishes can sell out early.
Go-to dish: Wild ceviche of kingfish with leche de tigre, $25.

Terry Durack is chief restaurant critic for The Sydney Morning Herald and senior reviewer for the Good Food Guide. This rating is based on the Good Food Guide scoring system.