Just open: La Condesa and Rice Workshop

Two new openings. In Fitzroy, Mexican taqueria La Condesa comes to town, its short menu developed by LupitaManzo, who consulted on the menu for Mexican eatery Fonda when it opened its second store in Windsor earlier this year.

Order at the kitchen window from a selection of five tacos - chorizo, fish, beef, mushroom, zucchini - and take a seat at the timber tables. A liquor licence is pending.

Downtown, the city scored a new upstairs-downstairs Harajuku-inspired haunt, Rice Workshop, which opened last Thursday. The menu, by chef Tomohiro Suzuki, who also has sushi restaurant Shyun in Carnegie, is based on Japanese street food such as udon noodles and don (rice) dishes. The signature dish is gyudon, stewed beef over rice with a soft-boiled egg. A liquor licence is due in a month but two Japanese beers are on offer, plus teas and non-alcoholic drinks.

La Condesa: 234 Johnston Street, Fitzro, lacondesa.com.au

Rice Workshop: 238 Little Bourke Street, city, riceworkshop.com.au