Cheap, cheerful and colourful: Braised meats steal the show at Highett’s new Mexican street food spot, Chilpa

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Highett, it seems, is having a moment. The charming main drag, which holds the classic suburban mix of op shops, cafes, gift shops and affordable restaurants, has had a mini-influx of new eateries recently. It is the neighbourhood that George Calombaris chose to stage his comeback, with Hellenic House Project opening in April. And it’s the place where much-loved tortilla company and burgeoning hospitality group La Tortilleria has chosen to open its latest operation, a colourful restaurant called Chilpa.

La Tortilleria, which opened in Kensington in 2013, is the work of Gerardo Lopez, who is originally from the Jalisco region of Mexico. At first, the project was to make tortillas in the manner they’re traditionally made in Mexico – that is, carefully rather than industrially, significantly upping the quality of the tortillas available in Victoria.

Lopez was also working with Australian corn rather than imported masa (cornmeal). Eventually, in 2014, the demand for the product outgrew the original space, and Lopez moved the tortilla factory to Derrimut.

Every taco is made with a double layer of those beautiful tortillas, imbuing every bite with the deep toasty sunshine flavour of corn.

In the original Kensington venue, Lopez launched a restaurant that serves an array of classic Mexican street food: tostadas, quesadillas and, of course, tacos. He remains in the wholesale and retail tortilla business, sells cook-at-home meals, and has hosted a television show about Mexican food. In 2018, he was honoured by the Mexican government with the Outstanding Mexican Abroad award.

Chilpa, which opened in March, is the next chapter in Lopez’s success story. Located in a corner storefront across from the rail crossing, the room’s bright, cheerful feel is inviting without devolving into the reductive sombreros-and-mariachi pantomime of many Mexican restaurants in Australia.

An open kitchen and bar dominate much of the space, with seating for groups on banquettes along the back wall and smaller tables up front. In warmer months, I can imagine the footpath seating outside to be a lovely place to sip one of the well-made margaritas ($20-$21), or a tangy and spicy Michelada (think a Mexican Bloody Mary, made with beer instead of vodka; a $4.50 addition to the beer of your choice), and people watch.

The menu is lifted almost exactly from the Kensington location. This means you’re likely going to want to start with an order of chilaquiles ($11), a dish that’s most often served for breakfast in Mexico but here are a kind of warm and saucy nachos, drenched in salsa rojo, cheese and crema. You have the option of adding extras, like guacamole ($7), refried beans ($6) or chicken ($6.50). Doing so turns the dish from a snack into a meal.

The most expensive item on the menu, by quite a large margin, is a shareable prawn aguachile ($29) – like a cross between ceviche and shrimp cocktail – that is bright with cucumber and red onion, and mellowed by creamy avocado.

There’s also a cauliflower version ($19) that’s only the beginning of the kitchen’s dedication to serving its vegetarian and vegan customers – vegetables and Fable, a mushroom-based meat substitute, are available across the menu.

As much as I admire that inclusivity, the dishes that steal the show here are the braised meats. In particular, the birria (braised and shredded beef) and the borrego (slow-cooked lamb) are fantastic in whatever dish you decide to order, be it a quesadilla, oozing with cheese ($11-$16), or a taco.

The birria tacos ($15) come two to a set, with a side of bracing and rich beef consomme that is meant for dipping, but that I just straight up slurped and considered asking for an extra serving.

I wasn’t disappointed with any of the tacos here: the chicken ($7) smoky with tomato chipotle, the fish ($7.50) with crunchy coleslaw and creamy jalapeno mayo. Most importantly, every taco is made with a double layer of those beautiful tortillas, imbuing every bite with the deep toasty sunshine flavour of corn.

Is this the beginning of an empire? Could we see an expansion of Lopez’s brand that makes quality Mexican food ubiquitous in Melbourne, or Victoria, or even Australia?

It will likely depend on the popularity of Chilpa, and whether the bayside suburbs react with as much enthusiasm as Kensington did a decade ago. Personally, I’d be thrilled if these tacos were available widely. Highett is lucky to get the goods.