A new Latino American restaurant is in town. Mazorca offers Central American, Salvadoran and Mexican style food in Kingston’s green square (replacing Bodega de Pintxos). The fit out inside hasn’t really changed but I could see a new mural on the back wall.
The mural of farmers picking corn fits the name of the restaurant – Mazorca translates to ‘ear’ or ‘cob’. I’m told by the owner that the restaurant makes its own tortilla bread from corn flour so in this case maybe corn cob is fitting.
Mazorca is open for breakfast both Saturday and Sunday from 8am. The menu is limited but offers classics like bacon and eggs and a big breakfast. Alternatives include the huevos habaneros and huevos rancheros. I picked the baked eggs with tomato salsa ($12) that came with either tortilla or pan de casa (an Italian style bread). As the tortilla is made on site, I really wanted to try it. Happy to report the eggs were still runny when poked. I used the tortilla as spoons to pick up all the egg and tomato. I thought this was a relatively light and simple breakfast. A good start to my day. (I’d also like the mention a $12 breakfast in Kingston?! almost unheard of).
With some of my Latino American food lover friends, we headed back to Marzoca to try out the tapas menu for lunch. Cold drinks were required that hot humid day, and we all chose the jarritos ($6) in multiple flavours – mango, strawberry and guava (L-R). These are basically soft drinks. We were surprised that the drinks weren’t cold but we were happy to be given tall glasses filled with ice.
I chose the chicken tamales ($15) which is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed/boiled. served with a mild salsa.
The tamale is made of a very soft dough (very mushy when eating it). Apparently tamale is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa (a corn-based dough).
The tamale was filled with chicken, peas and sliced potato. I enjoyed slathering on some mild salsa on top. A delicate, succulent and tasty tapa.
Next was the Papa Rellena ($8) – a crispy potato shell with soft potato and a slow cooked beef centre inside served with chilli sauce. This looked like a longer and fatter croquette. I could only taste peppery capsicum in the sauce and not much chilli.
I can best describe the Papa Rellena as kind of like a shepherd’s pie with beef mince and fluffy potato inside. Yum!
V had her heart set on the ceviche ($15) but our waitress later came back apologising for there was no ceviche that day. Chorizo was the next best option. Both dining companions ordered the chorizo ($11) which came with house made tortilla chips, caramelised onion and balsamic reduction.
I didn’t have a taste of the chorizo itself but it looked good. The tortilla chips were thicker and fluffier than what I’d had for breakfast.
Service is lovely. During breakfast, I was told to sit down and relax while menus were brought out. The owner was more than happy to discuss the menu with me and food was brought out quickly. During the lunch time tapas, it seemed our waitress knew exactly when to ask for our order and our drinks were brought out soon after.
Other things on the menu includes seafood paella, chicken and chorizo paella, spinach tamales, churrasco meat and pork belly. The large wood-fired oven at the back will be put to good use with freshly made wood-fired pizzas available on Tuesdays. Jugs of sangria can be ordered (I think for $25 a jug) as well as a selection of wines. The menu is still being worked on so I can’t wait to go back and see what else is added.
Mazorca can be found on Kennedy Street in Kingston, next door to Trisensa.
Foodgasm 7/10
Price 7/10
Service 8/10
FPJ score 22/30
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