El Chino Ii

Edit 03/01/2018: El Chino is straightaway closed, in addition to has been replaced by Tootsie Roller.

September 27, 2014

I've been reluctantly working through my recent few weekends, but on Sat eve I took a intermission for a leisurely wheel through the inner northward alongside Michael, alongside dinner at El Chino every bit our goal. I'm surprised that this cute cafe has been the dependent plain of thence few weblog posts but regardless, it runs a busy service on a Sat night.

El Chino are BYO in addition to inward add-on to the commons beer in addition to vino corkage fees, they offering a mojito bargain - yous BYO the rum in addition to they'll create the rest. We were happy to skip the alcohol in addition to shared a slushy lime granita alongside a unmarried garnishing mint foliage ($4.50).

While the mains in addition to specials were to a greater extent than oftentimes than non meat focused, nosotros nevertheless had some options to peruse: empanadas, tall yet compact bowls of nachos, a vego burrito in addition to iii varieties of taco. Vegetarian in addition to gluten-free options are good marked in addition to though at that spot are supposedly 'VG's listed for vegans, I suspect they're missing from some truly vegan card items (take our savoury monastic say here, for example). We grazed across the card yesteryear ordering the Fiesta ($28), a repast for 2 centred roughly a shape Fe pot.

Lined alongside a cabbage leaf, the pot offered pickled nopales cactus, roasted mushrooms in addition to regal cabbage. We mixed in addition to matched them alongside a fresh in addition to finely minced salsa Mexicana in addition to a fruity roasted salsa tatemada.

We mopped upwards our potted foods alongside 5 white in addition to bluish corn tortillas (then paid $4 for 4 more), in addition to nibbled at some warmly spiced Mexican rice in addition to dark beans.

We idea we'd best plough over their grilled tofu side ($4.50) a shot besides - it didn't create got whatever noticeable flavor or marinade, but it made for prissy DIY tacos alongside the salsa in addition to other fixings. (I noticed afterwards that nosotros were also charged for a side of guacamole that was neither ordered nor served.)

As the room filled upwards in addition to our finished dishes remained on the table, nosotros had fourth dimension to create upwards an appetite for dessert. In spite of the demands on his attention, our server generously took a minute to pace us through our options. My mayordomo Mexican hot chocolate was underwhelming - the chocolate syrup lodged unmixed inward the bottom of the cup, in addition to the cinnamon quill provided solely the barest hint of extra spice.

El Chino were all out of the tres leches sponge cake I'd been looking frontward to but the caramel flan ($7.80) was a lovely alternative; the smoothen custard in addition to smoky hint of almost-but-not-quite burnt caramel broken upwards alongside candied hibiscus flowers in addition to fresh strawberry.

Our sense at El Chino had its flaws, but they didn't sour our night. The cafe is a lovely setting for a tranquillity repast for 2 (or a political party inward the courtyard, from what nosotros witnessed), in addition to offers an unusually thoughtful pick of non-alcoholic drinks in addition to desserts inward add-on to reliable psyche meals.

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You tin read close our breakfast at El Chino here. El Chino is non getting the weblog attending that it deserves; since that post service I've solely seen it recommended on Poppet's Window in addition to WOO FOOD.

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El Chino
214 St Georges Rd, Fitzroy North
9078 7974
menu: dinner, banquets & sides, beverages & desserts
http://www.elchino.com.au/

Accessibility: There's a small-scale pace every bit yous come inward in addition to a clear corridor to the counter (which we've witnessed some other client maneuver a two-seater pram through), but the tables are quite crowded inside. We ordered at the tabular array in addition to paid at a depression counter. We didn't explore the courtyard or catch the toilets.