COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE – Jakarta is not a city where Mexican cuisine is easily found, so when we heard Mexican restaurant Super Loco was opening in Jakarta’s SCBD, we had to check it out.
Expectations were high, since Super Loco’s first outlet in Singapore has been described as having “the best Mexican food in Asia” by one of our fellow Coconuts food reviewers, so we were determined to find out if the new Jakarta outlet could live up to the hype.
Tucked away on the ground floor of the Pacific Place Mall (the entrance is on the outside next to The Hard Rock Cafe), Super Loco may have just recently opened but it was already comfortably packed to the brim.
We were greeted to a lively atmosphere and a vibrant, marble aesthetic as we made our way to our table. Very chic for a Mexican restaurant.
But the true test of any restaurant is to see if they get the basics right, and so we started off with an order of yellow corn chips (totopos) and guacamole.
The chips, which felt like they had just come fresh out of the fryer, had a good texture and were perfectly crisp. The guacamole was simple but delicious, with the freshness of the avocado really standing out.
The crunch of the chips was well complimented by the smooth consistency of the guacamole, making for a winning combo. Having to pay Rp 30k for the chips and a separate Rp 30k for the guacamole was a bit of a sour note, but the portions of both were large enough that there were still a few leftover totopos at the end of our meal.
Next our drinks arrived, Piña Calamansi Margaritas. This frozen concoction mixes tequila blanco, fresh calamansi and lime juice, topped off with a caramelized pineapple and of course, salt along the rim of the glass.
These drinks were super refreshing and in equal parts sweet and sour, with a creamy foam formed at the top of the glass contrasting well with the strong taste of the tequila and salt.
For our mains, we ordered a mix of tacos, tostaditas and quesadillas. The huitlacoche tostaditas came out first and looked impressive.
The presentation was lovely, with four tostaditas placed on a simple wooden board garnished with red onions.
The crispy tortilla rounds were topped with huitlacoche, a delicacy of the North American country which has been dubbed “Mexican truffle” but is actually a type of fungus which grows on corn. It has a distinct, umami-like savoriness that is a bit different to standard truffles, but worked well with the wild mushrooms, sweet corn, goat cheese and salsa serrano also piled up on the tostaditas.
The flavors blended nicely together to form a tasty snack, but unfortunately, a snack is all these tostaditas felt like due to the small size of the tortilla rounds. And they are a fairly expensive snack at that (Rp 75.000). Don’t plan on ordering them alone for your main course unless you’ve just come from another meal.
Luckily, we still had more food coming and the carnitas tacos arrived to help alleviate our hunger. The soft corn tortilla was filled with slow cooked pork belly accompanied with jicamas, red onion and cilantro mayo.
The pork belly was simply divine, tenderly cooked and generously portioned, making it a more filling alternative to the similarly priced tostaditas.
Fittingly, Super Loco saved their best dish for last, with the Costilla De Res quesadillas proving quite the treat.
A dazzling fusion of slow braised beef, red onion (they do seem to love their red onion here!), thyme, jalapeño and tomatillo salsa encased in toasted tortillas, each bite of these quesadillas was heavenly.
While expensive (Rp 105.000), the quesadillas were a filling meal on its own and jam packed full of flavors. The jalapeños packed a punch as well! So they are recommended for anyone who likes a bit of spice in their life.
Super Loco offers a nice modern take on Mexican street food in a festive environment. The food isn’t cheap though, especially if you want to experience a range of flavors.
But the staff are friendly, service was quick (especially for having just opened) and the food was fresh and impeccably presented.
If you’re experiencing a craving for authentic Mexican food, or indeed if you just want to try out Jakarta’s largest selection of tequila, Super Loco is definitely a place you need to check out.
FIND IT
Pacific Place
Ground Floor Unit G-05D Sudirman Central Business District
Jl Jend Sudirman Kav. 52-53, Jakarta 12190, Indonesia
Phone: +62 2157973553
Monday – Friday : 10AM – 2AM
Saturday – Sunday: 9AM – 4PM, 5PM – 2AM
Coconuts Critic’s Table reviews are written based on unannounced restaurant visits by our writers and paid for by Coconuts Jakarta. No freebies here.
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