COCONUTS HOT SPOT — We’re always on the lookout for great Mexican grub. You just can’t go wrong with a messy meal of nachos, tacos, burritos and margaritas. Even better if it’s affordable fare. So we were kinda psyched to see Barrio by Mex Out fling open its doors at an easily accessible location: 313 @ Somerset. Taking over the space formerly filled by Smoothie King, the casual Mexican joint just screams ‘look at me’ with its 70-seater open concept, colourful walls and string lights, bringing street party vibes to Singaporeans’ favourite hangout — the air-conditioned mall.
Classic Mex Out dishes like burritos, tacos and burrito bowls make an appearance on the menu here, for loyal customers who wanna get their Mexican fill after a day of shopping in town. Order the nachos plate to share and dig in to fried tortilla chips topped with freshly-made guacamole, jalapenos, salsa and ground beef. Another appetiser worth trying is the fried jalapeno stuffed with cheese — it’s obviously on the spicy side, but it’s a fiery kick that’ll gear up your taste buds for more. Other starters on the menu include citrus cured snapper ceviche with avocado and grapefruit, grilled Mexican corn on the cob with cotija cheese, and spicy chilli con carne fries.
For something different, get the tortas, which are Mexican-style burgers. They come in options like buttermilk fried chicken, chipotle pulled pork and chilli cheese beef. We’d also recommend the battered sea bass tacos and carne asada tacos with roasted mushrooms for flavourful bites that aren’t too filling.
If you’re staying away from meat, try the veggie burrito bowl of rice, black beans, guac and salsa; if you’re avoiding rice, they’ve also got you covered with the protein salad of leafy greens, char grilled chicken, guac, pico de gallo, corn salsa and black beans.
Of course, a Mexican meal isn’t complete without a margarita in hand, and the ones here are pretty standard, if a little mild — $12 for a glass on the rocks, concocted at a tiny ‘island bar’ in the middle of the eatery. Other drinks include sangrias, house-made agua frescas and cervezas by the bottle. Desserts are limited to churros with chocolate sauce for now, but look out for the chocolate and chilli brownie on the menu soon.
Barrio by Mex Out is at #01-14/15, 313 @ Somerset, 313 Orchard Rd, 6634-2102. Sun-Thurs 11am-10.30pm, Fri & Sat 11am-11pm.
