Lucha Loco
by Qian Leung
@ 30 Jun 2017
Located on Duxton Hill, Lucha Loco offers Mexican bites bursting with exuberance for life, sweeping you away with daring, passionate piquancy and brassy, spirited zestiness.
Chef Jason Jones of Mamasita in Australia is behind the design of the menu, which is executed by Chef Mario Malvaez, previously with the Mexican Embassy of Singapore.
Of the corn on the cob, Chef Malvaez says, "This is a street food in Mexico." After steaming, he charcoal-grills it, imparting a smoky armoa, before coating it with cotija cheese, a salty cheese from northern Mexico. Arguably the most delicious sample of ceviche encountered, Chef Malvaez's offering comprises toothsome octopus and tiger prawns marinated in green lime juice, further enliven with white onion, ginger, shallots, garlic and olive oil and served chilled in a glass bottle. Another must-try dish is the chilli poblano, a Mexican chilli, which is stuffed with wild mushrooms and huitlacoche, an earthy, truffle-like black corn fungus. Chef Malvaez serves this comforting treat with a luscious pumpkin sauce, throwing in some roasted pumpkin seeds for texture and deep fried pumpkin chips for a smoky edge. The snapper taco is served with a salsa made from red onion, mint, parsley and lime juice. "In Mexico, we use a lot of salsas," says Chef Malvaez. While chipotle is made by drying ripe jalapeno chillies in a smoking box, whereupon it gains a smoky aroma, Chef Malvaez adds a local touch to the chipotle in his prawn taco by adding peanuts. Pork ribs with a sweet and sour sauce made with tomatoes, honey and chipotle chilli, offers a glimpse into home cooking, while a dessert of blue corn cake with agave nectar wraps up a comforting meal. QL
