MEXICAN FAVE
You’ll need to book in advance to check out the hot new kid on the Palmy block, but does it live up to the hype? Chantay Logan reviews Frida Sol
FRIDA SOL
LEVEL 1, 1176 GOLD COAST HIGHWAY, PALM BEACH Open: Dinner nightly from 5pm and weekend lunch from 11am-2pm
Book it: 5525 7437, fridasol.com.au
IN our casual culinary climate, it’s always intriguing when a restaurant plays hard to get.
While walk-ins are standard, the degree of foresight required to land a peak-time reservation at Palm Beach’s Frida Sol only made me keener to go. The restaurant opened December 9 with the usual preoccupation with all things shiny and new further fuelled by its relationship to beloved Mermaid taqueria Bonita Bonita. Owner Ryan Renwick describes it as a lighter, Baja-bar style version of that restaurant.
The elevated highway hangout formerly home to 8th Ave Terrace has been transformed by Bonita’s founder Morgan Walsh (AKA the human incarnation of Pinterest) under her Growling Tiger Designs guise.
Morgan’s seemingly inexhaustible supply of creativity makes for a visual feast.
The open-air deck with ocean glimpses is a kaleidoscope of colour and texture, combining cacti, thatched umbrellas, a mural of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo and the obligatory ’Grammable neon sign (one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor).
You may need to plan ahead when booking, but the process itself couldn’t be simpler. Online reservations are managed by OpenTable and allow you to specify standard, bar or high-top seating (I’m probably showing my age if I admit the stools ringing barrel tables don’t encourage a lingering meal).
Margaritas are the main order of business at the bar, where the broader drinks list declares a boycott on plastic straws. You can buy a takehome metal straw for $1 if you can’t do without.
Playful cocktails find their match in colourfully plated and vibrantly flavoured modern Mexican fare. I had a really hard time choosing from this menu and it’s tempting to resort to the $40 per person banquets for a snapshot of the signatures. Many of my favourites came from the snacking section: tequila and chilli-kissed ceviche ($16) that so suited a balmy evening; crunchy, spicy pulled pork taquitos ($12) to dunk in cooling sour cream; and beef cheek and cheese empanadas ($14).
Chorizo croquettes with shaved manchego and habanero jam ($18); sticky agave and tequila pork belly with charred pineapple ($28) and sweet and spicy patatas bravas ($12) keep the liptingling flavour coming. Add the charred cauliflower and corn ensalada ($14) for some light relief, or keep up the pace with your choice from the long list of classic ($9) and premium ($11) tacos, which can be served on a flour or corn tortilla or lettuce leaf. Mango-crème slathered crispy fish ($9) is a frontrunner.
The kitchen responds in lightning speed, but pacing was an issue for me — if you’re not prepared for every dish to arrive en masse, it may be worth specifying that when you order.
There was another hiccup in the form of a cold pork taco, but Frida showed its service mettle by good-naturedly remedying it with an equally rapid replacement.
One final tip: Frida Sol breaks convention with its taco Thursday nights (not Tuesday), offering $5 tacos until closing time … and that’s definitely worth putting in the diary.