Hola! Fonda

Spontaneous after-work foodie trips are the best, even if it means my wallet has to suffer some unexpected damage and vegetables in my fridge meet their sad, lonely deaths. Well the happiness I gain from these outings do make up for it haha. 

I have been wanting to try Fonda Mexican ever since I saw my ex housemate post an instagram pic of her mexican outing, and when the restaurant came up in conversation with a work friend K,   she raved about the huge servings, the cheap prices and most of all, their chunky chips covered in Chipotle Aioli. Now I must go, you had me at chips+aioli. 

As Fonda Mexican is situated near the intersection of Swan and Church Streets in Richmond, it is a pain to get to/ find parking around if I were to drive out there from home. It was however only a short two-stop train ride from Parliament Station to East Richmond then a 5 minute walk, so it worked out to be a very convenient post-work dinner location. 

K was pleasantly surprised to see the joint half-empty as she noted that waiting for a table would be the norm. Well I guess that is the perk of getting there early :D

The decor of Fonda was casual with pops of colour provided by the chairs and the rather impressive chandelier hanging from above. 

After been given menus, I allowed K to make the selections, I would have been happy even if we only had the chips. 

Charred Corn with Chipotle ailoi, ricotta salata and lime $3.5 each

For someone like me who likes all things tangy, the ricotta and chipotle aioli was heaven. It paired well with the sweetness of corn, but I must admit I am still clumsy as when it comes to eating corn on a cob, K does it in a much more dignified and graceful manner. The only other occasion that I can recall eating a similar item was at Mamasita almost two years ago, given that I have little recollection of that experience, this probably beats the latter version, hands down. 

Before we could finish the corn, the chips arrived almost simultaneously with our drinks, Sauv Blanc for K and Horchata for me. Because K can handle alcohol better and I wanted a drink with the stripey straws. 

Fat chips with chipotle aioli $6

Picture crispy, hot, fat chips, seasoned generously with salt crystals and then doused with tangy chipotle sauce. Yum, that is all. 

Horchata $4.5 (yay for stripey straw :) )

Chopped beef burrito $14

Cross-section of the burrito: beef and prok burger, black beans, salsa roja and chipotle aioli

The Horchata (to me it tasted like asian almond milk sans the almond flavour) came in handy when our main item arrived in the form of a beef burrito. The wrap was soft and chewy, its contents incredibly hearty. K informed me that the crispy texture of the filling were provided by crushed pieces of corn chips, which was a nice compliment to the beef, black beans, salad and quinoa. The only criticism I have is just how juicy this wrap was, and by the end of the meal my plate was mountain high with used paper napkins. Then again, this could also be attributed to my poor burrito-eating skills. 

We left Fonda just as the usual dinner queue started to form and a couple first in line was glad to see us vacate our table. I checked my watch and realised it was only half past 6. This was definitely an efficient but satisfying after-work dinner. 

I will definitely have to visit Fonda again for the chips and to try other items on the menu. If anything, the fact that they can provide me with an opportunity to practice eating corn-on-a-cob or burritos in a dignified manner amounts to sufficient reason for a second visit. 

Fonda Mexican
248 Swan St
Richmond 3121
Ph (03) 9429 0085

Website

Heavenly Thailicious

I love RDOs, even if I take half day ones, even if I had to raincheck my half day RDOs, they are still so awesome because you get paid to take time off work to shop/brunch/ do what ever you please. It brings about mixed emotions: of bliss from the freedom coupled with guilt of leaving the office for lunch and heading straight home.

Walking down Swanston St this afternoon in the wintery spring weather made me miss uni days a little - but enough with feelings of melancholy, shall we get onto food talk ;)

Before we backtrack to last weekend I want to quickly mention this gem of a joint that was opened earlier this year at the north end of Exhibition Street. 

Thailicious is located next door to the Mantra Hotel, diagonally across from the Carlton gardens. I stumbled across this eatery earlier this year after the grad in the office came back with a happy smile and a cute cartoon-adorned menu after having a lunchtime date there with her bf.

I have my reservations for newly opened joints with too much cuteness involved in designing the decor/menu etc, so I didn't go in expecting much more than foodcourt level Thai cuisine

Well in this instance, a picture is worth a thousand words so let them speak for themselves:

Crispy pork stir fried with vegetables, chilli and basil leaves 

Deep fried coconut ice cream with maple syrup

The pork was crispy without being oily, the sauce that coated the meat and vegies was just popping with flavour. I am especially fond of the texture of the bamboo shoots in the stir fry, if only I knew where to source them I would totally buy some for home cooking use. The ice cream contains pieces of young coconut jelly, which adds another layer of texture and flavour. The ice cream itself is not overly sweet nor is it heavy. Yum, yum, yum

Today we revisited Thailicious for Friday "eat-out/pig-out" lunch.

Chicken stir fried with cashew and vegetables, Crispy pork stir fried with chilli, vegetables and basil leaves

Red Duck Curry

Again, the crispy pork was so delicious. The batter that coated the chicken was slightly starchy, but the cashew nuts complimented with the sweet and spicy sauce well. The Duck Curry was average by my standards, but then again I am no curry pro and do not possess the ability of determining what exactly constitutes a great curry. 

Overall the service is fast and efficient, the girls are very accommodating and attentive. Although the price is a little bit dearer than your average $10-a-meal Asian joint, if you go with a larger group and order a few mains to share, you will definitely get your money's worth of thailicious goodness ;)

Thailicious
355 Exhibition St
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph (03) 9639 1888