Hispanic Mechanic - Adelaide Latin American Cuisine

Located near Adelaide’s downtown core, Hispanic Mechanic is a Mexican restaurant, although some are calling it Latin American cuisine, with a twist. That twist is a touch of Korean fusion, yes Korean. And it works quite nicely too.

The restaurant opened about a year ago. The owners were forced to move a former business from another part of Adelaide because of a construction project. Hispanic Mechanic seems to have made quite an impression on the city in a short period of time.

The first thing you notice when you enter the restaurant is the huge terrace eating area. Inside, there is a big bar area with stool seating and a good sized eating area. The restaurant is open and airy with a very colourful décor.

The family I was staying with in Adelaide and I went relatively early, about 5:30 on a Sunday night, but the restaurant filled up quickly. Our party of five sat at a long bench which was reserved for us and another party. It didn’t dampen our spirits that we weren’t at our own table. It added to the atmosphere especially since the other party was celebrating a birthday. There was enough room between both parties for privacy too.

I must say when I looked at the menu, nothing really caught my eye. I found that restaurants in Australia use so many adjectives to describe what they serve that it’s hard to really know what it actually is.

I opted to join three others for the $A39.00 shared banquet option. The shared banquet requires a minimum of four diners. It came with three appetisers, four mains and two desserts. There’s a £A49.00 option as well which included five appetisers, four mains and two desserts. You get a little taste of everything. It may not seem like much to eat, but by mid-meal, I was already filling up.

The banquet was a great choice. Every item was delicious especially the Beef Short Ribs. They were slow cooked with chipotle gochujang sauce and came with picked cabbage and rice. The beef fell right off the bone. The hint of Korean fusion made it extremely tasty. I must admit I wanted more.

The two desserts, the Tres Leches, a traditional sponge three milk cake with caramelised bananas, and the Corn Cake, a Venezuelan flourless corn cake with dulce de leche caramel and whipped cream, were also delicious.

The banquet is a great idea for people who live in Adelaide to try out several menu choices. When they return to Hispanic Mechanic in the future they can order their favourite individual dishes.

It was a great night: the food, the drink, the attentive wait staff and the company of my friends. My friends enjoyed it also. I know they’ll be going back.