Mexican Adventures @ Pablo Honey (Invited)

 68 Acland St, St Kilda VIC 3182

9534 3246

11:00am - 1:00am Everyday

On the courtesy of the Em, I was invited to dine at Pablo Honey, a Tapas & Tequila bar situated in St Kilda. Renown for their innovative and cocktails and tapas sharing plates, I've been looking forward to coming down for quite some time. To be honest I haven't tried much authentic Mexican cuisine at all so this was a first, and an exciting experience. 

Pablo's Blossom
a zingy blend of gin, lychee and cranberry all combined in a snow cone like drink
My choice of cocktail was the Pablo's Blossom, I was looking for something that was refreshing and sweet. Whilst the drink did deliver in the refreshing department, the flavour was lacking, resulting in a watered down taste which I will assume is from the large quantity of crushed ice.

(5/10)

Pearfect

blend of Absolut pear, elderflower and apple

My friend 'D' ordered the Pearfect, unfortunately it was the same result as the Pablo's Blossom. The flavour was lacking and felt watered down, perhaps that's how the drink is supposed to be?. Unfortunately it did not suit our tastes.

(5/10)

Chorizo & Cheese Fundido

Hickory corn chips

Starting off with a number of recommendations from our waiter, the Chorizo & Cheese Fundido was spectacular. I did not expect the presentation of this at all. The chorizo & cheese fundido worked really well with the hickory corn chips, combining the 2 flavours made a marvelous aftertaste

(9/10)

Grilled Spiced Mackerel

Jicama, coriander & smoked chilli

Spicy, that's the first thing I think of when I ate this dish. It was spicy, and I loved it!, the grilled spiced mackerel was cooked perfectly, resulting in a tender texture. the spiced mackerel and smoked chilli combination gave that dish the spice element I enjoyed.

(8/10)

Prawn & Crab Moqueca

coconut, tomato & coriander

So i'm a huge fan of spicy food, and after eating the spiced mackerel, my chilli endurance was pretty strong. But the prawn & crab moqueca almost doubled in spice level compared to the mackerel. It was way too spicy, resulting in my failed attempt of eating the dish. 

The seafood was delicious, though the crab meat was lacking so all I was eating most of the time were the prawn and vegetables. Perhaps if they added something else to compliment the dish then it would be better

(6/10)

Grass Fed Beef Tartare

salted egg yolk, smoked chilli, finger lime, coriander & cumin seed lavosh

Soft & tender, the grass fed beef tartare was amazing. The meat had a soft texture which required minimal chewing. Paired with the smoked chilli or finger lime, there was a number of flavours which exploded in my mouth. Accompanied by the bread/pastry that accompanied it, the soft and tender meat, joined with the crispy cracker was a marvelous duo.

(8.5/10)

Chipotle BBQ Lamb Shoulder

salsa roja, black bean hommus & tortilla

I was absolutely stuffed at this point, and the final savoury dish was from the ''Large plates' menu which meant it was going to be a struggle to finish. 

First off, the lamb shoulder was inconsistent. 3/4 of the lamb was beautifully tender and soft, and the rest was completely burnt, resulting in an inedible portion, but that was probably due to the method of cooking.

The black bean hommus, in all honesty. I couldn't taste anything at all when I combined it with the tortilla and lamb shoulder. It tasted flavorless so I barely touched it in the end.

the tortilla were nicely toasted and warm and worked really well when everything was combined.

(7/10)

Dulce De Leche Mousse

Berries & bitter chocolate popping candy

Saw photos of the Dulce De Luche Mousse online and it looked funky!, mousse was smooth, creamy and delicious. Combined with the kick affect of the popping candy it really created that 'party in your mouth' feel which I enjoyed. Unfortunately the skull candy casing? was not my cup of tea.

(7/10)

Food - 6.9 / 10

Ambiance - 8.5 / 10

Service - 8 / 10

Total FoOodie Points - 23.4/ 30