Mami’s Casa Latina

Dining at Mami’s Casa Latina feels a lot like you’re at a big family dinner – sans the unwanted cuddles, dishes and tiresome conversations with your relatives. This unpretentious, family-style atmosphere is exactly what Mexican-born owners Erendira and Juan Perez hoped to create.

The menu is a neat list of Mexican mainstays: street tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos and salads at reasonable prices (and plenty of gluten-free options). On the taco front, the pork confit carnitas is the signature. The meat is marinated in orange for hours before arriving atop a corn tortilla with onion, coriander and a tangy salsa verde. The birria beef comes with a spice-laden cup of consommé for dipping. For something heartier, go for a quesadilla or burrito and add bacon, a hash brown and extra fillings. You can BYO wine, or choose from a neat list of non-alc options from the eatery’s own fridge.

The cobalt blue exterior matches that of Frida Kahlo’s house, now a museum in Coyoacán, Mexico City. Inside, there are three separate dining areas: the front room with an open kitchen, a middle room and the back “celebration room”. Most of the furniture has been inherited and upcycled from the former tenant, and the walls are sentimentally adorned with ornaments and family photographs.

Like at all good family affairs, you can count on a competitive round of Uno as the night gets on. Perez has rehomed her personal collection of board games to keep the kids busy and encourage connection between neighbouring tables.