~ Curious Charlie ~

All-You-Can-Eat @ Maya Tequila Bar & Grill @ Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Tuesday 23rd June

This week's food adventure was a revisit to 'Maya Tequlia & Bar'. Miss Hawaii got lost on the way, as she just recalled it was Mexican in South Yarra, and found 2-3 other places, claiming there's too many Mexican restaurants around! She wasn't here the year that mexican food was the trend, it followed Zumberoons I believe. The trend for this year is donuts and pasteries at 5am.

We've been here twice before for the all you can eat tacos + margaritas for two ($30) our summary was get the fish one - order it first, because they will sell out. The tacos are flourly. I would not go back for tacos. Service is good but twice they forgot a dish or took forever and it wasn't that busy.

We bought the 'All-You-Can-Eat Mexican Dinner Fiesta for Two ($35)' from livingsocial. I didn't like that were wasn't enough T&Cs provided, like how much food in terms of $ value can you eat? Do you have to finish a dish before ordering the next? It's valid for dinner only, and you need to book for after 7pm. Can we get take-away? It doesn't say we can't?

I went with Lola* aka Miss Hawaaii, name is WIP. Like me she's loud, like me and opinionated like jas, but he doesn't give him opinion unless pressed (as much pressing required as to turn grapes into wine). :P And so we'll be having actually bits of text she wrote for her part of the visit.

PICO DE GALLO - Creamy Black Beans, Coriander, Queso Fresco $7

Starting off we had corn chips aka doritos (though that is a brand, not the product i.e. cadbury makes chocolate) with two dips. Normally it's a bowl of chips and a dip, but we asked for two dips and one bowl of chips to share. The bean dip was very good but the texture was towards paste than a dip, need to add more liquids.

Tomato, Coriander, Peppers, Sweet Onion

For something you'd dip a chip in it "could be served in bigger bowls to accommodate the chip for dipping purpose. It's messy to drown or dip the chip into bowls and not have some fall out onto table creating a mess" - Lola.

ELLOTE - Grilled Corn Cob, Chipotle Mayo, Queso & Lime $8

These with a squeeze of lime was very good! Not as good as Mamasita with all that cheese on top though. The size of this is one full cob though it's cut up into perfect bite size pieces.

CEVICHE - Snapper, Coconut & Lime, Roasted Corn, Coriander $12

Lola highly reccomended we order this, as she's had it before back home and loved it. She says "The ceviche is amazing! I might have drowned the lime juice squeezed on top too much but the snapper with the coconut lime is so good! A little heavy on cream, but it's delicious. Hoped it was a bigger serve since there was only 7 chips to share between two people".

It was very yummy, though as she says it's small and more like an entree, I'd get this again.

Between entrees (above) and our mains (below) service died, as the resturant slowed down. ??? Yeah that's right, it's like when there was less people the staff gave less attention to us (last to leave as always). Lola suggested this was because we were with groupon, but so were most people who came in.

POLLO MOLE BURRITO - Shredded Chicken, Corn Salsa $15

- Burritos all come with Shredded Cheese, Frijoles, Chipotle Mayo,

Herbs, Guacamole & Chipotle Salsa wrapped in a toasted flour tortilla.

Picture this, you're on a date, the night is going well so far and you hope to bring her back to your place. And then one of you orders this...

Lola says this one had a "...very pungent and almost horrifying smell. The texture and taste was great, but the smell took some time to get used to. Some things it was compared to: Durian fruit and the bathroom after no. 2".

To me it smells like farts XD well if this was a date this dish just ruined it. Why didn't the waiter tell us it smelt bad? Why would you sell a dish that smells like this? Lola suggested the chicken was funky. The chicken smells like durian! It tastes good but smells bad - and I can smell everything. I can identify most of the guys I dance with from their BO...

CHIPOTLE BEEF QUESADILLA - Shredded Wagyu Beef, Pico De Gallo $14

I was excited about the quesadilla as I've never had them before and this one didn't dissapoint, the beef was beautiful, and moist. Not fatty. It was even good cold for breakfast the next day.

Because the service between entrees and mains took forever (20mins) we weren't too full for dessert - that and we always have a stomach just for dessert. :P

Together 4/5 of the desserts took our fancy. No. 5 was sold out anyway. These desserts are ordered in the ranks that Lola rated them, because she tried them all, while I only had 1.5.

CHILI CHOCOLATE MOUSSE $12

I don't like chili so this was another one for Lola ,"the mousse filled the cup and was rather larger in size with vanilla ice cream on top. This one was worth the full price" which I'd like to add was not what we paid. :P

TRIO of RICKETT’S POINT ICE CREAM $12

I was excited about the ice cream, as I'd met Som who used to or still does work at Rickett's Point and they supply ice cream to all the fancy expensive places. Therefore it must be good, but no. Not this batch, though no fault of Rickett's. A some point someone defrosted this batch and then froze it agaon so there was "frozen icicles inside of it deeming it partially spoiled or freezer burnt!" Also the waitres said it was lemon, vanilla and choc, nope. There was no lemon, two scoops were vanilla. The chocolate was dark and very good though, jas would have liked it if it hadn't been so frosty.

XO PATRON AFFOGATO $12

Lola as an adult loves her coffee, I think adults are powered by coffee :P Lola's a bit less than twice my age but she's pretty awesome and we have things in common. We also connect on both being Americans (she's from Hawaii/Denvor and I'm from San Franciso), being lovers of food, the arts and naturally as Americans being loud. :P

Back to the coffee "for the alcoholics/coffee lovers the Patron Affagato! Tons of patron and enough coffee!! Mixed with the ice cream it's great!", Lola ranked this one 3/4 (out of the ones we tried, it placed 3rd) because the ice cream was a little melted (because *someone* had to take pictures of everything). :P

FLAN De LECHE with RASPBERRIES $12

I love flan! It's the only dessert mother ever made (mother is a health lecturer, growing up we did not eat dessert). I'd thought this be served cold with actually raspberries but instead it was very warm with raspberry puree. But it did not dissapoint, it was delicious! Best flan I've had out and about. The texture was so smooth and creamy, and it just melts in your mouth like a piece of heaven!

Lola agrees and adds "It's an excellent accompaniment to their menu offering of Hispanic/ Mexican flare food". Coming from Denvor and being older and more experienced than me she knows her Mexican food.

Would I pay full price for the flan? No. I'm sorry it's just way too small for $12. It's worth $6. But it was so good! This size though is made for one, not two to share.

Service was good but there was a couple issues, they forgot the tacos which happened last time too, service slowed down when the restaurant slowed down (interesting relationship...) and they ran out of fish tacos (expected).

The bill came to $111 (lets make that $112, that looks nicer) for two people consuming a three course meal with extra desserts. :P Though we paid $30 together ($15pp) as we bought a groupon deal. Yay!

Would we be back full-price? No. Well I won't be, because Maya often has these group buy deals. Lola would, but just for that chili chocolate mousse.

Our reccomedations: order the fish tacos first, don't order the burrito that smells like farts. (Order all the desserts!) If love coffee get the 'Patron Affagato', and everyone should get the flan! Also book before you come, they're often busy.

Overall we had a great night with all-you-can-eat with the highlights being the corn and snapper on chips (CEVICHE) and desserts. Will we be back? Yes - but only with a groupon. :P

Have you been to any all-you-can-eat places, and eaten your money's worth and more?