Fresca Mexican Kitchen and Bar, Midvalley The Gardens

Done with a Saturday full of pork, both Western and fusion Korean style as reviewed in my previous two posts, my Sunday brunch with the gals after some window-shopping had Mexican cuisine for a change. Since we have tried TGIF and Chillis during our university days, my research has led me to try Fresca Mexican Kitchen and Bar, a slightly higher end restaurant. This is my first time trying a restaurant serving authentic Mexican cuisine. As I did some research during my 2.5 hours ETS ride, here are my picks...

Tacos! There available in both soft shell made with flour tortilla and the hard shell made with corn tortilla. Depending on your preferred filling, they have already pre-match the suitable shell for you. For example, the grilled beef or shredded chicken will pair well with the hard shell while a soft shell would complement the already crispy beer-battered fish. They know what works best, so trust with their matching in the menu. Since we already have beef and chicken, we are left to choose between sautéed prawns or the beer battered fish. We opted for the latter since we have picked chicken and beef in our other dishes. Though the appearance is simple, the fish is fantastic! Fresh! Juicy! Piping hot! The beer battered is light and crispy, not oily at all. Squeeze the lime wedge and eat immediately upon serving before it starts to turn soggy from the coleslaw. 3 pieces of classic Ensenada Fish Taco costs RM22.

Jalapeno Poppers (RM19), this is an appetizer comprising 3 pieces of “Yong Taufu” done the Mexican way! Jalapeno peppers are stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and minced beef, breadcrumb-coated before frying it.  The plump chillis are imported to give diners an authentic flavor as it can be.  We took up the challenge to order this dish as we were reassured by the Filipino service crew that Malaysians “should be able to take up this level of heat”. True to that, the chilli were not tongue numbing like how cili padi will burn your tongue but the Jalapeno left a slow warming sensation which kicks in gradually. If taken hot, I really enjoy the texture of oozing cheese with bits of minced beef providing a winning yet appetizing combination. The mango chipotle salsa provides a sweetish and calming effect if you find this dish a bit too spicy to your liking.

We ordered another “appetizer” which is very huge in portion – the Nachos Grande. Tortilla chips are complemented with various dipping and accompaniments such as mashed red beans, pico de galo (tomato salsa with coriander and onions), melted Monterey Jack cheese, guacamole (avocado cream sauce) and sour cream. You can opt for plain or have it with meat fillings of ground beef or minced chicken. Despite being slightly pricey for an appetizer, you get to sample alot of accompaniments in 1 plate! Very addictive and a great snacking platter to go along with a bottle of Corona perhaps?  

Being a Mexican restaurant, expect to see Burritos (Mexican answer to popiah!), Fajitas and Quesadillas on the forefront main course selection! There are quite similar in terms of fillings, having items like cheese, guacamole or avocado, sour cream etc. With 3 ladies and 1 guy, we decided to only pick 1 main course item and we opted for Quesadillas (again, after the fusion Kimchi version we had in Ticket to Korea the night before). There have the vegetarian version, the mixed seafood and chicken and mushroom. We picked the Chicken and Mushroom (RM35).

 The sautéed filling packed with full flavor with spices with strong umami lingering in our tongues from the generous amount of mushrooms. The skin is toasted to a thin and crispy perfection. Served with similar sides like the Nachos, we were kinda stuffed as the mashed kidney beans and guacamole is kinda filling too.

The "light" brunch comes to around RM30 per person (though we just had plain water), quite reasonable considering the its authentic themed cuisine located at The Gardens Mall. I wouldn't hesitate to return to try other items, especially the grilled chicken on hotplate which was one must-order items besides the Mexican staples I tried this round. If I am window-shopping on my own, perhaps I will go for the more casual/fastfood setting of Panchos at Midvalley top floor for my quick below RM20 Taco cravings. Till then, happy reading, happy feasting :)