When sitting in a restaurant in Mexico, someone will more often than not come up to you with a selection of whole fish in plastic wrap.
It’s not overly appetising, but the end result is a very long stretch from the burritos and nachos you’ll be served up in one of the westernised fast-food chains found around town.
Nothing wrong with them. They are what they are – quick, and quite tasty.
But they don’t necessarily tap into the truly authentic feel of a Mexican restaurant which experiments with food the same way a good Mediterranean or Italian restaurant will use techniques from their own region to stun a diner.
Which takes us to Serranos Mexican Cantina on the main drag at Beenleigh.
It’s not often you’ll see a restaurant fully booked on a Wednesday night anywhere, but that was the case here.
And with fairly good reason. No, they didn’t bring us a whole fish to look at, but they’ve taken the basics of a Mexican menu and supercharged it a bit.
You’ll be welcomed with some corn chips and a mild dip.
Then the fun begins. Jalapeno poppers come with a fairly thick crust, but inside there’s a tasty slice of jalapeno – not too hot – and cream cheese.
Flautas Mexicanas is perhaps the most adventurous entree due to the mix of sauces used to accompany pulled pork and shredded beef. There’s a ranch sauce on the outside as well.
Stage left, sip of the Mexican beer or margarita made with real fruit and fruit juice.
There are some basic tapas if that’s the way you want to go. The good news is that most of the sauces are made onsite which is for mine the big attraction here.
Take a look around, and it’s clear the most hearty meal is the fajitas which come on a sizzling plate with half a dozen condiments to wrap in the warm tortillas.
It’s well-priced for two or three people. The disadvantage of course is that it leaves less opportunity to play the menu.
Milanesa steak is tasty, cooked in a seasoned crumb and served with a delicious spicy jalapeno-apple barbecue sauce. It’s a great snack with beer, but at $29 you’re still likely to need something else.
The secret is to upsize the fajitas and look through for one or two additional options to add diversity to the meal.
There are enchiladas, nachos and oven-baked burritos – again, the difference being that they’re made to order with fresh ingredients and sauces created by the chef.
An alternative to loading up on mains is to go the deluxe dessert. It’s a rather indulgent combination of tortilla horn, coated in chocolate, full of mousse (which the restaurant claims to be famous), covered in ice cream and sprinkled with crushed up chocolate bars of varying types.
Your call.
