My Mexican Cousin Calling

Melbourne’s taste for US cuisine is definitely heading south. Texas BBQ dude food is now in vogue while 2011 may well be remembered as the year of the taco. Continuing the trend for Confederate flavours is My Mexican Cousin, a new restaurant serving Creole cuisine in Southbank.

Located in the Melbourne Recital Centre, My Mexican Cousin also caters to another local taste: the star-studded collaboration. Jerome Borazio (1000 Pound Bend, Sister Bella, Pony Fish Island, The Resurrection), Maurice Esposito (Esposito, St. Peter’s) and Salvatore Malatesta (St. Ali) have tagged teamed up with DJ Grant Smillie to bring their different powers to the new place, just like when the lions connect to make Voltron.

This means the all day restaurant will be hitting all the big notes: coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner, booze and music. With a Creole twist. Head chef Esposito has developed a menu based around the African, Caribbean and European influences of that cuisine, with a focus on sustainable produce. It’s also pretty good to soak up booze with.

Breakfast might be Creole braised beans with tomato, smoked paprika and a poached egg ($12.50) or chilled coconut rice pudding with star anise and guava jelly ($10). Lunch is based around share plates with things like oysters with ‘sauce chien’ (dog sauce, a hot vinaigrette) poboys, crab profiteroles and beef short ribs. Dinner’s coming this weekend.

While the space isn’t huge, there’s outdoor seating and more on the way once liquor licenses arrive (sadly Borazio’s signature Melbourne Bitter man cans aren’t invited to this party). But there’ll be live music.

It all sounds pretty fun. Sure the location isn’t great (unless you’re a VCA student or seeing a MTC show) but with Voltron powering this puppy My Mexican Cousin will probably soon become My Extremely Busy Cousin.

Get in while you can.

My Mexican Cousin
Cnr Sturt St and Southbank Boulevard, Southbank
9686 3389
Open daily at 7am
www.facebook.com/pages/My-Mexican-Cousin/225163734217386
@Mexican_Cousin