Props to Agave for being the first restaurant we’ve reviewed for Oz-mex.com that’s been bright enough to actually see what you are eating. Izote and Baja Cantina (I usually get seated in the back patio) both serve in gloomy spaces that rob the food of visual appeal.
Queso Fundido, with the Tacos al Pastor in the background.
Agave is in a nice space on Crown Street in Surry Hills. We were seated right away and served with some tostadas (chips) and a pair of salsas. The green was very interesting, a spicy citrusy green with a strong vinegar base. Vinegar flavors typically, but not always, indicate that the acid content is being pumped up for a canned product, so perhaps they aren’t making salsa in house. The red was a chipotle-based salsa, which I ignored because for some reason the smoke/jalapeño flavor of chipotle has never appealed to me (for some reason it makes me think of Chef Boy-ar-Dee)
We had been running around all day with only a light lunch, so we splurged on a queso fundido with the chips. It scored well, – everything was in the right proportion and seemed quite fresh, and I scooped out a lump of chorizo with interest, hoping to find something familiar, but it was the Portuguese style common in Australia.
Tacos Asada (beef fajitas, shhh!) - very tasty
Again with the fajitas (called tacos asadas, in the interior Mexican fashion). These were my favorite so far – simple strips of skirt (maybe flank) steak with a light marinade, and no clammy sauce. Served with a nice gaucamole (fresh and limy) and pico de gallo. They were tender enough to get through my taco without doing the clenched-teeth-fajita-mouth-wiggle necessary to take a bite of rubbery, tough fajita meat. So thanks, Agave!
The menu is not extensive, which is fine – I’m a big fan of choosing to do fewer things well. It consists of 15-20 different entrees (appetizers) – noshes like stuffed peppers, flautas, quesadillas, and other delicacies, followed by a half-dozen mains covering beef, pork, chicken and seafood.
Intrigued by some other things we didn’t get to try, we’ll be back!