Food crazes in Sydney go in waves, let’s face it the ‘Mexican Wave’ in Sydney has long been stuck in a loop of tacos, tequila and the occasional guac that costs more than your Uber home. So when we heard that Chef Diana Lopez del Rio was in residence from Mexico for a month we had to check it out..
Santa Caterina- Oaxaca Cuisine
It’s in the heart of the CBD, a skip from Baxter Inn and close to many creatives who carved out something different. The focus is Oaxacan cuisine, a part of southern Mexico known for its diverse Indigenous cultures, pre-Columbian archaeological sites, and colonial architecture. It’s internationally renowned, but in Sydney, little known. Famous dishes include various moles (sauces), tlayudas (large, crispy tortillas), and chapulines (toasted grasshoppers), I can officially confirm no insects are harmed in this review.
Chef Diana López del Río
Whilst sadly we miss Chef Diana. She has left her mark on the menu. Diana is a legend (think a Mexican Maggie Beer). Culinary researcher, activist, and memory-keeper. Her work in Mexico City through MUX and other cultural projects is less about trend-chasing and more about reviving ancestral techniques, spotlighting endangered ingredients. Eater named Mux as one of the city’s essential places to eat, Culinaria Mexicana as one of the 250 best restaurants in the country.
The menu is broken into ‘Small plates’, ‘Tacos’, ‘Raw’,’Maize’, ‘On the side’, ‘Big plates’. There is also an interesting “Oaxacan Moles Tasting,” selection of four distinct moles: Mole Blanco, Mole Rojo, Pipian Verde, and Mole de Fiesta. Which is great fun and really unique. We decide to try and order something from most sections.
My dining partner Lorraine, (Not Quite Nigela) arrives, I am feeling intimidated as her photos are way better than mine, and don’t even get me started on her Nutella Muffins which of course she has just baked, gifted to me and smell insane.
The Arrival & Design
Oh it’s so pretty! At night the long room is illuminated in a number of ways, there are no banquets, but round sumptuous booths, snuggling top to tail, like brother and sister. The main bar is to my right, the kitchen and intimate tables are further back. It’s warm, inviting and humming. I am greeted by France Rainteau, Venue Manager. Before I know it sparkling water and a spicy margarita arrives. It’s a well balanced marg, but could definitely amp up the amount of spice and salt to be more memorable.
Santa Catarina – The Dining Experience
We kick off with Guac & chips – a dish we have had a gazillion times. The handmade chips are strong willed, flavoursome, guac is hand made and I love the big chucks of avocado topped with spicy chili oil. The crispy squid arrives with a puddle of Jalapeno aioli which is juicy, crispy and a crowd pleaser.
Then we enter what I’m calling the “Diana Zone” – the maize section where things get interesting. Two plates of black empanadas appear, and Lorraine and I exchange that universal look of “what did we order again?” The Oaxacan cheese empanada is… fine. But then we bite into what we think is another empanada but is apparently the quesadilla. Suddenly our mouths are having a party as juicy crab flesh mingles with celeriac salsa and pickled onion. It’s a flavor bomb that makes us forget you’re an adult with (fur baby) responsibilities.
The Chalupitas are stacked tortillas playing hide and seek with red and green salsa, shredded duck, and pickled onion. It’s enjoyable but the taco was a tough act to follow.
Tip #1 order the crab quesadilla.
Two Chargrilled Octopus Tacos ($24) arrive flat, showing off their ingredients. There are curls of charry octopus, nduja, confit potatoes, and pico de gallo. My first bite is a stop-what-you-where-saying experience or maybe my hearing instantly became impaired! The genius here is the crispy potato which owns its crunch in a pork crackling way, reminiscent of a crispy pork belly banh mi. It’s textural magic. Lorraine takes a couple bites to reach enlightenment, but once she gets there, we’re both sitting in taco-induced bliss, knowing the rest of the meal will be measured against this moment of perfection.
Recommendation #2 Order the Octopus Tacos
Mains are next and they arrive together which is a much more fun way to eat. Three Charred Yamba Prawns ($42) are doused in jalapeño lime butter. You don’t need to do much to these babies for them to be delicious and they are. We saw the cauliflower earlier on the pass – a glorious bronzed, whole charred brain. Our plate looks less dramatic as its in sections. An smoked eggplant puree and chimichurri is delicious but the cauliflower would benefit from more time to build up the sweetness and mellow some of the undercooked sections. A pretty plate of smoked duck slices needs a little more rendering, but I enjoy the delicate mole sauce made with dried chillies, nuts and plantain.
Onto sides. Who doesn’t love a bit on the side? OMG “Take me to bed you Stud!” This creamy corn dish of poblano chili, crema, Oaxaca cheese and butter is divine. I want to smear it all over my body. Creamy, savoury, exciting. It’s just amazing.
Recommendation #3. The corn!
Just when we can’t possibly eat more, our desserts arrive. I am not a dessert lover (Lorraine is), but we both fight for this one. It’s a banoffee pie x creme brulee and boy! It’s so good. Thin slices of banana are woven into the crispy caramalised brulee it’s like peering into a frozen golden lake of lilly pads. It adds a new layer of flavour to an old time favourite. Most favourites can’t be bettered, so don’t mess about with them, but here the chefs do, and they win.
What are we Addicted to? – It’s a beautiful venue, intimate, with warm, knowledgeable staff. It’s passion for celebrating Oaxacan cuisine in all its glory is to be commended. Sydney doesn’t need another Mexican. This isn’t. It has a story to tell. The dish of the night by a loooong way was the octopus taco, which makes me think this is the section I would tuck into more next time. The brulee and the creamy corn were also our favorites.
What do we need to be more Addicted? The cheese empanada didn’t light up our world, and the spicy marg could definitely go further with a chili hit. We also tried the ‘Mole Tasting’ which I really loved to truly understand the cuisine. It would be more flavoursome to add optionality of veggies/meat rather than just the tortillas for dipping.
Santa Caterina, 156 Clarence Street, Sydney
Mon: 5pm -11pm , Tues- Thurs: 12pm -11pm, Friday: 12pm -12am, Saturday: 4pm – 12am, Sunday: Closed