on 28/08/2024
Spend any time eating your way around the food cultures of the world and you’ll soon discover that every cuisine has a unique personality. Some are formal and fussy while others combine flavours with delightful ease. National cuisines can be fiery, fresh or staunchly traditional, displaying as many personalities as the cooks behind them.
But for Peter Stamatopoulos, there’s one style of cooking that stands out above all others. “Mexican food has a fun, festive vibe,” he enthuses. “It's a cuisine with a lot of flavour and fresh ingredients so it's very friendly to everybody.” As the National Training Manager for Rosa Mexicano, he has just overseen the opening of the brand’s sixth store, in the former Paul’s fish cafe at 218 The Parade, Norwood. And in keeping with the kitchen’s output, the venue aims to create “a festive environment where everyone feels welcome. “
The menu features traditional Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes including elotes (grilled corn), tacos and sizzling fajitas alongside signature Rosa Mexicano offerings. Peter cites the chicken and mushroom burrito, which features chicken cooked in a cream sauce and oven-baked with cheese on top, as a personal favourite, but says the most popular item is the seafood curry paella. Loaded with scallops, prawns and mussels and cooked in a rich curry base with white wine, mushrooms and pineapple, it’s far from traditional but typifies the kitchen’s desire to load every dish with colour and flavour. “Add some salsas and guacamole on the side,” says Peter, “and we really want to create a ‘wow’ factor with the presentation.”
The venue itself is almost unrecognisable from its days as Paul’s and now bursts with colour both upstairs and downstairs. And one tone shows up more than any other: not only does bright pink grace many of the walls, it even finds its way into coloured buns for some of the burgers. “We always like to feature warm colours that create a really nice ambience,” says Peter, who also points out paintings of Mexican icons including a Calavera skull and Frida Kahlo, who serves as the restaurant chain’s unofficial emblem.
An upstairs lounge and balcony seating allows the venue to fit up to 100 patrons, and the centre of the downstairs area is the long bar pouring drinks that match the food menu for flavour and colour. The nine varieties of margarita (available shaken or frozen, and by the glass or jug) include a golden passionfruit version that follows the brief to both look and taste amazing. You’ll also find pan-Latin offerings including mojitos and sangria alongside beer and wine.
Reflecting on the expansion of the business, which now has a presence in three states, Peter says the secret to success is simple. “Every venue has a casual, fun feel, and it's not overpriced. We're very affordable and family-friendly, but still satisfy our customers with the quality of the food and the size of the meals. But the most important thing is our strong focus on customer service. We want to be seen as a very welcoming restaurant, so we're delighted when patrons come in and we're committed to making sure they leave wowed by the experience.”
