Monday, March 30, 2009
Dont Make Me Go Speedy Gonzales On You
When I think of Mexican food, the only thing that comes to mind is a burrito. And I dont even know what a burrito is supposed to be. I blame it on the mindwashing tube for me assuming that its some American creation that fooled me into thinking its Mexican. That, and salsa. Which confused me for the longest time because isnt that the name of a dance as well?
I dont think doing the "satay" is going to catch on anytime soon.
So when I caught wind of Frontera Bar & Grill which serves authentic Tex-Mex food, I didnt really know what to expect. Huge servings of Mexican food? Everything's big in Texas, right? Its located in a cosy corner of Jaya One (which has a ton of eateries, but i havent the time to explore them all yet) and I brought a huge appetite in anticipation of what was about to come.
Now the "Bar" in Frontera Bar & Grill is a sight to behold. Its got the authentic dark-polished-wood bar act down pat, complete with a display of bottles that is enough to make you tipsy on sight! With the high bar stools and bartender who's nifty with his cocktails, it looks like a great place to chill and have some (or alot of) drinks while you watch whatever sporting event tickles your fancy. Plus points for the music that puts you in a good mood no matter which side is winning.
When you're at a place like this and they bet their bottom dollar that something on their menu is the best in town, you better damn well take their word for it and try it!
Frontera Agave Margarita
I havent had alot of margarita's in my short time (i havent had alot of things but thats a story for a different day heheh) as alcohol and I dont really gel well. But surprisingly, I had no problems swigging Frontera's Agave Margarita down! One of the many factors that makes this margarita a winner is that its made with agave nectar instead of sugar syrup (which is used everywhere else).
And because of that, this margarita is everyone's best friend because you will never get a hangover the next day, no matter how many margarita's your friends challenge you to drink! Its all in the agave nectar which makes your margarita scientifically impossible to give you a hangover.
Another winning factor? They use freshly (hand) squeezed lime juice to make all their margarita's. That's about 30-40kg of limes a week! Its alot more work than diluting lime cordial with water, but it makes all the difference. Gotta feel sorry for the guy whose job is to just sit there and juice the limes though.
On with the food!!
Frontera's boss, Larry, brought out a plate of assorted chillis that he uses in most of the dishes on the menu. With much fascination, I peered at the chillis which ranged in size and spiciness, and Nigel made the mistake of scoffing at a runty little red chilli which was called the Habanero.
See the runt? Laughing at it will be the last thing you do before your mouth burns up in chilli vengeance.
He took a bite out of it. And the big giant got taken down by the smallest chilli on the plate. Check out the Scoville scale and you'll see what I mean.
We all have some friend or another who brags about how he/she can take any spicy food/chilli you put on their plate. Pop a Habenero into their mouth and sit back in glee as you watch them cry like they've never cried before. Great party trick/ice breaker!! =D
Starters!
Habanero Chicken Wings
The delicious sauce that coats every ince of the Habenero Chicken Wings is Habenero BBQ sauce and it has that tangy sweet and sour taste to it that had me licking it down to the bone. Its served with cilantro ranch dressing which goes really well with the wings and doesnt overpower the Habenero BBQ sauce at all.
Fear not, the word "Habanero" in the sauce's name, because there's just a slight hint of spiciness. If I can take it, so can your 4 year-old cousin.
Taquitos De Pollo
The Taquitos de Pollo is an adorable name for this dish, which is shredded chicken hand-wrapped in tortillas and flash fried, so it has a wicked crunch as you bite into it and bits of shredded chicken tumble all over your plate. The filling of the Taquitos de Pollo is rather dry, so dipping it in the green salsa verde and sour cream that comes with it is a must. It adds just the right amount of flavour to it.
Frontera Nachos
A good plate of nachos is hard to find, and Frontera's Nachos has just helped end my search! OMG it is awesome! Frontera's Nachos are generously topped with cheese, and lots of shredded chicken, which is a rarity because alot of the other nachos that I've had before hardly have any substance at all other than overpowering amounts of cheese to mask the lack of other ingredients. This is how nachos should be. I shall never look at other nachos the same way ever again.
Salsa & Chips
Aahh.. The ever ubiquitous Salsa & Chips is a hard snack to mess up, and Frontera's salsa which is made fresh with Jalapenos peppers is as good as it gets.
But there are other dips for their chips that are worth going out on a limb for.
Chilli Con Queso
The Chilli Con Queso is a creamy dip that is made with cheese, cheese and more cheese!! I cannot stress how amazingly cheesy this dip was, but I kept dipping tortilla chips in the Chilli Con Queso in between mouthfuls of the other dishes! The warm cheesy goodness slathering the tortilla chips was absolutely heavenly. Its made with Monterey Jack cheese, so you know thats a good thing.
Chilli Con Carne
If going up to cheese heaven isnt your kind of thing (say it isnt so!), then the Chilli Con Carne ought to be a hit with you. Its basically minced beef with a hint of spiciness, topped with onions and cheese. This is a dip that you can pretty much eat it on its own (together with that bread that you can also eat it on its own wtf) or with the generous helping of tortilla chips that it came with.
After leaving us craving for more with the starters, the main dishes appeared.
Chicken Tacos
The Chicken Tacos is a crispy taco shell filled with either seasoned beef or shredded chicken and is topped with lettuce, cheese and tomatoes. Served with a side of refried beans and Mexican rice, its more of a Mexican sandwich if you ask me. Its a dish that is light on taste and texture as its not drenched in sauce. I had a few bites of this as it was a tad bland for me, and moved onto the next dish.
Chimichanga
Chimichanga!! Chimichanga!!! It makes you feel all happy and jumpy inside, just saying the name out loud. Its a homemade flour tortilla filled with seasoned beef or shredded chicken, fried and topped with Chilli Con Queso and freshly diced tomatoes. Also comes with refried beans and Mexican rice which makes for a filling meal. The Chimichanga tasted amazing and I had no problem wolfing down my portion.
Tex-Mex Burrito
The Tex Mex Burrito is the not-fried cousin of the Chimichanga, so its a slightly healthier option I suppose. But we all know fried food always keeps us happy anyway ;) That being said, this burrito is just as good as the Chimichanga. Definitely one for the coin-toss!
Up next were the ultimate burgers that Frontera has to offer.
Chilli Cheese Burger
The Chilli Cheese Burger is a large patty of minced beef which is perfectly seasoned, topped with Chilli Con Carne and enough cheese to help it live up to its name. This burger is so juicy and chock-full of flavour, all I could do was moan in happiness as I took bites of this huge burger. Its a winner for the best cheese burger I've had in a long time. So much more worth it than the slabs of muck that some fast-food joints are charging us double for these days. If you're willing to pay that much, then this Chilli Cheese Burger is worth every cent.
Chicken Ranch Sandwich
If beef doesnt agree with you, the Chicken Ranch Sandwich is your best bet. Its another huge burger with a piece of chicken breast that has been perfectly fried, while still maintaining the juiciness right up to the middle. Which is amazing because one would think that a chicken sandwich of that size would be kinda dry and difficult to eat. But this one is still so juicy and retains the flavour that I've never tasted before. Everyone was blown away by the Chicken Ranch Sandwich, and once you try it, you'll see why.
Both burgers come with mountains of fries, coleslaw and sauces. Frontera spoils us like the little brats we are.
Frontera Beef Ribs
The obvious star of the night was the Frontera Beef Ribs. I thought I'd had good beef ribs before. Until I tried the ones at Frontera. They were not good. They were awesome!!! The juicy ribs were so soft and tender after being cooked for several hours, they literally fall right off the bone as you pick at it with your fork! The meat just happily falls off in shreds, waiting for you to devour it and find ultimate beef-rib-happiness. I savoured every mouthful as the sweet BBQ sauce coated every inch of if and made it, hands down, the best beef ribs I've ever had. The mashed potatoes it came with made everything perfect *dreamy sigh*
Cajun Fish & Chips
If all that solid meat was too much for you to handle, the Cajun Fish & Chips should do the trick. Slices of fish, lightly battered, fried and served with plenty of chips is a simple and familiar dish that should satisfy the fussiest of palates. Frontera's special version of tartar sauce makes the Cajun Fish & Chips a joy to eat and should have you finishing it off in no time.
A smorgasbord of awesomeness! Look at that spread! Every single dish was absolutely delish.
Larry also let us have a taste of his special new sauce (hint: chipotle) which must make its appearance on the menu soon because I went nuts and dipped everything in it. So very yummy.
We also had the opportunity to try out some Frontera's concoctions like the delicious coffee-based Latin Orgasm (ay caramba!) and the guys had a shot of Patron XO Cafe which is a warm and smooth coffee liquer. Remember the coffee sweet, Kopiko? The Patron XO Cafe is an explosion of a thousand Kopiko factories in your mouth. You have been warned.
Caffeine kick!
We noticed a tall glass container at the front of the bar filled with clear liquid and what looked like someone's science experiment with tons of Jalapeno peppers floating about in the clear liquid. Apparently, they've been sitting the Jalapeno peppers in tequila, and we all had our very first sip of the Jalapeno Margarita. Wow. Really. Wow. Its a margarita, but with a very interesting peppery aftertaste in the back of your throat. The pepper shock hits you without warning, and dissipates just as sudden as it came. Kinda weird, but very fun to experience.
Our stomachs were full to bursting with food, and there was plenty of laughter as the margaritas brought out the happy within. Frontera Bar & Grill aims to serve authentic Tex-Mex food without comprimising the taste and flavour of the food to suit it to Malaysian standards. So you're getting food that hasnt been changed or altered in any way, just because some of us might not be familiar with it. Its all about being open to something new and finding out that there's really good food to be had at this joint.
If its good enough for the Mexicans, its good enough for me.
But really, their beef ribs. The beef ribs!!!!!!!!! To die for!!!!!!!
Happy times!!
Frontera Bar & Grill @ No. 18-8-2 Block L, Palm Square, Jaya One, Jalan University, 46000, Petaling Jaya.
P.S. Portions here are pretty big, so sharing is a really good idea.
P.P.S. Like every good establishment, they also have a group on Facebook. [click here] to check it out!
*pics courtesy of David, Nigel*
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