To all you taco lovers, this is one of our all-time favourites at Fiesta. We offer frijole, chicken, beef, black turtle beans and even smoked salmon – which by the way are gluten-free. How can you not love a taco? Personally, I prefer the soft shell taco (nearly said soft sell), but once in a while, the crispy shell adds a beautiful texture to the flavours.

But how much do we actually know about the humble taco? We found an infographic at this awesome blog (http://blog.forkling.com/) that we would like to share with you. Enjoy!

As you may already know, a sombrero has a pointed crown in the middle with a large sixty-centimeter curved brim right around the crown, creating a shadow around the neck and shoulders.

Sombrero comes from the word “sombra”. In Spanish, it means “shade” or “shadow” and is used for protection against the sun. Just like cowboy hats, they were used to represent social or economic status. The higher class men wore expensive sombreros made out of white, grey or tan felt with different designs and peasants wore cheaper sombreros made from straw.

It was believed, the first sombrero was discovered in the 15^th century. The first people to wear the sombrero hat were the Mestizo workers in Mexico and southern U.S. It was used as a practical hat to keep the sun away from their face.  However, others believe it was the Guadalajara (horseback riders) who designed the hat as part of their uniform to represent “strength and power”.

In current centuries the sombrero was associated with the cartoon character Speedy Gonzales, a Mexican mouse who wore a yellow sombrero.

The sombrero today is worn by mariachi band members, folk dancers and for traditional costumes. The beautiful colours and designs also make sombreros an ideal ornament as a symbol of Mexican historical culture simply placed on a decorative wall within the home.

Oh Sangria was originally discovered in Spain; however, Mexico soon discovered this delightful lady and added a snippet more alcohol. Shh don’t tell Spain. As Mexican food is famous for its chilli, sangria became the perfect match to complement its spicy flavour.

Sangria is also considered a perfect solution for a hot day. It is cooling and fruity served with scoopfuls of ice. Sangria today is enjoyed by many all around the world. This refreshing red wine based drink is predominantly served in jugs or pitchers and shared among friends or family. Sangria is made commonly made from:

• Red Wine
• Lemonade, ginger ale, or soda water
• Diced apple, orange, lemons and grapes
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon sticks or cinnamon powder
• Brandy

For over centuries sangria has been served at many fiestas and important event. During the Ancient Roman times, sangria was believed to create good company and great environments. It was far safer to drink wine than water. Today, on the famous walkway called Las Ramblas in Barcelona, you can see many locals and visitors drinking sangria outside watching hundreds of people stroll by.

Luckily you don’t have to go all the way to Spain or Mexico to enjoy delicious Sangria. You can simply enjoy this tasty drink right here in South Yarra, at Fiesta!

Ask our staff today to pour you a glass, while you enjoy your favourite dish.

ARRIBA!

Why is it always a Fiesta in Mexico? Mexico is the ultimate tourist destination and that is why millions of people from all over the world flock to the sunny beaches of Mexico to lie out and sip on margaritas, and maybe have a shot of tequila. The people of Mexico are humble and generous, happy to help a traveler find their way.

Destinations like Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Tijuana and Mexico City are amongst some of the most popular. At these tourist destinations you will be sure to find cold margaritas, taco stands on the street selling very cheap food, great Mexican restaurants, and of course beaches you see in Corona commercials. And for the traveller on a budget, Mexico can be inexpensive if done right. For those reasons alone you can convince just about anybody that Mexico is the vacation destination to enjoy.

An uplifting and energizing feeling will come to you with the sounds of the Mariachi band you will hear when in Mexico. The Mariachi band is a group of people mostly men, who each play an instrument, which is either the guitar, violin, trumpet, bass, and even an accordion. The group will generally wear the same type of outfit, which is a black suit with bright stitching, and sewn in designs that are colourful and artistic. These friendly gentlemen usually play for tips at restaurants and in the streets. But none the less, the Mariachi band is a big part of the fiesta in Mexico.

At Fiesta we imitate the food drink and atmosphere they enjoy in Mexico. So come down and treat your senses to a vacation to Mexico!

Hola! Have you ever wanted to learn another language but never really did? Sure, you took a couple foreign language courses growing up, but have you ever fully immersed yourself in the beauty of speaking another language? Learning a foreign language is the best thing you can do for yourself. Not only does it expand your brain and keep you mentally sharp, but also it takes you into the world of another culture. And because you have an invested interest in learning that cultures language, you can’t help but appreciate that culture and people there even more.

Everything anyone has ever learned in life all started at ground zero. And when you begin a new venture the steps are always slow at first, but if commitment and natural interest are involved, then you’ll be surprised to see how fast you will get up to running speed. So take it slow at first and don’t beat yourself up for forgetting or misusing a word. It’s all part of the process. But in learning anything, you need to practice. “If you don’t use it you lose it.”

Once you learn a word, remember it, and when you hear that word in your native language, make a mental note of that word in Spanish. Or another great thing to do is say that foreign word you know, in the middle of sentence your speaking with friends or family. And if they don’t know it, you can teach them something!

So, to get the ball rolling, here are some basic words that will get you something to drink at a bar, and to the bathroom. Dale? (ok?)

Vamos! (let’s go!)

Hola (O-lah)  – Hello

Quiero un cervesa/vino (Qui-ro un ser-vay-sa/veeno)- I want a beer/wine

Donde esta? (don de   Es-tah)– Where is?

+

El Bano (Ban-o)– The bathroom

=

Donde esta el bano?- Where is the bathroom

Adios (ah-deos) – Goodbye

The Melbourne International Comedy Festival is one of Australia’s biggest and renowned events of the year. The festival used starts on April 1^st  (April fools day), but these days it starts sometime in late March. The MICF is the third largest international comedy festival in the world! Comics from all over, come to put smiles on faces of Melbournians and visitors. Comedians and actors come from far away lands, like the UK, US, China, Ireland and many other countries where laughter is allowed.

The festival’s heart is the city centre Town Hall where there is a lot of natural foot traffic that draws a natural crowd. But the Melbournians are quite informed about the festival and many comics and shows draw repeating spectators. The acts themselves change every year. Generally, the comics will go on tour around the world performing in festivals like the Fringe Festival that is performed year-round in places like Perth, Adelaide, Canada, and even Edinburg, which is the biggest comedy festival in the world. Performers like Jon Bennet have several shows under their belt and will choose one to perform for each festival location. The reason why they don’t switch from night to night is so those who have seen the show can recommend it to their friends and talk about it, creating an interest which draws more of a crowd. Shows like Jon’s are not stand up. They are story-telling shows. Then you have proper stand-up comedians like Simon Taylor that interact with the spectators and make fun of them, but don’t worry its all in good fun. They have lots of jokes, and not always but usually at the mercy of someone else.

If you can see a show and support the MICF you should go and enjoy. Grab some friends or a hot date and enjoy yourself. It will be worth a laugh!

When you think of Mexican food, the first thing that comes to mind is definitely not a dessert. What is a famous Mexican dessert?

Churros (also known as the Mexican doughnut). Churros are commonly known as a stick shaped fried doughnut dusted with sugar. This tasty dessert is usually accompanied with a chocolate dipping sauce. Churros can also be accompanied with other dipping sauces such as vanilla cream or condensed milk. Not only are the churros very tasty, but they are also a fantastic way to share a cheeky dessert.

Another popular Mexican dessert is chocolate mousse due to its cool and soft chocolate texture. A chocolate mousse goes well following a hot spicy Mexican meal. The mousse itself can be served with fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, and kiwifruit dusted with icing sugar. At Fiesta our popular chocolate mousse is served with chocolate dipped strawberries, chocolate flakes and vanilla ice cream.

One of the most surprising and unique Mexican Desserts created by Mexican culture is Jalapeno Ice cream. The ice cream is infused with hot peppers which makes it such a tasty and unique dessert. If you have never tried Jalapeno Ice cream, you owe it to yourself to try it. At Fiesta our Jalapeno ice cream has rose petals and crunchy candy. Served with white chocolate and raisin sauce.

Now that you know more about Mexican desserts, why don’t you treat yourself to a fantastic Mexican dessert after your main course.

Don’t know which dessert to try? Follow your taste buds and see which Fiesta dessert has you wishing for more. Will it be Churros or Jalapeno candy ice cream?

175 Toorak Road South Yarra, open from 5:00 pm to late.

Don’t let the rainy weather get to you! Come in and join us by warming up with our delicious Mexican food. We have the right amount of spice to get your taste buds going again with Melbourne’s unpredictable weather.

Our tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas are all oven baked with delicious, melted cheese and hotness ready for you to take a bite to keep you warm.

We hope to see you soon!

Fiesta

Luckily, you do not have to travel 13,499 km to Mexico to order Mexican Food. Traditionally, Mexican food was made and sold at local taco street stands. The main issue back way when was how to keep the food warm and prepared for the many hungry people who craved traditional Mexican food. This was when the burrito was invented! Thank you, Juan Mendez. Food then was delivered with horse-drawn wagons and pushcarts.

Today, Fiesta Mexican Restaurant, located on Toorak Road offers takeaway and food delivery. We deliver to areas including Toorak, Prahran and South Yarra. To make it even easier, you can place your order online! There is no delivery fee, just a minimum order of $20.00. Too easy! We can even deliver your favourite dessert. Were you thinking a sticky date pudding?

If you are not quite sure what to order at least start here. Our menu ranges from your favourite tacos to burritos and nachos. We also have Mexican halal, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan opinions, for you to enjoy in your own home. We also can deliver your favourite beer or bottle of wine to compliment your meal.

For more information see our website http://www.fiestamexican.com.au/

Other methods of Mexican takeaway is the Burrito Bomber…..

Well maybe in the future but for now, we will stick to bicycles and scooters.

175 Toorak Road, South Yarra