AY Caramuba! Just when you thought William Street couldn’t get any more up-to-the-minute, an uber-cool Mexican bar and bistro moves in.
Adding to the hub’s hip haunts – Rummage boutique, Noise Pollution Records and The Bird – La Cholita (a slang term for a sexy woman) is the spicy baby of Perth chef and industry nice-guy Clint Nolan, owner of Harvest restaurant and Who’s Your Mumma small bar.
Inspired by a trip to the motherland of tequila and tacos – his first holiday in six years – Nolan opened the new joint with the aim of offering Mexican street food.
Steering clear of Tex-Mex atrocities – no cheesy nachos here – the menu features dishes designed for sharing including chorizo quesadillas, crabmeat and avocado tostadas, slow-cooked pork tacos, and larger offerings like baked whole fish and mole negro chicken.
“True Mexican food is big across Australia at the moment, especially Melbourne and Sydney,” Nolan said.
“This is one of the first places in Perth offering it and there’s more to come.”
If tequila tickles your fancy, then, mi amigo, you’ve come to the right place. La Cholita has 70 varieties and Nolan is keen to boost that number to 120.
“Like most people, I’ve had a few run-ins with bad tequila,” Nolan said.
“It wasn’t until my trip to Mexico that I realised how good it could be.
“The type we usually get drunk on when we’re young has a lot of added sugar.
“The good stuff – what we offer – is more cared for like a single malt scotch.
“They are much easier to drink; smoother and without that harshness in the back of your throat.”
Formerly Villa Italia cafe, the eatery is on the corner of William and Aberdeen streets in Northbridge.
“I love Northbridge, it’s going to be the hottest suburb in Perth,” Nolan said.
“It reminds me of Surry Hills in Sydney, which, when I lived there, was a rough, beat-up part of town, not unlike Northbridge.
“In the 10 years since I’ve moved to Perth, Surry Hills has become the coolest place to be – restaurants and bars have gone in and it’s edgy and fun.”