Double Bay welcomes a touch of Mexican fun with Sinaloa

Chef Axell at the pass producing Mexican food innovation

Well come on Double Bay, show us your Mexican. And show us it does.

Sinaloa, the new kid on the Bay Street block adds a big dose of impressive, complicated and sophisticated flavours as well as a venue packed full of fun.

Sinaloa takes its name and inspiration from the Mexican state that is celebrated for its abundant exotic ingredients and thrilling flavour combinations. The restaurant houses beautifully designed and diverse spaces with a restaurant at the front, an open-air Hacienda in the middle and a courtyard bar towards the back, with bookable areas for you and your favourite people to enjoy. Plus on Friday and Saturday nights, there are resident DJs who bring a Mexican holiday vibe to D-Bay.

The comprehensive menu, designed to share, is a reflection of Chef Axell Torres’ journey who is ex-Noma and Rockpool, and has worked in Denmark, Japan and Sydney. From Baja, Sinaloa, Oaxaca, Chef Axell brings together his own family history and his travels to create a fresh and top-end approach to Mexican cuisine.

It’s worth noting that Chef Axell’s global training really shines through in the precision, balance and unique flavours of this mouth-watering food. We started with the Guacamole and Corn Chips ($14). Fresh, packed full of flavour the generous serving is plenty for two.

The Ceviche, a generous offering of Yellow Fin Tuna ($22) is served with pickled vegetables. Ceviche is exactly what a holiday would taste like and this was a superb offering with a light broth.

The Octopus and Chorizo Tostadas ($14), came as a set of three and join Mexico, Japan and Korea with nduja, kimchi, freeze dried mandarin and shisho. These were extremely delicious. Seafood and chorizo should get married and they may have on this tostada. A very different set of flavours, but with a balance of flavour and dare we say umami (the food word of the moment).

The Stone Baked Quesadilla ($16) plus chicken (+$4) is a crispy corn tortilla, oaxaca cheese and salsa verde melted together. A very cheesy sandwich and perfect staple for a Mexican restaurant. Perhaps more for those who are less adventurous in their tastes considering all the more unique options available.

The School Prawns taco ($9) unites morita XO sauce, pickled green tomatoes, sorrel and those tiny little prawns that you can eat whole into a soft shell taco. This was our favourite. Crunchy and slightly sweet, these are a must do.

The big dish was the Wagyu Birria ($42), a slow cooked wagyu brisket, birria jus, burnt onion and gai lan served with tortilla chips. The jus adds an extra layer of flavour and moisture to the substantial wagyu and the tortilla.

Dessert was the Chocolate Qaxaqueno ($16) practice saying Qaxaqueno because you’re going to want to order it. A spiced chocolate ganache married with quandong jam, star anise, caramel, milk crumble and almond, tastes just like a chocolate milkshake…only crunchy and much better. The chocolate ganache was rich, smooth and a touch spicy – but overall likely the best dessert we’ve tasted for some time.

We have saved the best for last though – the bountiful cocktails. The range is substantial, it’s margarita heavy and it’s exceptionally delicious. Prices are $19 or $20 with one at $45.