First Look: Taqueria Super Macho
Tasty tacos and other treats at Hong Kong’s newest Mexican hotspot
One Friday night, I convinced my friends to ditch our original plan of eating at a yakitori place, because the seating time was only 1.5 hours, and visit one of Black Sheep’s newest openings instead. We were deciding between Artemis and Apollo and Taqueria Super Macho, went with the latter, and arrived at the yet-to-be-bustling restaurant just before 7pm to be told that, yes, they would be happy to seat us but that they would need the table back in one hour. One hour! Definitely the shortest seating time I’ve heard of in Hong Kong so far.
But anyway, it was a Friday night and we could go elsewhere for drinks later, so off we went into the restaurant and down the stairs to enjoy some tasty tacos and other treats. Black Sheep are behind some of my all-time favourite restaurants in Hong Kong (i.e. New Punjab Club, Fukuro, Maison Libanaise). Each restaurant is so different from the others yet executed well in almost every way from the food, to the decor, to the service; I’ve heard that they do extensive ethnographic-style research before launching a restaurant. Given that it’s almost a universal claim that Hong Kong doesn’t have good Mexican restaurants, I was very curious to see what Black Sheep would be doing with their first Mexican restaurant.
Turns out that Taqueria Super Macho is a lively, colourful, casual spot located in the old Yardbird location on Bridges Street. It’s inspired by roadside taco trucks on the beachy streets of Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas and the interiors definitely remind me of beach bars. The main chef is Chilean-born Billy Otis who was previously at Lily & Bloom and who has trained with Rick Bayless, the famed American chef who specializes in modern interpretations of traditional Mexican cuisine.
So what’s on the menu?
For our party of four, we started with the Warm Tortilla Chips and Salsas ($58) and the Warm Tortilla Chips and Guacamole ($68). The chips are awesome, thick and crunchy. While the guac was fine, it was the salsas that really impressed. They might be the best I’ve had in Hong Kong. The smoky tomato-based salsa roja was addictive and the avocado habanero salsa was fire!
A few weeks ago, I’d had some amazing grilled chicken tostadas at another restaurant in Hong Kong so I wanted to try Taqueria Super Macho’s version ($58). This was the best value dish that we ordered that night as they are generous with the toppings (shredded chicken, guac, pickled veg, sour cream). It was fresh and satisfying, with each bite punctuated with hits of acid.
Sadly, I was quite disappointed by the Rock Shrimp Aguachile ($88). The shrimp were fresh, but I didn’t like the taste of the thin lime and serrano chili sauce, thought the avocado were underripe, and the whole thing was a pain to eat spooned on top of soda crackers (the traditional accompaniment, we were told).
But the main event was, of course, the tacos. All of them come unadorned and we were given little tin cups of sauces and toppings to DIY our naked tacos. I was quite hungry and easily ate three: the crispy fish ($28), the crispy shrimp ($38), and the fish al pastor ($38). Note that each come with two thin tortillas. All were great though my personal favourite was the fish al pastor as the piece of fish I received was thick and very moist.
All in all, I think Taqueria Super Macho is definitely a place I’ll revisit though only once the buzz dies down. The prices are fair but not so cheap that I’m OK being rushed out the door. Most of the staff are gracious and lovely, but we experienced some snootiness and I didn’t love being reminded of our leaving time when our orders hadn’t even fully arrived. Maybe that’s just part of the deal when you visit a buzzy new restaurant when it first opens but I’ve definitely seen it done with more grace.
33-35 Bridges St, Central, 2333 0111
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