Los Vida, Westfield Sydney

I used to be pretty sceptical of the quality of restaurant dining at shopping centres, but the recent revamps to Westfield Sydney and Macquarie Centre have both proven me wrong. One restaurant which opened late last year is Los Vida, a Mexican restaurant on the top floor of Westfield Sydney.

From the outside, Los Vida looks a bit like a little private food court just for their customers. But once you walk in, you’ll realise that there’s actually an inner section as well which when combined with the outside, offers plenty of seating for larger groups.

Guacamole with Totopos – $9

The menu is extensive offering a whole range of entrees, meaty mains, ceviches, tacos, salads, sides and desserts. Knowing us, it’s hard to decide so why not try a bit of everything! We start off with the totopos which are house made and lightly fried. I loved the accompanying guacamole which has tomato and pomegranate seeds, providing a fresh sweet undertone.

Scallops Aguachile – $13

Prawn Ceviche – $13

We couldn’t resist two of the ceviches on the menu – the scallop and prawn. The scallop featured some lovely citrus flavours and once again some sweet pomegranate. I particularly liked the crunchy textures here thanks to the cucumber and onions mixed throughout. The prawn ceviche on the other hand had a much richer taste due to the tomato sauce base. I preferred the scallop one, as the lighter flavours allowed the freshness of the scallops to shine through.

Tacos (Chicken, Fish) – $5 each

Next up are two tacos, the chicken and the fish. The chicken is done in tinga style, shredded in a chilli sauce, and is very juicy. There’s a spicy aftertaste which isn’t too bad thanks to the guacamole, sour cream and lettuce which cool it down a bit. The fish taco on the other hand features beer battered barramundi and is served while still crispy. It’s a bit spicier with jalapenos topped with chipotle mayo and is overall a really good taco combination.

Grilled Corn (3 pcs) – $5

After the entrees, we get some sides including the grilled corn smothered with butter, lime and chipotle crema and quesa freso (Mexican cheese).  You definitely can’t go wrong when you mix a spicy, creamy cheese sauce with sweet juicy corn!

Patatas Bravas – $7

The other side dish we get is the patatas bravas and man it’s like the biggest serving of patatas bravas I’ve ever gotten! It’s served on a huge tray with a strong garlic aioli and it’s probably enough to feed 4-6 people as a side comfortably. We were only a party of 2 and barely made a dent in it.

Ancient Grain Salad – $13

Onto mains, we start with something light. The Ancient Grain Salad is packed full of healthy goodness including quinoa, broccoli, kale, pumpkin, corn, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, parsley, jalapenos, pomegranate and topped off with a tequila dressing. It’s beautiful, light and the dressing is quite subtle as well, meshing well with the sweetness from the pomegranate and corn.

Chorizo Flautas – $14

A dish I’ve never seen before are the flautas, a rolled up tortilla which has been filled with chorizo, potato and cheese. The description sounds quite nice but I find it quite heavy compared to the other dishes, and there is far too much potato and cheese compared to chorizo. It would’ve been nicer to have more chorizo to get that spicy kick.

Beef Brisket – $22

The last savoury dish we get is the beef brisket, paired with chimichurri, pickles and beans. Similar to the previous main, it’s pretty average – the beef is tender, but isn’t that flavoursome and the beans seem a bit out of place here.

Bunuelos – $12

Despite having so many savoury dishes that we had to pack some of it to take home, we still somehow managed to find room for dessert. The first is the bunuelos which are like little fried dough balls served with coffee anglaise. They’re light, crunchy, sweet and great for sharing.

Chocolate Tart – $12

But the winning dessert is definitely the chocolate tart served with ancho chilli and dates. The chocolate is decadent and rich, tasting more like a fudge – it went beautifully with the crumbly tart base and we actually didn’t taste much chilli at all. We couldn’t get enough of this delectable dessert and managed to finish it even after our massive savoury feast beforehand!

Overall Los Vida is a winner in my books. Great tasty restaurant with affordable pricing in a convenient location. The menu here is quite extensive and I tried a few new dishes which aren’t found at your typical Mexican restaurant. The next time you’re heading to Westfield for lunch, why not skip the food court level and head straight upstairs to Los Vida.

Excuse Me Waiter dined as guests of Los Vida

Los Vida
Level 6, Westfield Shopping Centre, 188 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone:(02) 8252 9765