Review: Los Amates

LOS AMATES

Location: Fitzroy, Melbourne

Price: Small $9.50
          Large $15.50

Notes: Vegetarian Nachos. Nice Authentic Mexican                       restaurant

Best: Can't think of anything :(

Worst: The lack of beans.

September 2013

Los Amates in Fitzroy is a pretty little Mexican Restaurant on Fitzroy’s busy Johnston St. The restaurant itself is great. It has a real Mexican authenticity and vibrant atmosphere. So if I was to review everything but the Nachos, then this review would be just dandy, but we’re in the Nacho game, and this ain’t gonna be pretty.

It is actually really difficult to write this review. Usually I would start by listing the best aspects of the dish, but my page remains blank. New approach. Let’s just use onomatopoeia to describe this dish, ‘bleh’.

Ok, Ok, let’s try harder now. The first thing I noticed as I crunched down on the chip was how bad a quality it was. They basically tasted like old Doritos. Cheese coverage was poor, and by the end of the meal I was left with a plate full of corn chips as they must have served all the condiments with a tiny little teaspoon. The beans were so sparse I think I could have counted each bean with my 2 hands.

For the amount I paid and the standard of the restaurant, I expected much much more. Unfortunately this time around, Los Amates only scores 2 corn chips out of 5.

Score: 2 / 5

Review: Courtyard Cafe

COURTYARD CAFE

Location: Fountain Gate Westfields, Melbourne

Price: Plain (cheese and salsa) $8
          Supreme (cheese, salsa, sour                         cream and guacamole) $9

Notes: Vegetarian Nachos.

Best: Bowl made out of corn chip!

                                                                                   Worst: Fake guacamole

September 2013

That’s right, we’re doing shopping centre food court nachos. Who knows, one of these places might just make, the best Nachos! However, it definitely wasn’t the Courtyard Café in Fountain Gate Westfields.

The novelty of these nachos was that they came in a bowl made out of corn chip. Now that scores some points. The chips were actually quite tasty, and the cheese coverage was plentiful with the chips inside the bowl all smothered in the golden stuff. A large amount of sour cream was dolloped on top followed by some very sweet salsa and artificial guacamole or guacamole flavoured sour cream.

Eating the bowl was satisfying and the quantity was sufficient (so much there i couldn't eat it all). Not bad for a hungry shopper looking for something to fill them up and give them more shopping powers. For the effort, Courtyard Café score 2 corn chips out of 5. 

Score: 2 / 5

NACHO DOMESTICO vol. 1: Jeremy

Player Profile

Name: Jeremy

D.O.B.: 3/6/89

Hometown: Sydney, NSW

Occupation: Environmental Regenerator

Favourite Quote: "You win some, you lose some" - S. Chin

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Introducing... THE ALL AMERICAN NACHO. By Jeremy

GN: What is the name of your nachos?

Jeremy: the All American Nacho

GN: What's in your Nachos?

Jeremy: Corn chips, homemade BBQ sauce, slow cooked pulled pork, fresh avocado, freshly grated cheese, sour cream and a salsa with tomato, chilli, fresh parsley and onion

GN: What is the key component to your recipe?

Jeremy: The perfection of the Carnitas.

GN: Why are your Nachos the best in the world?

Jeremy: My nachos are the best in the world, because. (GN, doesn't make sense, but ok).

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September 2013

It was a warm Sunday afternoon when Jeremy accepted his fate and participated in Good Nacho's first ever, 'NACHO DOMESTICO'. Was he scared, no. Was he completely up himself and thought that his Nachos were the best Nachos in the world, yes. And so the cook up began...

To be honest it was a long wait, and as I sit slumped on the lounge chair flicking through their cable television I thought to myself, these nachos better be worth the wait or I could get aggressive. But alas, the trumpets sounded and Jeremy walked out with his 'All American Nachos'.

At first it was quite awkward. I was left sitting in the room alone as he shooed the other guests away and nervously stood around the corner watching me take my first bite. I barely began to chew before he jumped out and got all up in my face asking if i needed more guacamole or BBQ sauce. I requested he take a moment to relax, and once his nerves settled he began to get less creepy and sat down with the other guests and we all began to eat normally.

The pulled pork carnitas was definitely the highlight of the dish. Cooked to perfection and coupled with his homemade BBQ sauce, this dish was well on it's way to victory. The salsa was crisp and featured fresh herbs from the family's garden. A good serving of sour cream and fresh guacamole added extra points to the All American Nachos and was leading me into a long awaited food coma.

So after eating at Jeremy's house i can see why he claims to have 'the best Nachos in the world'. Besides having him watch me eat every bite and continuously asking me if I need more guacamole, it was a great night with great Nachos (well worth the wait). Hats off to you Jeremy, and congratulations on being Good Nacho's first ever NACHO DOMESTICO contestant. This will go down in the history books.

GN

Our custom licence plate

Review: The Reverence Hotel

THE REVERENCE HOTEL

Location: Footscray, Melbourne

Price: Rev's Nachos (vegetarian) - $12
          Slow cooked beef or housemade vegan pork for $3                 extra
 

Notes: Nice homely pub in Footscray with pool table, bar and band room.

Best: The amount of black beans!

                                                                   Worst: Cheese coverage on bottom layers of chips.

September 2013

The Revereence Hotel, a cute little pub on the corner of a highway in good ol’ Footscray makes good Nachos. That’s right, Footscray!

These nachos arrived in a deep boat shaped dish with the crew comprising of delicious black beans, golden cheese melted chips, finely chopped salsa, chunky cold guacamole, sour cream and a spreading of sliced mild jalapeños. It seemed that ship was sailing to yummy island and never coming back.

The cheddar cheese was melted perfectly on top. This made my eyes water. However, as I delved into the bowl I found the under layers of chips to be (cue doomy music), cheeseless. This left a sad little hole in my stomach. But nonetheless, this hole was quickly filled with black beans! A healthy amount of black beans mind you. No skimping here.

I managed to battle my way through the continuous waves of corn on the cob juice splashing my way from my friend across the table, to finish the Nachos full and satisfied. Unlike most places, the toppings of beans and guacamole were plentiful and all the ingredients tasted homemade and fresh. The only rough seas that this dish faced was the lack of cheese coverage on those bottom layers of chips, but besides that, some of the best Nachos I have eaten so far. So if you happen to find yourself hungry in the western suburbs of Melbourne, dock into the Reverence Hotel and order yourself Rev’s Nachos. Good Nacho give it 4 corn chips out of 5, Ahoy Matey!

Score: 4 / 5

Introducing NACHO DOMESTICO

NACHO DOMESTICO


"I make the best nachos", is the 7th most common phrase in the English language.

Introducing, 'Nacho Domestico', Australia's most anticipated culinary experience.

Over the next 25 years I will be travelling Australia's most diverse suburbs making my friends cook me Nachos. Some may think this is selfish, but no, I feel like this is my way of giving back to the community. Letting my friends know if they really do, make the BEST Nachos or not.

Participants in this exercise will not only receive an honest and thorough rating of their Nachos, but also, their very own GOOD NACHO t-shirt! These you cannot purchase at your local store or on Ebay.

Stay tuned next week, where we visit a small town in Sydney to see if Jeremy makes the BEST NACHOS.

x GN

Breaking News from Europe: Could Einstein be the inventor of Nachos?

The True Einstein Quotes Revealed

After much study, students at the University of Cambridge have revealed that few to many of Einstein's famous quotes had been tampered with before publishing. Studies show that the German Government had 'altered' the quotes to protect Einstein from public outrage over his meal of choice. One insider said, "At the time, Nachos were not popular in Europe. If you weren't eating a Bratwurst, you weren't normal. And Al wasn't eating Bratwurst's." 

It is revealed that the German's got word that Einstein was favourite to take out the 1921 Nobel Prize, something that would be great for their countries reputation, so they didn't want that opportunity to escape them, hence the alterations.

Quotes revealed to have been changed include:

Altered Quote: "Everything should be as simple as it is, but not simpler".

Original Quote: "Nachos should be as simple as it is, but not simpler".

Altered Quote: "Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone"

Original Quote: "Most of the fundamental ideas of Nachos are essentially simple - chips, guacamole, salsa etc etc, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone"

Altered Quote: "You ask me if I keep a notebook to record my great ideas. I've only ever had one."

Original Quote: "You ask me if I keep a notebook to record my great ideas. I've only ever had one. Nachos."

Altered Quote: "A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit, a violin; what else does a man need to be happy."

Original Quote: "A table, a chair, a bowl of Nachos, a violin; what else does a man need to be happy."

Altered Quote: "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science."

Original Quote: "The most beautiful thing we can experience is Nachos. It is the source of all true art and science."

Pictured: Einstein with his formula on how to make Good Nachos.

Wings

Passing the Chip

Review: Mexicali Cantina

MEXICALI CANTINA

Location: Essendon, Melbourne

Price: Mexicali Nachos
          Small: $11.95 (+$4 for meat, beans or             chille con carne)
          Medium: $17.95 (+$4 for meat, beans             or chille con carne)
          Large: $21.95 (+$5 for meat, beans or             chille con carne)

Notes: - Also serves Traditional Nachos – As               above without guacamole or sour                   cream. Soooooo I guess this just leaves           it as corn chips and cheese?
                                                                                             - Another nacho choice is Volcano                                                                                                      Nacho for the chilli lovers. Even more                                                                                             expensive.
                                                                                    Best: Size
                                                                                    Worst: Value

August 2013

I had high expectations for Mexicali Cantina, Essendon. I remember hitting this joint up about 5 years ago and what sat before me was a giant delicious plate of nachos that slipped me into a food coma. But this time around, no food coma. Just a stomach full of disappointment.

The first thing that stunned me was the price! For a basic nacho no meat the price was quite extravagant, and the extra dollars for meat or frijoles was $4-$5! The size, whilst blocking out the ridiculous price, was pretty good. Oh yeah, but then you remember the price they’re charging and look at it and think, is that it?

It was to be fair, quite a mountain. The mountain had all the basics, trees, grass, a few rocks... But this was no Machu Picchu. The sauce looked and tasted like it was poured straight out of a supermarket bottle, and to go with that was a dollop of sour cream and guacamole. The only slight delight from these nachos was the size and cheese coverage. And even that was mediocre as the plate wasn’t put into the oven long enough, so some of the cheese and corn chips were still cold.

The nachos were ok. Ok if you were starving and rich. $17.95 for a plate of corn chips with average condiments slapped ontop of them is not my idea of a good nacho. Sorry Mexicali Cantina, but it’s 2.5 corn chips out of 5.

Score: 2.5 / 5