Melbourne Goes Mad For Mexican At Collingwood's Hotel Jesus

So, you think you know Mexican food? Hotel Jesus owner Matt Lane begs to differ. The restauranteur behind gourmet Mexican eatery Mamasita has launched a second venture in the heart of Melbourne, and it's taking the dining experience to new levels of authenticity.

"We constantly get asked if the Mexican food thing has already been done to death, but to be honest, I think we've only scratched the surface in Australia," Lane insists, as he offers me a tasting of the some of the specially imported Mezcals (a sweeter, agave-based cousin of Tequila) available at Hotel Jesus. "I go back to Mexico pretty regularly, a couple of times a year at least. But, each time I go I'm always amazed to discover something that I've never seen before. There's a massive amount of Mexican food that's never been represented in here."

Lane, alongside business partner Nick Peters, has already proven his Mexican credentials at trendy taco and tequila joint Mamasita on Collins Street. But despite its authentically conceived menu, the dining experience at their flagship venue is still based on the tried and true formality of Western restaurant standards. With Hotel Jesus, however, Lane and Peters wanted to go all in, south of the border. "When we opened Mamasita, we were afraid to go fully authentic. So it became a kind of Aussie interpretation of Mexican food. Since then, there's been a real explosion of that kind of Mexican offering, so we felt like no one in Melbourne was offering a truly authentic experience. So, at Hotel Jesus we've tried to capture everything we love about Mexican food. That includes the pace of the service, the atmosphere; it's not just about what's on your plate."

Step over the threshold of Collingwood's iconic former-post office, and you'll be transported from a regular Melbourne street straight into the heart of a bone fide Mexican tostaderia. The decor is a bright, kitsch homage to typical Mexican eateries with a fast, informal vibe, complete with fleet-footed, no-frills service. Tiled walls, humming neon lights, Catholic relics (including a picture of the Patron Saint of Mexico, Our Lady of Guadalupe) and retro '60s table settings reflect the careful attention to detail that has gone into crafting this truly immersive celebration of Mexicana. By conventional standards, the tempo of Hotel Jesus is head-spinningly brisk. Lane says there have been some grumbles from patrons hoping for a more relaxed and familiar experience, but the aesthetic his team has worked hard to capture is all part of truthfully recreating the Mexican way of things.

Head Chef Yasser Garcia, who originally hails from Guadalajara, has introduced traditional cooking methods to ensure every mouthful is a faithful salute to Mexican street cuisine, albeit using the best locally-sourced produce available. While crowd-pleasing staples of the cuisine – burritos, quesadillas, tacos – will be available from a fast-food style bar adjacent to the principal dining hall, the main a la carte menu focuses on the lesser-known tostada: a freshly toasted tortilla. These are topped with a variety of delicious ingredients, including some combos that at first glance might appear to be a deviation from Hotel Jesus's Mexican pedigree.  As Lane explains, Mexico's often overlooked multicultural past is reflected in its food more explicitly than many might expect. "A lot of people are surprised by the number of Japanese influences there are here," Lane says as we discuss the tuna sashimi, ponzu and wasabi tostada on the menu. "But, when you go to areas like the North West of Mexico, where a lot of Japanese immigrants went in the 1800s, you find those flavours have become part of the local food culture."

In addition to the delicious bites on offer, Hotel Jesus also boasts an impressive drinks menu, and unsurprisingly, it heavily features speciality beverages including a range of Mexican-made tequilas and mezcals, approved by Nick Peters, Australia's only Master Mezcalier. There’s also a range of imported Mexican beers, served, of course, ala Mexico with a salt rim and a slice of lime, as well as six cocktails on tap, so there's no waiting around for your first Margarita of the night. "We love food and we love booze and we really didn't want this place to be a restaurant with just an ok bar offering. We wanted all facets of Hotel Jesus to be impressive," Lane says. "Everything about the bar has been designed for speed. In Mexico you drop into a place like this, you have a beer or a cocktail, a couple of tacos and then you're off again." 

Where: Hotel Jesus, 174 Smith Street, Collingwood.