Latin flavours have arrived in Hong Kong with the soft opening of Mamasita’s Cantina, where the head chef has been imported from Mexico.
Its offering includes authentic street food, tacos, tequila, Cuban rum and cigars, plus a bar and outdoor terrace.
Mamasita’s Cantina was inspired by chef/entrepreneur Harlan Goldstein of the ZS Hospitality Group following a visit last year to Mexico and Cuba. This project is a two-storey concept, and the third of four dining projects he is opening this year on Lyndhurst Terrace (Ee Da Le and My Tai Tai are already established).
Goldstein persuaded Mexican chef Edgar Navarro to relocate to Hong Kong to oversee the new project. Following six months of menu development, Navarro has a supporting team of longtime Goldstein employees.
With its entrance on the sixth floor, the restaurant draws inspiration from Goldstein’s all-time favourite movie, crime classic Scarface. The bar, which features murals depicting Cuba, serves Latin-inspired cocktails and a variety of spirits including nearly 20 rums, a few dozen tequilas, cachaça from Brazil and pisco from Peru. On the 40-person terrace, patrons can smoke Cuban cigars.

On the floor below and accessed by an interior staircase, the restaurant itself can accommodate 80 to 90 diners, and features a stripped-down open kitchen at one end.
Colourful plates, tiles and plants form highlights, as well as black-and-white photos captioned with handwritten notes.