Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico. Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, and Peru. Big El’s Latin American Fusion is one of the newest eateries to pop up in Northbridge, bringing to Perth some much needed Mexican and South American food. Headed by stockbroker-turned-restauranteur Logam, Big El’s presents a menu of modern dishes from the far south, bringing together flavours and techniques from different parts of Latin America. Belinda from Why Yes I do Eat Constantly and myself went one night for dinner, which turned out to be a pretty substantial feast.
Upon walking in, the first thing that caught my eye was the wacky interior decor. There was no avoiding the freaky paintings on the walls seemingly inspired by the mexican Día de los Muertos, but the most obscure thing of all was the plethora of coloured milk crates fastened to the roof. With no off-the-shelf solution for quenching his unusual architectural thirst, Logam explained that he had the crates custom made for his restaurant.
While we waited for our food to be prepared, Logam brought us each one of the cocktails on the menu. The Genie, Aladdin’s Genie is a mix of Absinth and Alize, served in a piece of glassware that looks like it belongs next to the Erlenmeyer flask in a chemistry lab. Although I am not much a fan of Absinth, I thought it was a nice and well-balanced drink. If you are looking for a traditional Martini, or perhaps a Tom Collins, this may not be the cocktail menu that you are after. In saying that, though, there is a reasonably well-stocked bar at the entrance of the establishment, so I’d assume they can conjure up something a little more ordinary on request.
