American-Mexican food chain Cali-Mex last month opened four shops (in Central, Wan Chai and Quarry Bay) offering made-to-order burritos, tacos, quesadillas and salads. We visited the branch on Wellington Street, which was the first to open.
On first impression we found the playful, vibrant orange theme, complete with cactus and palm tree motifs, very welcoming. There are stand-up tables on the ground floor, where you can watch your order being made, although mosaic tables and stools are available upstairs.
Choose a burrito, taco, quesadilla, or salad, and pick one of 12 different fillings including beef, chicken, pork, vegetables and seafood. The spice level is determined by the sauce — salsa verde (mild), salsa chipotle (medium) and salsa brava (spicy) — and you can choose either black beans or refried pinto beans.
We enjoyed our soft flour tortillas with baja fish (HK$98). The pan-fried ling fillets were soft and smooth, contrasting well with the refreshing pico de gallo and crunchy slaw. The generous pinkish chipotle mayo on top satisfied our eyes and our taste buds.
Our burrito bowl with Angus rump steak (above, HK$98) was filling, although the Josper-grilled meat could have been more flavourful. Adding a scoop of creamy guacamole (an extra HK$18) to our bowl made all the difference — we just wished there was more of it.
The "naked" salad bowl — tossed with taco vinaigrette — was great for a light meal, and we thought the option of serving it in a crispy tortilla bowl would be a handy way of encouraging children to eat more fresh greens.