Michelin-Listed Taqueria El Vilsito Is Heading to Australia, Joining the Margarita Week Festivities in Brisbane and Sydney
Touching down for a two-weekend takeover in both Brisbane and Sydney, a pair of chefs from this acclaimed taqueria will serve up the flavours of CDMX.
Australia's biggest cities certainly hold their own when it comes to the world's best food capitals. But if there's one type of cuisine that lacks the same plethora of options compared to, say, Italian, Vietnamese or Greek, people tend to agree it's Mexican. While access to essential ingredients has steadily improved over the years — think nixtamalised corn tortillas, specialty chillies and Oaxaca cheese — satisfying your culinary cravings isn't always easy.
However, lovers of Mexican cuisine can soon experience one of the best from the country itself, as CDMX-based taqueria El Vilsito is bringing its incredible food halfway across the world to our shores. Descending on Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane and Manly Wharf in Sydney for two-weekend-long residencies this March, the tour is all part of an authentic takeover of La Mexicana — a Mexican food festival running alongside the tequila-soaked Margarita Week.
For the occasion, two chefs from El Vilsito are making the long trip to Australia, working alongside a local culinary team to ensure the taqueria's crowd-pleasing tacos hit in precisely the same way as when served from their Mexico City mechanic's workshop. For the uninitiated, the eatery is especially admired for its tacos al pastor, where marinated pork cooked on a vertical spit is thinly sliced and served in corn tortillas.
"El Vilsito was one of those places that stays with you," says Howard Smith Wharves Brand Director Katie Moubarak, who experienced the taqueria during a research trip to Mexico. "From the moment I stepped inside, the energy, the generosity and the food felt completely alive. Being able to bring their chefs and their way of cooking to Australia felt like a natural next step after experiencing it firsthand."
Given the widespread international recognition El Vilsito has received over the years, its arrival in Australia is significant. Not only has the taqueria been recommended by the Michelin Guide, but it's also featured in The New York Times' 36 Hours in Mexico City Guide and in Netflix's Taco Chronicles. To make the experience even more special, Sandra Blanco, daughter of El Vilsito owner Juan Carlos Blanco, is also travelling to Australia.
"We've welcomed so many Australians to El Vilsito over the years, and their love for our tacos has always stayed with us," says Sandra Blanco. "Our family has been making food here for nearly forty years, so being able to bring our chefs and recipes to Australia and cook them in the same way we do at home feels incredibly special."
The El Vilsito pop-up is happening at La Mexicana from Thursday, March 5–Sunday, March 8 and Thursday, March 12–Sunday, March 15 at Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane. Then, in Sydney at Manly Wharf from Thursday, March 19–Sunday, March 22 and Thursday, March 26–Sunday, March 29.
Images: Andrea Tejeda K.
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