Hello Auntie's Cuong Nguyen Has Taken Over the Hotel Downing Bistro with His New Latin American Restaurant Fugo

Whether it's a crispy chicken schnitzel or a simple cheeseburger, a well-executed pub classic is hard to pass up. And while many of this city's best pubs stick to the straight and narrow with their menu, some have decided to branch out in recent times. The Old Fitz and The Cricketers Arms have both introduced fancy European bistros to their offerings, The Dolphin specialises in next-level Italian eats, and the recently revamped Hotel Downing is now getting in on the action with its new Latin-style restaurant Fugo.

The CBD watering hole reopened in March following a renovation, welcoming its new tenant into the hotel bistro. Fugo is a project from Hello Auntie Executive Chef and owner Cuong Nguyen in collaboration with his childhood best friend Luis Gil. The pair have drawn from Gil's Argentinian heritage and their love for South American cuisine to create a flavour-packed menu of casual share plates, loaded sandwiches and impressive mains.

"Sydney is known as the epicentre for multicultural food yet Latin American cuisine seems to be underrepresented," says Gil. "Every Latin culture has so much to offer in terms of food and flavour, so we want to share our passion for the culture in Sydney."

Piled high with meats, the sandwiches are a crowd-pleasing addition to the menu. The el cubano combines braised pork, smoked ham, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard, while the el lomito places sliced steak, mayo, chimichurri, a fried egg, ham, tomato, lettuce and cheese on a long, crunchy bánh mi-style bread roll.

The share plates include cheesy empanadas, smoked ham croquettes, and charred corn topped with chipotle mayo, paprika, chilli, lime and cheese. And then there's the mains, which feature a 250-gram MB2 sirloin served with chimi butter and fries, and the creamy Fugo take on vodka pasta: the linguine al tequila.

Plus, on Tuesdays, Fugo rolls out its take on a Mexican classic — tacos. Each week, you can score three tacos for $20 with your choice of protein from the likes of pork, prawn, beef, lamb, fish and mushroom.

Just like the playful menu, the name doesn't take itself too seriously either. "One of our friends attempted to say 'fuego' years ago and said fugo instead," says Nguyen. "So Gil and I laughed about it and chose the name."

Find Fugo at Hotel Downing, 249 Castlereagh Street, Sydney — open 12–2pm and 5–9pm Monday–Saturday.