Mami's Tamales

Asia's first Tamaleria pop-up located in Keong Saik sees a collab between Mexican chefs Maribel and Mauricio of Papi's Tacos that focuses on authentic Mexican as well as contemporary Asian-inflected tamales. What're tamales you ask? It's a traditional Mexican dish made from masa corn dough filled with meats, fruits and vegetables, then wrapped up in corn husks or banana leaves before being steamed. Think a more delicate version of Chinese rice dumplings.
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We got one traditional and one fusion tamales to make a comparison. The Chicken Tinga ($16) was mild in taste on its own, allowing the natural flavour of the masa to shine, but also enlivened by the slightly sweet and bright tomato chipotle sauce. The chicken breast meat within was lean but tender, and not at all dry.

At only $12 during happy hour (12pm - 7pm), this is an absolute steal for such quality. Full of the refreshingly creamy taste of coconut milk, this smooth, icy cocktail still packs a punch of tequila. The standard lime margarita is even cheaper at only $10 during HH!

I haven't had a good track record with open-faced sandwiches until now - I often find them too dry and boring. Not so the molletes at @mamistamales. This sarnie is stacked with both ingredients and flavour - starting from the top with ripe slices of avocado, fresh pico de gallo and crumbles of queso fresco, beautifully meaty and salty chunks of spicy chorizo, and finally a slather of refried beans on Bolillo bread - essentially a short Mexican version of the baguette.The bread itself was exemplary, with a crunchy crust and soft interior.

Asia's first Tamaleria pop-up located in Keong Saik sees a collab between Mexican chefs Maribel and Mauricio of Papi's Tacos that focuses on authentic Mexican as well as contemporary Asian-inflected tamales. What're tamales you ask? It's a traditional Mexican dish made from masa corn dough filled with meats, fruits and vegetables, then wrapped up in corn husks or banana leaves before being steamed. Think a more delicate version of Chinese rice dumplings.
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We got one traditional and one fusion tamales to make a comparison. The Chicken Tinga ($16) was mild in taste on its own, allowing the natural flavour of the masa to shine, but also enlivened by the slightly sweet and bright tomato chipotle sauce. The chicken breast meat within was lean but tender, and not at all dry.
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In contrast, the Ayam Sambal Hijau ($14) presented a livelier profile, with a bright and fresh green chilli sambal and fried shallots adding a local spin that worked quite well in marrying Mexican and Singaporean flavours.