Forget everything you thought you knew about Mexican food. Sure, street
food rules in places like Mexico City and Baja California, but beyond the taco and tamale you’ll find a rich and varied food culture that spans low and high cuisine. The region of Oaxaca in the southwest of the country is perhaps better known for its liquid assets – yes, we’re talking about you mezcal and tequila – but it also stakes a spot on the culinary map for its complex dishes and wealth of
indigenous chillies that form the base of the region’s famous “mole” which, for the uninitiated, lies somewhere between a curry paste and a mother sauce.

Bound by mountains and ocean, Oaxaca is known as “the land of seven moles” and is home to a huge diversity of climates and culture. So, in addition to mole, the region is also known for its grilled masa corn cakes piled high with all manner of toppings from black beans and cheese to pork and mole verde (green sauce), rich meat dishes and the culinary use of insects. There are more casual Mexican joints in Sydney than you can poke a burrito at, but CBD newcomer Santa Catarina brings a refreshing fine-dining take on Mexican fare with a menu that leans on Oaxaca’s greatest hits.

Executive chef Manual Diaz brings his Oaxacan heritage to the fore in a concise menu that starts with mezcal-friendly snacks such as ceviche, a bloody good guac and memelitas, which sit under a dedicated “maiz” (corn) section on the menu. Memelitas are Oaxacan corn cakes that eat like mini soft tacos and the toppings span seafood, meat and a veggie option, but it’s the grilled Yamba prawn marinated in a zarandeado sauce (a tomato mayo marinade for seafood) and served on a bed of crunchy pickled cabbage that really gets the party started, with a jalapeno margarita. Ceviche features translucent slivers of fish of the day,  kingfish on this instance, doused in leche de tigre (a spicy citrus marinade) and topped with a perky pineapple and dill salsa and wafer-thin rings of orange habanero and green jalepeno chillies.

Not surprisingly, mole is the main event with various iterations (green, brown, yellow) served in tiny bowls in place of salt and pepper on the table. The green is sharp and tangy, the brown mouth-filling and smoky and we ask for a refill after polishing it all off even before any food has hit the table.

It’s worth reminding yourself not to go too hard on those maize snacks so you can enjoy the utter decadence of Diaz’s Ancient Chicken. A half roast chicken is served with mole madre (mother sauce) and charred roast vegetables. The mole is the texture of a chunky hummus and the colour of dark chocolate. It’s a 500-year-old recipe that has been handed down by Diaz’s grandmother. Among the 50 ingredients fabled to constitute the mole, we detect the bitterness of roasted cacao (or is it coffee, or tobacco?), a pep of dried orange zest, the perfume of star anise, clove, allspice and cinnamon, black pepper and the smoky heat of charred Chilhuacle Negro black chillies.

It’s a dish of epic proportions, which are met by the handsome dining room. Bare wooden tables rimmed with olive green banquettes, oversized antique mirrors and glazed ceramic tiles are a nod to the rustic grandeur of the Oaxacan home. The bar is a liquid library with bottles of mezcal and tequila stretching all the way to the ceiling on polished wooden shelving. The amber light bounces off the booze and antique glass. It’s the sort of considered design that invites you to relax, laugh, enjoy – ingredients as important as any chilli when it comes to Mexican food.

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