Concrete Playground

This ain't nice food. Taking the 'dude food' craze that one extra step, El Capo is delicious - but real nasty. And I mean that in a good way.

Take a look around you. Tables are built up on what looks like stacks of American bank notes. The walls are adorned with graffiti from Numskull and Roach: guns, knives and a bikini clad woman with the head of a chicken. We get the feeling that the cock fight motif is almost certainly a double entendre, and the menu is sprinkled with many more.

All this is not really surprising coming from ex-guerilla chef Omar Andrade, now ganging up with Joey Astorga. While it might at first seem that they've settled into a home, well-behaved young boys that they are, there's still a lot of exciting experimentation going on.

The best place to begin is a stiff drink and there's plenty to choose from. I'd recommend the Mandarin Juice Margarita or the Pisco Sour (both $16). For the more conservative, choose from a wine list specialising in Argentinean drops or opt for the Bohemia ($8), a hard-to-argue-with pale ale. If it's going to be a long night, perhaps Ocho Anejo ($15) is worth a shot.

The Chicharron ($6), AKA pork crackling, arrives at our table still literally crackling and takes only moments and a few sips of beer to wolf down. But it's the Empanadas ($10) that take our breath away: the perfect mix of crisp, hot and tasty, served up with a salty salsa. The Chicken Salbute ($15) is deliciously tender, served in soft tortillas. For our main, we choose the special: Lamb with Pumpkin Seeds and Plum-Filled Tamales. The thick, smoky sauce on the lamb is a perfect contrast to the sweet plum packages, while the seeds deliver a satisfying crunch. While we couldn't resist this one time only special (how often do you see tamales on a menu?), a return trip is definitely in order for the Duck Three Way(s) with Oaxacan Black Mole ($28) - yes, that's chocolate sauce on half a duck.

Day time eating is also a good move considering the $10 lunch specials on offer. All in all, El Capo is easy on the wallet for some of the best Latino food around. Just get in early, or you won't get in at all.