The Place
Pro tip – Hola is located on the main food street of Coco Park just beyond Shark and Azzurro, so be sure not to follow Baidu maps (because it led us on a wild goose chase). The new joint serves hearty and authentic Mexican food from chef and proprietor Jean-Pierre, who was previously at Tequila Coyote’s in Sea World.
There’s a wide variety of dishes – from tacos to burritos to chimichangas – that will satisfy all your Mexican cravings as you dine in this comfortable and friendly spot.
The Food
To start off the night, we ordered a fail-safe option, chips and guac (RMB75). The guacamole tasted fresh, had the right amount of zest and came with plenty of chips for dipping. For our mains, we had an order of four tacos, split evenly between pastor and beef (RMB75-95).
The soft tacos came packed with lip-smacking seasoned meat and a generous sprinkle of cilantro and onions. To temper the hot sauce that we were dabbing onto our tacos, we tried the ‘Horchata Water’ (RMB30), which is best described as a milky cinnamon-flavored beverage, served cold. The carnitas (RMB105) were also recommended by our server and were essentially braised pulled pork simmering in its own juices and tucked away in tinfoil, with tortillas served on the side. Simply delicious.
The Vibe
When we arrived, there was loud EDM blasting away, which didn’t take us too much by surprise considering its close proximity to party-central Coco Park. Thankfully, one of the staff switched on music more suited to the setting in between the arrival of our guac dip and tacos.
The decor at Hola is festive and cozy, with touches of vibrant Mexican textiles, sombreros and other mementos. This is a great place to stop by for some authentic fare as it’s right in the CBD, spans two floors and even has a decent patio area (people watching anyone?). We think we just found our new favorite spot in town!
Price: RMB150-200
Who’s going: festive friends, carnitas-loving couples
Good for: authentic home-cooking, tacos al pastor, tequila
Nearest metro: Shopping Park Station (Exit B), 4 minutes’ walk
Open daily, 11am-2am. See listing for Hola.
[All photos by Phoebe Kut/That’s]
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