Restaurant Review: Mas Malo, Downtown LA

Last night I got the chance to experience the new menu at Mas Malo in Downtown LA. The vibe in the restaurant is not your typical "Mexican Restaurant" vibe. You feel more as though you were lounging at a swanky bar off of Wall Street. I don't know why, but the building totally reminded me of an old bank... come to find out, it was actually an old jewelry store. Tacos and tiaras? Sure, why not!  

Anyway, dinner was quite the adventure! Below are our menu selections and my thoughts on each. 

Chips & 2 kinds of Salsa - Burnt Habanero Cream Salsa & Warm Chocolate Arbol Salsa:
Ok, now some of you know, I am Portuguese so I can handle the hot stuff, but this was like 5 alarm! The Burnt Habanero is not for the faint tongued. The warm chocolate was a bit more tolerable but I'll be honest. We had to order some guacamole (which was excellent) to cool down our tastebuds. 

Honey Carnitas with Corn & Spinach Pancake: Seriously, this dish is worth the trip alone. Never would I have thought of Pork Caranitas on a pancake, but this was done to perfection! It was a delicious combination of sweet and savory. It's so intriguing that the women sitting next to us, who had already finished eating and had paid their bill, ordered one to try! 

Shrimp with Oaxacan Sauce: This is an "off-menu" item that you have to ask for. It's totally worth the effort! The sauce is light and creamy with a hint of spice. I regret that I didn't get a side of rice or something to soak up all that sauce! 

2 Tacos (1 per order)- Zucchini Blossom Cheese Taco & Pork Short Rib Adobo Taco: We went halfsies on these so we could try a little of each. The Zucchini Blossom was really great. Had a yummy, creamy texture and the corn tortilla was a great compliment. The Pork Short Rib has just enough spice that the cool avocado and a squirt of lime went perfectly with it. 

We were too stuffed for dessert, so that will warrant a trip back! 

Check it out for yourself :