Chica Bonita

Chica Bonita opened at Publika in late 2020, in time for the Day of the Dead, as a sister restaurant to Penang's Holy Guacamole. The look is loud and fun, with fluorescent murals inspired by Día de los Muertos and Latin music in the background.

Tacos come on soft or crunchy corn tortillas; the launch menu included pulled beef barbacoa slow-cooked for eight hours and pato, smoked duck with mojo and pineapple salsa. The tlayuda is a 12-inch tortilla loaded with refried beans, cheese, prawns and squid, made for sharing. Reviews of the group also mention hand-cut totopos, alitas con chamoy (sweet and spicy chicken wings), a surf and turf seafood burrito, nachos and elote. The bar mixes tequila drinks such as the Lomo Paloma with grapefruit soda and a tajín rim, and the Coronarita, a margarita topped with Mexican lager.

Chica Bonita suits groups and after-work drinks, and opens late on Fridays and Saturdays. There are two more branches: Chica Bonita Republik in Bukit Damansara and Chica Bonita Elegante at The Exchange TRX.