As a self-proclaimed taco connoisseur (I lived in LA for 7 years, enough said), Cali-mex is 2.5…read morestars at best. However, when I review, I take into consideration of local competitions, I am also comparing it against with Chipotle, America's top cali mex restaurant. And I give Cali-mex a 3.5 It must be noted that everyone's taco preference are different. I personally like my flour tacos soft (hard tacos are NOT authentic, but whatever floats your boat), al pastor or carne asada, from a grimey mexican food truck with a lot of cilantro, salsa and lime. I ordered 3 BEEF TACOS for $78, you can pay more for higher quality meat and I believe it was $98 for ANGUS STEAK CUBES. The food came somewhat quickly but there was no line. The tacos are HUGE. prepared to be STUFFED from 3 tacos. personally I think 2 is the perfect number for ones this size (authentic al pastor I usually get 4) So you may want to share instead of devouring it all for lunch. I also did not like how you had to order all 3 of the same meat. How difficult is it to scoop another meat? It's a bloody assembly line! I can tell the flour was not commercial ready made, it was fresh, however, it can do wonders heating up the tortilla first. I don't understand WHY this simple step is missed. It literally takes 5 seconds but makes it taste infinitely better. There were also no onion/coriander and cilantro (or very minimal) but they give a scooping of vegetables and some shredded cheese.They also ran out of medium salsa which was my first choice. I asked for light sour cream as I don't normally get my tacos with it, but I suppose that's how Tex-Mex does it (as does Chipotle) Note that it is $18 for guac, I don't normally get guac with my tacos so I skipped on that. Chipotle in LA charged $2.85usd for guac so I suppose this isn't ridiculous. *** Tips: HUGE tacos, share if you can. Favourites: The salsa, the hottest one was quite similar to el taurino/king taco in LA, which is hard to come by! Meh: Forced to get 3 of the same tacos. Could not adjust portions. It ain't cheap. Last words: I've had brick house (superior but also very different) mr taco truck, (inferior). This is in all honesty a solid mexican joint in Hong Kong. BUT if you ever have a chance to head to seoul, Gusto tacos there is a definite 5. I heard they may explore HK, so watch out taco joints. Takeaway ONLY

Really great fast food Mexican food. Reminds me of chipotle in America. It's really clean, and the…read morefood options are great. They even offer vegan bacon burritos (I didn't try it)! I highly recommend going they also are able to customize your burrito once you choose a base burrito you want. I enjoyed my burrito and was so happy they offered jalapeños to put inside your burrito, they don't offer that at chipotle in America haha! They have nachos and they have happy hour buy two get 1 free margarita.

I complain a lot about HK and one of my chief complaints is that food is overpriced for what you…read moreget and with so many damn Mexican restaurants none of them are particularly good. I would rate Taco Chaca as just okay, the tacos are pretty pricey, particularly their specialty ones because it's literally just one taco-but not as overpriced at some other places. I've had them once or twice and they're pretty good. I wouldn't have given this place further thought, but lately their carnitas burrito has had me under its spell. The burritos here are pretty good for the price and filling. Pretty tasty as well, and while the carne asada is pretty good as well the pork is super tender and easier on the wallet.

It was fun finding a taco tiny restaurant in the middle of a quite street. I had a couple of the…read morespecial tacos. Feelings were great. An east-south (I guess) fusion. But your tacos are only as good as your tortillas, and white store-bought wheat tortillas are not good enough. Weren't even warm.

Post renovations, it looked more restaurant-esque, less fast food like. Chipotle was the only chain…read morethat I absolutely LOVED. And having not eaten Mexican food for a while, I had to give Cali Mex a shot. So while it was similar, there were a lot of differences. Price - much pricier here. Hong Kong! ~USD 16 equivalent here. It was about USD 9 in New York, the priciest in all of US. Guacamole - good, but not a default part of the vegetarian bowl, and hence the add-up cost. Fixings - you could choose either beans or vegetables, not both, unlike Chipotle where fajitas were always an option to be added along with the beans. I'm not sure if I could add them all. Same about salsas, not sure if I could've added them all. I went with the spiciest one, and it didn't taste that great. a bit bitter. The tomatoes didn't look the freshest. And onions - they should've known better to use red onions for the raw pico di gallo, than white ones? The topped it with sour cream. The rice was yellow, sans lemon and cilantro. The beans included black and refried. While not bad, it wasn't Chipotle! More photos and details on my blogs. Links also in profile. thevegetarianvoyager[dot]wordpress[dot]com nycbonviveur[dot]wordpress[dot]com

Huuuuuge burritos! Expect to pay over 100 for one person including drinks…read more We had two burritos, one angus steak and one pulled pork. Asked for very spicy and medium spicy, and the very spice was sort of spicy while the medium wasn't spicy at all. Drinks are authentic mexican pops and they're super good! Guava is awesome! Plenty of seating and friendly service. We missed having sauces at the table though.

The quesadillas at Cali-Mex SLAP. The portion is huge, so I usually split it with a coworker or…read morejust save half for another meal. You can also choose to get only half a quesadilla ($98 hkd) but it's cheaper to get a full one for $148 hkd. They have non-meat options for the quesadillas too. I actually got their fish sliders my first time here. Nice and crispy but terribly oily. I'd love to try their Mac and cheese the next time I'm back in hk! I also think their al fresco area is great considering the restaurant is near the ocean. The vibe is so chill and slow paced in this area of ktown.

Far from home recently, I found myself craving a salad for lunch. I wanted the crunch of fresh…read moreromaine, the juiciness of a ripe tomato, and any accoutrement that I could find -- olives and red onion for a Greek salad, hard boiled eggs and anchovies for a Nicoise . . . I wouldn't be picky! After striking out at my first place (they were out of salad), I happened upon Cali-Mex. Think of your typical Mexican grill in the US (Chipotle, Qdoba or Moe's) and you'll get the idea. There is an option to choose your base (taco, burrito, salad, quesadilla), too it with your choice of meat, then add any extras. I ordered a naked taco salad with original chicken. It comes with sour cream, guacamole is extra. After a brief (5 minute?) wait, my salad was ready for me to enjoy. Crunchy romaine, juicy tomatoes, and rotisseried chicken hit the spot. The flavors were milder than I expected and the sauce was sweeter than I expected, but it was a satisfying lunch nonetheless. This location has free Wi-Fi, in case you want to linger, and the staff all spoke English very well. Beers such as Corona are available a la carte. Add a slice of lime and you're miles away from ordinary!

I grew up a California boy, which means Mexican food was a part of my everyday life. In fact it's a…read moretop-3 favorite cuisine for me. Now I live in Boston where Mexican food is literally a joke. So imagine my surprise when I tried Mexican food at Caliente in HK (TST) and it's actually better than most of Boston's Mexican options?!? Let me get the negatives out of the way first. I was disappointed in the burrito. It was bland, beans were hard and undercooked (why were both refried beans and black beans in my burrito in the first place?), and many of the ingredients that should normally be standard inside the burrito were of extra cost as a side item (really, salsa is extra for a burrito?). That said - everything else was amazing! The high notes: The grilled corn on the cob! OMG Fantastic! The tacos were delicious. We ordered the 5-set, and picked one of each - pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, and fish. I can definitely say you can do without the seafood varieties, they were overcooked but edible since the flavors were incredible. Pork shined the brightest. I will say their soft taco shells (a true Mexican no-no) were likely not made in-house, they were a bit more chewy than one would hope... but it's easily forgivable. On the other hand, the free chips and salsa that started the meal were likely in-house made, and delicious top-to-bottom. I especially liked how fresh their salsa tasted. The margaritas were also sweet and tasty. I think I preferred the traditional lime over the guava, mango and wild fruit options. All could have used a bit more tequila (or maybe I'm just a lush), but then again it was happy hour so I can't complain. The best item on their menu might be... drumroll please... their nachos‽ Yes, the most non-Mexican item was also their most spectacular. How the heck did they manage to get a little of every topping onto every chip? That feat of perfection is a rarity in the USA, and it actually makes a big difference. Now keep in mind, nachos are a staple on every bar/pub menu across America, so one would more likely call it Tex-Mex than Mexican. But who cares, it was freakin' delicious at Caliente!!! I'll be back for sure. A class-act Mexican establishment in the heart of TST.

I've been searching a long time, but so far this is overall the best Mexican I've had in HK…read more Received the tip from another yelp review, but was a bit skeptical (as I always am when it comes to claims of good Mexican food in HK), but especially given the location in Knutsford terrace, which I usually associate with drink spots and mediocre-at-best Western food. The Nachos were definitely the highlight (I know, not the most authentic Mexican dish). But they really pay attention to the detail with the massive mound of nachos: every single chip was at least partially covered in melted cheese and had easy access to the other toppings. This means the cheese and toppings were not just sprinkled on top, but added layer by layer. I'm not sure if I found even a couple of naked chips. Not often over in this area, but will make it a point to visit for that next craving for Mexican food.

I came here on a taco tuesday and excitedly ate all the tacos that I could…read more My absolute favourites were the California Veggie and Carne Asada. Normally I am hesitant with vegetarian tacos; but I guarantee you; this California Veggie taco was the BOMB. You can't go wrong with the Baja Fish or the Mango Shrimp either. My least favourite however; was the Carnitas taco; which featured a classic pork shoulder meat; but was just okay. Usually I like my pork crispy when its in a taco. This, however, tasted like a pulled pork taco. All in all; this place is definitely worth a try! Taco Tuesday special allows for half price tacos; (regular price is about 48-58HKD). I'm not sure if I would pay full price for these tacos; but taco tuesday is definitely worth it!

I came here for brunch on a Saturday and had the restaurant week lunch set. I wanted to come here…read morewhen it first opened but at that time it was too busy to get a seat. Things have changed dramatically as the restaurant is pretty empty during lunch hours. I hope this doesn't continue as I really enjoyed the food here and good Mexican food is hard to find in Hong Kong. My rating is based on: Food: 4.5 stars Atmosphere Service: 4 stars Value: 4 stars Recommendations: churros, carne asada tacos, fish tacos, Brussels sprouts The food here is very good. This is the by far the best Mexican food I have had in Hong Kong. I haven't eaten at Chino yet so I can't say definitively it's the best. I had the Brussels sprouts, kale salad, taco plate, churros and pancakes. 1The Brussels sprouts were really good. They are crispy and soft at the center. It is topped with a poached egg and carnitas. The savory sweet marinade was a nice touch and we devoured the whole plate. 2The kale salad is topped with a poached egg and the dish contains thinly sliced apple which provides a nice bit of sweetness and crunch to the salad. The sweet potato was a bit out of place but didn't take away too much from the dish. I would order this again although not as good as the Brussels sprouts. 3The taco plate is really why I wanted to come here. Tacos are a simple dish but hard to execute well and I was hoping that this would fulfill my taco cravings. The tacos here are really good. I tried the carne asada, fish, al pastor, carnitas, and shrimp. The tacos I found the best were the carne asada, and the Baja fish taco. The carnitas and al pastor were also good. The shrimp I wouldn't recommend d. The meat to tortilla ratio is quite high. I would guess about 1.5 times the norm and these will fill you up. 4The desserts we ordered were the churros and the pancakes. Both of these are really sharing size portions. The churros were amazing. They were crispy, moist on the inside. I will definitely order these the next time I come. I really didn't have room for the pancakes and these don't really make too much sense as a dessert. They were pretty good, but I was too full to enjoy these. Overall, I had a really enjoyed the food and had a good experience. Definitely will come back when I want some Mexican food.

From visiting government offices to lawyer and solicitors to shop around for a reasonably priced…read morenotary all morning, I came to Verde Mar for lunch. Good Mexican food in Hong Kong is yet a hidden for me, in Hong Kong. And that one disinterested server didn't make it all the more experiential here. I got a lunch set that comes with rice + beans. I was making sure the enchiladas were vegetarian but that server wasn't sure and was so disappointed when I asked her to confirm with the kitchen if it was completely vegetarian - no animal stocks or fats or the likes. The faces these people make makes me wonder why do they take people facing roles? It was noon. I was the only guest in the restaurant that far. Was she tired, having a bad or sad day or just plain indifferent? After confirming with who looked like the supervising server that it would be vegetarian, and asking her to skip the cheese, I did order the enchilada lunch set. At least, she bothered to make eye contact, was a bit more interested. And much to my dismay, it came out looking as depressing as that server. My vegetarian enchiladas were stuffed with refried beans, and served with a side of refried beans and rice. There wasn't enough of the tomato salsa / sauce that is so typical of enchialadas that I've eaten so far. And you know those onions that are sitting there, cut for a while and how they smell - they put those inside in the enchiladas along with the refried beans. Wonder why they didn't think of adding some vegetables. Basic peppers and tomatoes. What about cilantro? The two salsas that were served with the meal were nice. Undersalted, but good. The chips were oil-drenched. Hello good Mexican food in Hong Kong, where are you? I think ordering a margarita there would've done me some good. Because then I might not have cared as much about all this - and that I didn't receive a bye or an acknowledgement while leaving. Such a shame, because the look and feel of the place was more inviting than the people there. More details on the blog - thevegetarianvoyager

It's a cute location for such green and red Mexican elements to add on to this area which already…read morefilled with tapas spots. Chose cheese fundio over nacho and tacos. When the cheese first served, it was melting, delight and perfect with minced meat. Still, it turnt cold and dry in a short time. Adding some heater should help this dish. Then we got their steak. They forgot the tortilla bread. We asked for medium and it just tastes so dry. The sauce and salsa is good. But sorry this dish does not match expectation. Finally the churros my all time favourite for dessert. The churros is fried well and cinnamon flavour is balanced. But the dip is not sticky nor sweet enough.

What's a Chimichanga you ask? If you don't know the answer to that then you haven't lived. It's not…read morehard to find a good Mexican (Tex-Mex) restaurant in hong Kong, but to find one that serves chimichangas aka deep-fried burritos? Hello! Decent price on good food and drinks makes me want to come back every week! When you go, ask them again about happy hour because I heard them say it goes on until 11pm. I might have had few shots by then. It's quiet and never packed - which is good for privacy.

After the first dinner at Chino, still a bit hungry, we came to Tequila on Davis for a second…read moredinner. The tacos were probably the best I've eaten in Hong Kong to date. On the first look - the tacos looked closest to what I've eaten in HK, including the rice and beans. The taste wasn't that far off. I was elated (not because of the drinks). My vegetarian foodie buddy and I happily ate them off. I prefer the soft shell ones, she wanted the hard shell. We washed it down with another glass of margarita, though that was a bit disappointing - too sweet, and not fresh jalapenos, even though they told us they were. It was a nice evening, two vegetarian dinners, Mexican at that, chatting away and discussing the cliches about Indian men & society in general. Salud! Pictures on the blog - thevegetarianvoyager