ONDA, Richmond

ONDA is one of the best restaurants I have been to recently. We stumbled upon this place and was glad that we found such an amazing place. ONDA serves Latin American food. The flavours are vibrant, new to me, and bold. 

We ordered the black prawn dogs with salsa picante ($14) as a snack. I think this is a similar concept to the American corn dogs, only with prawns and charcoal. The prawns were crispy and goes well with the green chilli salsa which is not as spicy as it sounds. 

For entree, we ordered the house cured ocean trout ceviche with blood orange, toasted hemp seeds, puffed rice and amarillo mole ($16.50). It was served on house made crisps. Isn't the colour and presentation just so beautiful? Amarillo means amber and I take it to be orange chilli mixed with mayo. The combination of the trout, refreshing blood orange and amarillo mole was so delicious. It was not easy to get everything on a chip but it was well worth the fiddly factor when it does.

 
For mains we ordered the swordfish with carrot polenta, roasted heirloom carrots, tomatillo salad and puffed buckwheat ($29). I love how the chef has thought about the texture and always incorporates something crispy into each dish. I loved the puffed buckwheat crispiness in this dish. The swordfish was cooked really well, juicy even though swordfish is a meaty and can be dry if overcooked.

Gaz ordered the grilled wagyu striploin with monfongo, chimichurri, beef fat croutons, beetroot puree, pickled beetroots and beef jugo ($29). Wow, so many things happening on this plate! Monfongo is deep fried plaintain mashed together with other ingredients e.g. pork or seafood. You can see it underneath the wagyu, a thick big slab. It tasted a bit like yam, and was very filling. The beef fat croutons was very nice, again a crunchy element on the plate. And now I know why it tasted delicious, because of the beef fat!

And now, for dessert ONDA presents to you black sesame and chocolate cigars filled with dulce de leche and banana mousse, puffed buckwheat and aromats ($15). The cigars are presented in a sealed cigar box, layered with smoked coffee beans so that when the diner opens the box, the smell of the coffee beans creates an unforgettable experience. The cigars themselves were crispy, decadent and delicious. I don't normally like bananas but I didn't mind it with the chocolate and dulce de leche.

We loved our dining experience and the new exciting flavours at ONDA. I think the snacks and small plates are a good way to sample what the restaurant has to offer. The mains may cost more but they are filling and are of good quality, and definitely don't skip the cigars for dessert. I just hope I haven't spoiled the surprise for you!