LUNA BONITA IS THE EXCITING NEW MEXICAN RESTAURANT NOW OPEN IN PORT’S CBD. COME IN AND EXPERIENCE THE REAL TASTE OF MEXICO WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
Carlos, Mireya and Alex are the leading team of Luna Bonita. Tell us a bit about yourselves... All three were born and bred in Mexico. Carlos is originally from Mexico City (Central region of Mexico), went to live in Monterrey Mexico (Northeast region), where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Engineering, and got a Masters degree in Industrial Engineering. He has almost 10 years of experience in the food industry. Mireya is from Monterrey Mexico, where she obtained a Bachelor's degree in Marketing. She has experience in international commerce. They started their family in Mexico, and 11 years ago moved to Australia. Alex is from Veracruz, in the Gulf region of Mexico. He started as a cook at a young age, and has worked as a chef since his early 20s in Veracruz. Over his vast experience as a chef, head chef and restaurant manager in Mexico,
32 greater port macquarie focus.
he specialised in cuisine from the regions of Veracruz, Jalisco, Michoacan, Quintana Roo, Yucatan, Puebla, Oaxaca, Contemporary and Mexican-Hispanic. He has been living in Australia for the last seven years, where he worked in Rojo Rocket in Terrigal, Playa Takeria in Sydney, now coming to Luna Bonita in Port Macquarie. What can customers expect when they dine at Luna Bonita? At first, authentic Mexican food might not be what some expect. We want people to be transported to the different regions of Mexico, where the various plates originate from or are inspired by. Most people will be surprised by the variety and flavours that you can get from the dishes by the use and combination of fresh local produce and traditional Mexican ingredients. Tell us about the menu options; where does the inspiration for the dishes come from? The inspiration starts with the food we grew up with - the traditional and delicious family
meals prepared by grandma, mum and aunts and our most beloved taco stand in the different cities we lived in, as well as the different market places and restaurants we travelled to.
screens dates to colonial times in Mexico, when
Then of course it’s the experience of Chef Alejandro Urbina (Alex), who has worked in many hotels and restaurants in Mexico and overseas.
since they had spent the night together, they
The design of your restaurant is very unique. Tell us about the layout and use of colours? The design inside and outside is a modern twist to traditional Mexican details found in homes, restaurants and street food shops very popular in Mexico. The long tables are a reminder of the family reunions. The rustic finish of the bar area is quite common in houses and traditional restaurants, as well as the tiling details on some of the walls. The green window screens are inspired by the traditional architecture of Mexican houses. A bit of history behind the
now for other reasons, and can be seen all over
a suitor would “steal” the girl he loved from her parents’ house for the night. The following day he would return the maiden and claim that were bound to get married. And so screens were put on windows to protect their daughters from getting “stolen”. This tradition has held, Mexico decorating houses and other buildings in all sorts of colours and designs. The metal chairs and outside tables are a reminder of those popular restaurants and taco stands which normally have these types of furniture, which are commonly provided by soft drink or beer companies as promotional products, very commonly used everywhere in the country. The bright blue reminds us of the coastal towns, so we believe it is the perfect bond to beautiful Port Macquarie.