Pochito Sydney - Review

Pochito - mmm, what does it mean?  According to them, it's when you're in a happy/drowsy state after a satisfying meal.  Oddly, there is no such word when you Google it, nor does it exist in my super-huge Spanish/English dictionary that I've had since Uni days:-)  Maybe it's a secret Chilean word...

a gorgeous day in Sydney

We ended up here for lunch recently, when visiting Sydney for a book launch.  (Yep, the one which included my short story.)  Our dear friend Ms. TW picked us up from the airport, and swept us away for a Chilean street food lunch.  As you can see, they specialise in empanadas and coffee.  We were in desperate need for food, as they don't feed you on planes anymore.  Remember the good old days when they actually gave you a proper lunch or dinner?  Nah, it's pretty dim in my mind too.

Mr P. heading in with determination

Mr P. on the hunt for food, glorious food - tra la la, as the song goes.  He loves his carbs so empanadas were a must; all that glorious housemade pastry to come...  

pork and more pork:-) 

So yep there's lots of pork here and if you don't like pork, go for chorizo - no hang on, that's ... pork.  As you can see, pork is all the go here.  Now as some astute readers know, I am not a pork fan, so I stuck to the empanadas.  Mr P. chose them too, while Ms. TW (The Writer) went for the Bacán.

Bacán $10

This is grilled chorizo on a roll, with slaw and a coriander salsa.  Ms. TW especially loved the salsa, coriander being a fave herb.  She enjoyed the spicy, tangy sausage, and the fresh slaw.  She felt this was a great combo of flavours and textures.

Mr P. awaiting his lunch

Mr P. looks very anxious and expectant here, doesn't he?  Not to worry; he was soon indulging his fetish for carbs (tee hee).

garlic chilli cheese and prawn empanada $7

This was deliciously cheesy, though I wouldn't have minded a bit more prawn and garlic.  But for such a good price, you really can't complain.  I wolfed this down, so sadly there are no photos of the interior.  The friendly waitress cum part-owner told us that all the pastry is house-made, and all the empanadas are handmade.  

spinach and ricotta $5

You're now going to be spammed with photos of anonymous pastries, my friends :-)  'Cos we ate 'em before I could photograph them.  Mr P. said this was the spinach model, so we have to trust him, don't we?  The verdict: 'pretty good, and as expected.'  And 'should have tipped the hot sauce over it.'  Why did we not copy that table of Spanish-speaking young ladies next to us, and make use of the hot sauce?  Next time, readers, next time. 

chicken and mushroom $6

Mr P. tells me this was the chicken and mushroom version, which he loved.  He said it had a fabulous, herby, white sauce, good pastry (told ya!), and was just a great combo.  Our friendly waitress who is also the part-owner Paulina, told him this was her grandmother's recipe.  Or maybe her mother's?  Oh Mr P., keep your head straight.

traditional beef $6

  
Mr P. and myself had one of these each, which were not bad.  I think we both found the filling a bit bland though.  Once again, I say to myself, 'hot sauce, girlie, hot sauce.  Why didn't you use the hot sauce?'  

interior of the beef version

I managed to get a shot inside this one:-)  You can see the boiled egg and olives here.  

alfajor $4

Delicious, delightful, dulce de leche shortbread sandwiches - yep, I had to try this.  And it was a delight - sweet, caramel-y, coconutty deliciousness, with a tender, crumbly shortbread.  A sweet treat indeed.

Colombian coffee $3.50

Ms TW let me try her coffee; this was a really great cuppa, so smooth and flavourful.  One of the best coffees I've had in a while, in fact.  Ms TW was also suitably impressed with it.  Just so smooth and strong - like our men?:-)

Berlines with caramel $5

These are yeasty German doughnuts popular in Chile, and apparently so-called due to the large German influence from German immigrants to Chile during the latter half of the 19th century.  I just know they are delicious, my friends.  Look at all that squidgy caramel!

Berlines with vanilla bean custard $5

And here we have the vanilla version.  See the lovely black specks of real vanilla?  What could be nicer?  Yep, that's right - nothing:)

hot sauce!

And here we have the hot sauce.  We really should have copied those girls:-)  They were sprinkling it on their food with great gusto and abandon.  As were the many other happy customers.


Pochito is a friendly, homey café, with food that is from the heart of the owners Paulina and her mum Patricia.  And clearly it is popular with the Spanish-speaking locals, and others too.  Worth a drop-in after a lunchless plane flight, for sure. 



1021 Botany Road, Mascot 2020
Ph: 0412 603 100

Open Wed to Sunday till 3 pm (4pm on Saturday)