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Every now and then, a sandwich shuts me up.
When you take a bite, stop chewing for a moment and look directly at the person next to you, because somebody else needs to understand the magnitude of what has just happened.
That was my reaction to the Argentinian-inspired beef and chimichurri sandwich from Mestizo Taste Latino.
It begins with slow-cooked beef brisket, sliced into tender ribbons and piled generously into a fresh Portuguese roll. There is melted mozzarella, a scattering of herbs and enough chimichurri to soak into the bread without destroying its structure.
The beef is rich, soft, and savoury. The cheese adds warmth and indulgence, while the chimichurri cuts straight through everything with garlic, vinegar, herbs and a gentle chilli bite. Traditionally, Argentina’s most famous green sauce combines ingredients including parsley, oregano, garlic, vinegar, chilli and oil, exactly the kind of sharp, fragrant combination that makes fatty, fire-cooked meat taste even better.
It is an outrageous sandwich. The sort that leaves sauce running down your hands and briefly makes you resent every less exciting lunch you have eaten before it.
But as remarkable as the food is, the story behind it might be even better.
A South African-Peruvian love story
Mestizo is the work of husband-and-wife team Farzana ‘Zana’ Alvarado and César Alvarado, two people whose lives, cultures and talents collided during one of the most exciting periods in modern South African history.
Their story stretches back to the 2010 World Cup, when the eyes of the planet were fixed on South Africa.
Zana had spent time abroad working in communications and marketing, during which travelling and encountering different cultures had deepened her fascination with how food can tell the story of a country. Back in Johannesburg, the World Cup presented an opportunity to cater at the Sandton Fan Fest. She has described that experience as a turning point: the moment that pushed her curiosity about food service towards a full culinary career.
It was also during this extraordinary chapter that her story became intertwined with César’s.
Originally from Peru, César had dedicated himself to sharing the music, dance, traditions and food of his homeland. Together, they would become part of a much wider effort to create space for Latin American culture in South Africa, including through Fiesta Latina SA, an annual celebration of Latino food, music and folkloric dance.
Their partnership became a marriage, a family, and eventually an entire collection of businesses built around preserving and sharing the flavours they love.
Meet Johannesburg’s Latin American culinary power family
Calling the Alvarados prolific would be an understatement.
There is Mestizo Taste Latino, their roaming Latin American food experience; Filigrana Authentic Peruvian Treats, established in 2012 and known for its handmade alfajores; the premium Zana Alvarado Collection of pantry products; and ZAC Bespoke Catering, through which Zana provides private dining and event experiences.
Zana is also an acclaimed chef in her own right. She won the HTA Culinary Mastermind competition in 2017 and the national BRM Burger Challenge in 2023, and has held senior leadership positions within the South African Chefs Association. She is also a WWF-SASSI chef ambassador, using her platform to advocate for sustainability and greater awareness of the environmental consequences of the way we eat.
That experience and technical confidence are immediately evident in the food.
These are not vague interpretations assembled around a few chillies and an avocado. The cooking is precise, generous and deeply informed by the cultures it represents.
Birria tacos are worth planning your weekend around
The quesabirria tacos are, without exaggeration, among the best I have tasted in South Africa.
Birria has its roots in the Mexican state of Jalisco, where it is traditionally prepared by slowly cooking meat with chillies and spices until deeply tender. Different towns and families have developed their own versions, but the dish’s connection to Jalisco is undisputed.
Mestizo’s version is built around slow-cooked pulled beef stuffed into soft corn tortillas with melted cheese, then fried until the outside becomes crisp, golden and stained with all those glorious cooking juices.
The tacos arrive with a dark, deeply savoury consommé made using imported Mexican chillies and spices. You dip the taco into it, allow the tortilla to absorb as much liquid as structural integrity will permit, and then attempt to eat it with dignity.
Pickled onions and jalapeños bring acidity, crunch and heat, preventing the richness of the beef and cheese from becoming overwhelming. It is messy, intense and completely addictive.
The chicken tinga deserves just as much attention. Tender chicken is cooked in a smoky chipotle and tomato sauce with sautéed onion and garlic, folded into a tortilla and finished with silky crema and fresh garnishes.
Where the birria is deep, dark and unapologetically indulgent, the tinga feels brighter and more immediate. The smoke of the chipotle hangs around after each bite, followed by the sweetness of the tomato and the freshness of the toppings.
Do not skip the drinks or dessert
The Alvarados understand that a great food experience is about more than the main event.
Their non-alcoholic drinks play with fruits, herbs, florals, acidity and unexpected flavour combinations. They are complex enough to stand alongside the food rather than simply cooling your mouth between bites. Mestizo has previously featured creations such as the Coral Island, a fragrant blend of fruit and herbs, and that same sense of experimentation runs through the wider drinks offering.
Then there are the alfajores from Filigrana.
A traditional Peruvian alfajor consists of two delicate biscuits sandwiched around manjar blanco, a rich milk-caramel filling similar to dulce de leche, before being finished with a dusting of icing sugar.
Filigrana’s version is almost impossibly tender. The biscuit begins to crumble the moment it touches your tongue, giving way to that thick, creamy caramel centre. The brand describes its alfajores as handmade from a Peruvian family recipe, and its treats are halaal and eggless.
Why Mestizo matters
Johannesburg’s greatest strength has always been its ability to absorb the stories of people who arrive here and allow those stories to become part of the city.
Mestizo is not simply serving tacos, sandwiches and desserts. Through food, Zana and César are creating a point of connection between South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Argentina and the wider Latin American world.
There is history in the recipes, memory in the spices and an enormous amount of love in the way everything is prepared.
For South Africans who have never travelled to Latin America, this food offers a small but thrilling glimpse of its diversity. For members of Johannesburg’s Latin American community, it offers something perhaps even more powerful: the familiar taste of home.
Mestizo does not operate like a conventional restaurant with a single permanent dining room. Its pop-ups move between markets, festivals and events around Johannesburg, which means getting your hands on those birria tacos requires some attention.
Follow Mestizo Taste Latino, Filigrana Authentic Peruvian Treats and Chef Zana on social media, check where they will be appearing next and arrive hungry.
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