You want HOT? You got HOT!

At hippy Trippy Taco, you can get XXX HOT. Just pour some of the XXXtra HOT chilli sauce that’s provided at each table on top of your quesadilla, taco, taquito, burrito or nachos. It delivers nose-sniffling, mouth-numbing heat and is the perfect antidote for the drooping summer swelter.

Trippy Taco is a chilled out and kitsch Mexican cantina (think somberos, cacti etc) that serves up vegetarian, even gluten and dairy free, Mexican classics for late breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can take your food away or tuck your legs into one of the tiny school-desk sized tables and enjoy large plates of cheap, tasty and filling food washed down with a Mexican beer, tequila, house wine or BYO wine for $5 corkage.

In the interests of research and greedy appetites, two of us tried three dishes. The Original Trippy Taco was two fresh house made corn tortillas sagging with cheese, black beans, a salad of shredded lettuce, carrot, beetroot, sultanas and seeds and topped with salsa, avocado and a squeeze of fresh lime ($9). I thought the tortillas were a little too thick but as a result the dish was very filling.  I preferred the drier texture of the taquitos, which were three rolled-up crispy corn tortillas containing the same black bean filling and served with a side of guacamole, salsa, cheese, salad and lime ($9).

Our pick was the fat two-hander, the Tofu Asada Burrito – a large flour tortilla filled with cheese, spicy chargrilled tofu, salad, salsa, avocado and lime ($9). The chargrilled tofu turned the salsa into an almost smoky barbecue-like sauce and heating the burrito on the grill gaves one side of the tortilla a satisfying crispiness. Our only improvement would be to grill the whole package on both sides for extra crunch.

I had originally intended to dig into the sweets as well – the sweet corn tamale with icecream, banana and maple syrup ($9) or chocolate nutella taquitos ($8.50) would have been my picks. However, let me tell you now that two people do NOT need to be eating three plates of food at Trippy Taco. While all the dishes were delicious and spicy (we opted to douse everything with hot sauce), one item is more than enough for one person. Trust me, you’ll go home with a satisfied tummy and numb lips, all for under $10.

For other reviews of Trippy Taco, check out Tummyrumbles and Where’s the Beef?. In the area and you want more heat? Try Thai food at Mamanee or Korean fare at Goshen.

• Trippy Taco, 48 Smith St, Collingwood +61 3 9415 7711

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