A hot summer July evening doesn't lend itself to many comfortable dining choices but from the street Fernando's looked like the perfect spot.

Though we dined al fresco, much emphasis was spent decorating the interior, from the Victorian inspired tin ceilings to the countless pieces of Mexicano posters and figurines standing proud. Lighting seems to be at a premium, almost seeming done purposely as to add to the ambiance.

We started off with some Mexican refresher sodas and promptly ordered the carnitas and al pastor tacos to share. The complimentary chips were great, with a sprinkling of seasoned salt and four housemade salsas in varying degrees of spiciness, namely in order from mild to hot - the pico de gallo, verde, arbol and habanero. The carnitas and al pastor were nothing more than diced bits of duck fried to the point where it resembled leftover chicken recooked in the pan. It was dry, bland and even lacked flavour from the accompanied pickled onions, pineapple and diced raw onions and tomato. An authentic bit was that they did use the small corn tortillas but weren't doubled up.

It was hard to complain about the service given the food, as the server was friendly, ran through the different salsas and was quick for checkups.

Another surplus to the bloated faux Mexican cuisine. If you like Taco Del Mar, you'll probably like this.