Frida's Cantina brings a street-food take on Mexican cuisine to Kiama

There will be no eggs benedict or ham and cheese croissants instead, you will find Mexican dishes like huervos rancheros, eggs baked in a tomato and chorizo sauce, served with beans, pico de gallo, two flour tortillas and topped with feta.

The cantina opens for business on Tuesday, June 4, and is being run by sisters, Kirsten Kerr and Deb Russell, who also run El Corazon in Kiama, - and they're approaching things a bit differently.

"We just love Mexican food," Ms Kerr said.

"The reason we chose a cantina as opposed to another restaurant, especially for Kiama is because we think that the street food vibe of Mexico is something that will do well here with tourists as well as the locals."

Frida's Cantina has cozy vibes and will offer both dine-in and takeaway dining, and the smaller venue size lets the sisters and chef Daniel Gough experiment more with their menu.

"It also gives you an opportunity to be a little bit more creative and different with things you might wanna try without disenfranchising people who come there for the same thing all the time," Ms Russell said.

"Let's give this a whirl and see how it goes ...a bit more experimental when we are doing the menus here once we get going and be a bit more fusion and creative with things that we can."

Ms Kerr said the cantina will go against normalised ideas about Mexican food.

"People have a preconceived idea that Mexican food going to be quite spicy, but it's not," she said.

"We definitely use chillies ... but we use them really just for flavour, not for heat.

"If you think Mexican food is all about nachos and heaviness, they would see it's not necessarily going to be like that."

Where possible Frida's Cantina will make everything in-house, with house-cooked corn chips and guacamole made fresh.

The birria tacos use slow-cooked beef in a stock pot, the consommé from which is used to flavour the tortilla, before being served on the side with the dish to be used as a dip.

The cantina is a tribute to Frida Kahlo who inspired the sisters.

"We really love what she represents in her love of Mexican culture and her unique art," Ms Russell said.

"We're trying to make it not just a food experience, but a kind of cultural experience."

The building on Collins Lane in Kiama, where Frida's Cantina resides, is a heritage-listed building which helps add to the rustic feel.

"It sort of goes with the whole vintage Mexican feel that we like."

Horchata is a creamy rice drink made with almonds, vanilla and cinnamon, and takes two days to properly make.

First rice, chopped almonds and cinnamon sticks are soaked overnight before being drained and blended.

Then any kind of milk can be added, Ms Kerr suggests almond or coconut as Frida's Cantina will keep it vegan.

The drink is then sweetened with agave syrup and a little bit of vanilla before being strained two or three times to remove any grittiness.

The horchata was a huge hit on the family and friends day the cantina hosted to prepare for opening day.

"I made a big batch, and by lunchtime, it was gone," Ms Kerr said.

"We're expecting things like that, people will be able to come in and try, will be well received I think."