Mexican-cuisine expert Rosa Cienfuegos has been busy these past few years. She moved from selling tamales at market stalls to a cheerful Dulwich Hill shopfront which, along with tacos and tamales to eat in or take away, sells ingredients imported from Mexico, including hot sauces, tortillas and masa flour. Last year she published a cookbook that garnered international acclaim and made her renown for her traditional tamales, which she learnt to make growing up in her native Mexico City. She’s been instrumental in broadening and shaping Sydney diners’ understanding of Mexican cuisine.

Now Cienfuegos has announced she’ll continue to build her tamale empire with a new diner due to open in Redfern in early April.

“I think the time is perfect for more Mexican options and after my cookbook came out I realised that I should explore some of the dishes from it and try to put them in the new menu,” Cienfuegos tells Broadsheet.

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The Redfern space will be larger than Dulwich Hill’s, and Cienfuegos says it will be more like a restaurant than its inner-west counterpart, which is deli style. Expect a more extensive menu – including breakfast and a comida corrida (“on-the-go”) menu – as well as loads more seating and longer trading hours. (“I might die,” says Cienfuegos.) Plus, “all the bestsellers from the deli” will be available at the Redfern tamaleria.

As for why she chose Redfern? “I think Redfern chose me,” she says, laughing.

Rosa Cienfuegos Redfern is slated to open in early April 2021.