Joining the slew of Mexican restaurants cropping up in the last year is the recently opened Mi Casa Taqueria on Monsarrat Avenue — an area that is fast becoming a culinary strip in its own right.

The restaurant occupies the lovely building that was last Pronto (previously Zazou, and Wild and Raw).

Maybe it's feng shui or chemistry, but whatever you call it, there seems to be an unwritten law of physics that applies to a restaurant and the space it possesses. In any case, the combustible attraction of a restaurant with the right combination is magnetic.

As wealthy restaurateurs spend millions to create the perfect ambiance for their enterprises, it's serendipitous when a small operation finds just the right spot and knows what to do with it, taking advantage of its natural attributes to breathe new life into an environment that will best reflect its individuality.

And that's exactly what owners Ken and Angelica Selvidge have done at Mi Casa. The earthy scheme is bright but not garish. Assorted rainbow chairs and art on the walls actually work here, as do the honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon-colored paper cutouts hanging from the ceiling. The place has a casual, well-worn feel despite being new.

What couldn't be more appropriate is that the structure itself is oddly adobe-ish, quite a find on an island full of burgeoning condos and mini-malls that seem to be replacing older structures like Wisteria with quickening speed.

Ken says they were just lucky. But I think it might be the other way around, because local residents now have yet another affordable Mexican option and a restaurant that isn't a cookie cutter eatery or part of a chain.

Mi Casa is a family-owned and -operated place that serves up homey, family food. Ken's wife is from Jalisco, the Mexican state known for the cuisine of its capital, Guadalajara, which has influenced a lot of Mexican-American food. Ken describes their food as also reflecting northern Baja and Tijuana.

The Selvidges focus on using fresh ingredients and doing as much as they can in the handmade tradition. This means using fresh fish such as opah for their moist, grilled fish tacos ($4.25) topped with guacamole. Salsas don't contain any fillers from canned products, and my friends and I could taste true tomato flavor and the lusty smokiness of roasted chilies in them. The kitchen also doesn't use any lard or MSG.

As for their corn tortillas, the Selvidges are the only ones so far intrepid enough to make them with fresh masa (dough made from dried corn cooked in limewater, then ground), yielding a soft, almost fluffy, delicate wrap that hugs its savory filling unlike any other you will find on the island. The stuff may not be on par with Mainland Mexican eateries that have a tiny woman with braids standing behind a counter, creating the dense, sought-after texture of a tortilla flipped back and forth between her hands, but Mi Casa's will certainly do nicely.

They have also introduced the mulita ($5.95) to O'ahu, a sandwichy affair with a choice of fillings plus cheese in between two corn tortillas, which are then grilled to produce a toasty outside. Stuffed with juicy, tender pork carnitas and accompanied by a side of black bean salad that reminded me more of a slaw, the mulita manages to whet the appetite for something bigger or provide a decent but filling snack.

Portions here aren't the oversized plates covered with gooey cheese that you often come across when eating Mexican. Offerings are reasonably sized, but those accustomed to the stereotype may find them small. Combination ($7.95 to $12.95) and some specialty ($9.95 to $11.95) plates served with pinto beans and rice would be better choices for these folks than a la carte items.

Burritos ($7.95) come filled with rice, beans and cheese, slightly more Northern California than the other, SoCal taquerias in town. I tried one filled with carne asada, and although it was decent, it didn't pack a whole lot of flavor, which I found to be the case in many other dishes here. Although Mi Casa's fare is on the whole satisfying, it doesn't excite me with the deep, aromatically spicy quality that I associate with really intoxicating Mexican cuisine as much as I would like, and I'm not referring just to heat.

However, if you're looking for a laid-back hangout where you can suck down a BYOB cerveza or mango agua fresca ($1.89) with your cocina Mexicana, then this is definitely the place, especially at the few tables outside. Ken explained that the relaxed experience here is "like going to somebody's house."

The line at the counter could be six or seven deep at night, and all tables might be taken when you walk in, but Ken says he always tells customers not to worry because by the time they get to the counter and place their order, there's usually a table ready for them. This happened for me on each of my visits, so it might just be that feng shui/chemistry thing working to full effect at Mi Casa.

Reach Helen Wu at hwu@honoluluadvertiser.com.