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Mexican in Vancouver


peppyre

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I went to zocalo recently with my boyfriend, who reviews food for www.beyondrobson.com

http://beyondrobson.com/restaurants/2007/1...ort_on_flavour/

Our experience was very sub-par, coming from both a carnivore and a vegetarian. I guess the article speaks for itself.

"Unfortunately though, until things change in the kitchen I'll be in the west end or kits for my mole fix"

Refresh my memory please, where is there good mole in Kits?

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I went to zocalo recently with my boyfriend, who reviews food for www.beyondrobson.com

http://beyondrobson.com/restaurants/2007/1...ort_on_flavour/

Our experience was very sub-par, coming from both a carnivore and a vegetarian. I guess the article speaks for itself.

"Unfortunately though, until things change in the kitchen I'll be in the west end or kits for my mole fix"

Refresh my memory please, where is there good mole in Kits?

Oh yes, please, good mole in Vancouver. Where where where? Just back from San Francisco and already in withdrawal from good Mexican...

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I went to Tio Pepe's on commercial drive after reading some pretty positive reviews on dinehere. Wasn't thrilled with the menu, and wasn't thrilled with the food.

Feta cheese on my refried beans? Authentic mexican? The carne Asada was dry and boring. But there didn't seem to be much on the menu that wasn't.

I'm still dying to get my hands on the huge delicious fish burrito I had in Crescent City California or the menudo that I got in portland.

I don't get it. Why can't anyone do good mexican in this city?

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I had some amazing Chilean empanadas last week at La Chilenita in Montreal and now I have a craving for more. Anybody know where I can get some good savoury empanadas in town?

Here's the place if you happen to be in MTL soon:

La Chilenita review

健啖家(kentan-ka):A hearty eater

He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato

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I had some amazing Chilean empanadas last week at La Chilenita in Montreal and now I have a craving for more. Anybody know where I can get some good savoury empanadas in town?

Here's the place if you happen to be in MTL soon:

La Chilenita review

Cool thanks for that and for your post in the Montreal forum. I'm headed there this weekend and am looking forward to some fine eating! :biggrin:

Speaking of Montreal - I spotted some Schwartz seasonings (steak spice!) at Gourmet Warehouse.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Since Vallarta's at Renfrew and Broadway is considered by many to be Mexican, I thought I would comment here. In my experience, it is definitely the not Mexican I am accustomed to from Chicago. Fortunately, as soon as I realized that the family running the show is actually Guatemalan, I ordered pupusas. The pupusas are quite good. The Mexican fare is average, at best.

Anthony Nicalo

Farmstead Wines

www.farmsteadwines.com

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  • 2 months later...

I dont' know if this has been reported elsewhere but if you're heading to Dona Cata, you need to go a couple blocks further north now -- they've moved down Victoria to bigger digs. Haven't been in yet but spied the change as we were heading home after pho lunch at Kim Phung today (yum).

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I dont' know if this has been reported elsewhere but if you're heading to Dona Cata, you need to go a couple blocks further north now -- they've moved down Victoria to bigger digs. Haven't been in yet but spied the change as we were heading home after pho lunch at Kim Phung today (yum).

i've been there about 3x since they opened their new digs. they serve corona now! (limit 2 per person -- i guess to discourage drunkenness) their food's still great and cheap. they now have an expanded menu with about 20 different kinds of alambre, which is meats, cheese and veggies grilled and served on a plate with tortillas on the side. i had the dona cata special with includes a mix of all their meats with cheese and green peppers. very filling and tasty. eat it fast before the cheese gets hard!

album of the moment: Kelley Polar - I Need You To Hold On While The Sky Is Falling - 2008
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I dont' know if this has been reported elsewhere but if you're heading to Dona Cata, you need to go a couple blocks further north now -- they've moved down Victoria to bigger digs. Haven't been in yet but spied the change as we were heading home after pho lunch at Kim Phung today (yum).

i've been there about 3x since they opened their new digs. they serve corona now! (limit 2 per person -- i guess to discourage drunkenness) their food's still great and cheap. they now have an expanded menu with about 20 different kinds of alambre, which is meats, cheese and veggies grilled and served on a plate with tortillas on the side. i had the dona cata special with includes a mix of all their meats with cheese and green peppers. very filling and tasty. eat it fast before the cheese gets hard!

Thanks for the further info. We'll definitely be checking it out ASAP. Love the 2 beer limit :laugh:

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  • 1 year later...

There hasn't been an update to this thread in a while.

I usually end up going to Dona Cata these days when I'm feeling a taco craving, but I still really miss Chilo's. Does anyone know if he's ended up anywhere else, or if there are any other worth taqueria's to check out?

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm still looking for authentic Mexican cuisine. My boyfriend has had a taste of Mexican food when he was in Texas. I want to surprise him and find a restaurant in Vancouver or nearby. So far, no luck. Any leads out there?

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I'm still looking for authentic Mexican cuisine.  My boyfriend has had a taste of Mexican food when he was in Texas.  I want to surprise him and find a restaurant in Vancouver or nearby.  So far, no luck.  Any leads out there?

As noted above, Dona Cata was the most authentic I'd found in Vancouver but was very taco-heavy until their move and menu expansion. If that didn't appeal for whatever reason, there is a new option. Kinda goofy name but great food. It's Don Guacamole's 1333 Robson. We went on Monday night and it was slammed at 7 pm. It's pretty small (4x4 tops, a bar and some two tops down the side). We waited half an hour for a table for four. The strawberry margaritas were excellent (real strawberry puree), the sangria delicious and the Coronas cold :cool: The food was uniformly tasty, starting with three complimentary salsas (a ridiculously good verde, roja ahumada and fresca) as well as a bowl of limes and of course totopos. The sopa azteca was well executed and even better with a squeeze of lime, but the pozole really hit the spot. Apart from using head lettuce instead of cabbage it was the best pozole I've ever had with a delicious hearty broth. The hominy alone was worth the price of admission. We also tried the mulitas which one of my DC's gave the thumbs up (too cheesy for me), the tostadas (a sub for the sopes which they had run out of) were very good apart for the massive slice of beefsteak tomato which should have been cubed and the inadequately drained head lettuce which made things damper than necessary but not egregiously so. The tacos are served taqueria style and you can get as few as one, with a choice of several different toppings including lengua. I tried the al pastor which had a decent char and flavour but was a tad gristly. All of the corn items (tortillas, tostadas, taco shells) were high quality whether housemade or no. And the bill for four very stuffed people was $130 plus tip, which is exactly half what we paid at Chill Winston on Saturday :wink: The room is relatively spare and modern but not offputting -- nary a sombrero in sight which is kind of a nice change. Service was a bit rushed at times but very pleasant despite a kitchen mixup on the taco choices. I would definitely go back to try more items. Tons of mexicanos frequent the place as well which I take to be a good sign.

Edited by grayelf (log)
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  • 2 months later...

A Mexican sandwich place called 'Las Tortas' looks to be opening soon in the Cambie Village between 17th + 18th Avenues. They were having a private party yesterday when I walked by so the kitchen must be ready!

健啖家(kentan-ka):A hearty eater

He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato

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A Mexican sandwich place called 'Las Tortas' looks to be opening soon in the Cambie Village between 17th + 18th Avenues. They were having a private party yesterday when I walked by so the kitchen must be ready!

Thanks for the new intel, Kentan. I saw it on Sunday and was informed it had been stuck at the paper on the windows stage since May -- perhaps they finally got all their permits?? Can't wait to try it though the idea of "gourmet" Mexican tortas per the signage strikes me as a bit of an oxymoron.

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A Mexican sandwich place called 'Las Tortas' looks to be opening soon in the Cambie Village between 17th + 18th Avenues. They were having a private party yesterday when I walked by so the kitchen must be ready!

Thanks for the new intel, Kentan. I saw it on Sunday and was informed it had been stuck at the paper on the windows stage since May -- perhaps they finally got all their permits?? Can't wait to try it though the idea of "gourmet" Mexican tortas per the signage strikes me as a bit of an oxymoron.

Big time contractor and permit problems - they open to the public on Friday, I have eaten here twice the tortas are brilliant, they bake their own bread. I will be back for more.

Marcus Stiller

Fish & Fish Cafe

www.fishcafe.ca

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A Mexican sandwich place called 'Las Tortas' looks to be opening soon in the Cambie Village between 17th + 18th Avenues. They were having a private party yesterday when I walked by so the kitchen must be ready!

Thanks for the new intel, Kentan. I saw it on Sunday and was informed it had been stuck at the paper on the windows stage since May -- perhaps they finally got all their permits?? Can't wait to try it though the idea of "gourmet" Mexican tortas per the signage strikes me as a bit of an oxymoron.

Big time contractor and permit problems - they open to the public on Friday, I have eaten here twice the tortas are brilliant, they bake their own bread. I will be back for more.

I'm sorry they had to go through development hell but glad it wasn't something more permanent like lack of funds. Thanks for the first hand report on the treats -- I wonder if I can make it over tomorrow. You don't happen to know the hours/phone number, Marcus? I'm wondering if they're a lunch only place...

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  • 3 weeks later...

I'm sorry they had to go through development hell but glad it wasn't something more permanent like lack of funds. Thanks for the first hand report on the treats -- I wonder if I can make it over tomorrow. You don't happen to know the hours/phone number, Marcus? I'm wondering if they're a lunch only place...

I tried Las Torta's Cubana torta last week and it was awesome. All of their tortas looked good, actually. They're on the pricey side, but until someone else opens up a cheap torta place near downtown, this is the one for me! The salad my gf had wasn't great (mostly iceberg lettuce) but the dressing was tasty. And yes, greyelf, they're open for dinner.

My only real quibble is why they don't have eat-in utensils and plates. It seemed like a lot of waste we were producing - plastic forks, paper bags, hard shell plastic container for the salad - when we could have eaten off real plates. I guess they don't want to bother with clean up.

健啖家(kentan-ka):A hearty eater

He was a wise man who invented beer." - Plato

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I heard the new taqueria going into the old Nuba spot on Hastings soft opened last night (blanking on the name). Tacos were going for $2.50 a pop and the ingredients reported as being high quality with good flavours. Anyone else been?

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