Showing posts with label Mexican. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mexican. Show all posts

Seven Lives Tacos Y Mariscos (Toronto)


Seven Lives Tacos Y Mariscos’s tacos have been haunting me ever since I’ve first tried them about a year and a half ago. On this return visit, nothing has changed: the small restaurant is as busy as ever, eating in is still limited to a table of six and standing room for about the same, but most importantly, the tacos are still $5 each and just as delicious as ever.

Diners rave about the Gobinator ($5), a rare combination of smoked tuna, shrimp and cheese. It’s never sounded appealing to me, but with this much praise it’s at least worth a try.


You have to like the idea of smoked tuna - are you the type of person that salivates at the site of a Scandinavian herring platter? Then this one’s for you. As for me, the fish was simply too overpowering that even the pickled red onions couldn’t counterbalance it. It wasn’t bad, but give the simple spicy shrimp taco any day.

The grilled octopus ($5), on the other hand, will fast become a go-to taco. The tendrils were cut into little discs and reheated on the flat top so they arrive smoking hot with a tender chew. The sautéed peppers and abundance of fresh cilantro worked well with the meaty seafood, with drizzles of sour cream to tie it all together.


Seven Lives has a great selection of house made salsas. The hot habanero one seems to be the most popular, but trust me it's SPICY. If you don't like the sting, the medium version has the kick of jalapeno with acidic tomatillos to mellow it out.


Even with double soft corn tortilla shells things are bound to get messy as each taco is overflowing with toppings. So grab a few wet naps and wear a dark shirt. For such affordable eats packed with delectable ingredients and flavours, sticky hands and a messy shirt are worth it.

Overall mark - 9 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 69 Kensington Avenue

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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


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Seven Lives - Tacos Y Mariscos Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

CLOSED: Chico's Cantina (Copenhagen)

Chico's Cantina

It’s unclear how it happened, but all the sudden we had a hankering for Mexican. I can’t remember if the craving came before I saw the sign “Chico’s Cantina” or afterwards; regardless, suddenly the only thing that could satisfy me was Mexican… while in Copenhagen. After all, we’ve all heard the Danes are known for their guacamole, right?

During the afternoon visit, Chico’s was offering a reasonably priced lunch menu. The beef burrito (85 DKK) was stuffed simply with shredded beef and refried beans, melted cheese and drizzles of sour cream over top. The meat was tasty enough but needed extra spices; luckily, there was a bottle of hot sauce on the table. With plenty of thin crispy tortilla chips and a thick chunky guacamole, it made for a filling meal.


Similarly, the chicken quesadilla (65 DKK) was rather plain filled with copious amount of shredded chicken, which was at least marinated and had more flavour. There may have been a sprinkle of melted cheese, but it was really the fresh guacamole that gave it interest.


Chico’s dishes aren’t overly saucy and smothered with dairy like Tex Mex counterparts. Rather, there are hints of chili pepper flavours amongst moist shredded meat and soft tortillas. Indeed, I wouldn’t call it ‘healthy’, but you also don’t feel gross and glutinous afterwards.

While looking for the toilets, I stumbled upon their jungle room, a large expansive bar filled with Tiki huts and cool looking tables. Greenery and fraying “vines” were everywhere giving it such a great vibe. Despite it being light out, there was a table of boisterous middle aged individuals drinking the afternoon away. So it appears, the Danes may not be known for their guacamole, but should be recognized for their fun loving spirit, no matter what time it is.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Copenhagen, Danmark
 Address: Borgergade 2

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog
____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


Is That It? I Want More!
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CLOSED: El Patio (Toronto)



The space at the back of El Caballito has transformed into El Patio, a bright cheery outdoor bar with tons of tables and seats. Sure, the surrounding buildings and dumpsters detracts from atmosphere but with the large floral mural, gorgeous rattan light fixtures and spacious bar & out door kitchen flanking the other sides, the imperfections soon blend into the background.

#Parv and I attended a pre-opening event as part of an Amex Front-of-the-Line deal: $100 afforded us six drinks, ten small bites and chips & dips (in hindsight not really a bargain but did allow for a first look at El Patio before one too many margaritas have been spilt). Plus, the cheerful sombreros looked brand new and may have been used for one too many pictures. 

The Mezcal mule ($9.50 or $48 for a pitcher) continues the ginger beer cocktail trend. Slightly sweet, fizzy with a touch of lime, the cocktail made with Mezcal (an agave distilled spirit) was refreshing; nice summertime choice. 


A tower of salsas (the tangy green tomatillo one my favourite) and pail of chips arrived soon after, followed by a plate of simply adorned guacamole. Given the tortilla chips were heavily salted, I'm glad El Patio left the dips relatively neutral. However, the non-spicy salsas' delicate flavours were somewhat overpowered by the chip: a bit more cilantro could help.                   

  

Rather than ordering off a menu, the food circulated as passed bites in exchange for food tickets. For some, like the spoon of juicy, salty, tender ceviche, it worked as the dish lent itself to sitting around.


But, for the hot items, unless you sat in front of the trailer kitchen, they often arrived lukewarm. The mushroom taco's shell turned cold and hard. Or the arancini, which is best piping hot to enjoy the creamy risotto and crispy exterior in perfect harmony.   


Generally, their food was heavily salted. The pickled cactus tacos, for example, was already salty with it's crispy shell, strong pickled cactus but then further topped with cotija cheese. But then, it's likely a brilliant entrepreneurial move as salty food calls for more drinks. 


In the end, I'd leave the food to Los Colibris, which is conveniently located on the second floor. But, to enjoy the outdoors before (or after) dinner, El Patio is a small hidden oasis.  



How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 220 King Street West


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CLOSED: Los Colibris (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 220 King Street West (2nd floor)
Type of Meal: Dinner



It’s about time Toronto has a restaurant that serves upscale Mexican cuisine. Don’t get me wrong, I love tacos, burritos and chips with guacamole. But, I’m also intrigued by what authentic culinary creations Mexico has that don’t involve refried beans and cheese. As it turns out, there’s plenty. Dishes tend to have a Spanish flare augmented with a spicier kick.

Unlike their sister restaurant downstairs, Los Colibris is not a tequila bar. Nonetheless, their cocktail list still includes a variety of delicious sounding drinks. I started with the Zona Rosa ($12) a beautifully presented hibiscus margarita. Despite its vibrant pink colour and rimmed glass, it was thankfully not a sweet “girly” drink. Made with Tromba white rum, flor de Jamaica (a hibiscus tea), basil, mint and lime juice the cocktail was refreshing and light, great for the summer months.


Sharing the pulpo a la parrilla ($16) as an appetizer, it was a great start to the meal. Succulent pieces of plump grilled octopus were served with a refreshing basil, jalapeno & coriander oil sauce on the side. It was tender and meaty, tasting great by itself or wrapped into a fresh warm corn tortilla. With four tortillas and plenty of pieces of octopus, this is an excellent dish for sharing.


At first when the huachinango a la veracruzana ($24) arrived I was a little nervous. Sitting on top of the red snapper were tons of green olives and capers – two ingredients that are okay but I generally avoid. Little did I know that the spicy veracruz sauce was one made with tomatoes, olive oil, capers and olives. After taking a bite, I was pleasantly surprised as it was nicely balanced with salty, sweet and spicy elements. The olives and capers must have been soaked to rid it of the powerful briny taste. The sauce complimented the tender and flaky red snapper quite nicely and was also delicious at flavouring the poblano rice.


Sitting near the open kitchen, we were treated with the most intoxicating smells throughout our meal. Chef Elia Herrera didn’t seem present during our visit, but someone else was at the helm artfully plating the dishes in front of us. Many of the creations looked delicious, so much so that a return visit may be warranted to try some of their meatier offerings.


Overall mark - 8 out of 10


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____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System

  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!


CLOSED: Frida (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 999 Eglinton Avenue West
Type of Meal: Dinner

Note: Given the sheer amount of items ordered and shared within this meal, prices are given beside the dish rather than providing an order total


Amongst paintings by Frida Kahlo, as educated by my friend, we dined in a small quaint restaurant. The self-portraits are definitely interesting - a particular bare breasted one of the artist sparked some conversation.


We couldn't go to a place voted by the Toronto Life as "best guacamole in Toronto" without trying it, so we shared an order to start. It was definitely the best guacamole ($11) I've ever tried and love the micro fine pieces of red onions and cilantro laced throughout. Rather than spicing the dip with jalapenos, the chef used chili oil - an interesting twist. But, I'll admit, if some diced jalapenos happened to make their way into the dish, I wouldn’t complain. A bunch of arugula accompanies the dish, which adds a fresh peppery bite when topped on a guacamole tortilla.

We didn't know, but Frida also provides tables with a complementary dish of fried corn tortillas accompanied by two sauces - salsa verde (a mild sauce derived from tomatillos) and salsa morita (a spicier sauce made from dried chipotles). They were a departure from the red tomato salsa we’re normally use to and I enjoyed the salsa morita.

Given I wanted to try a number of items, I opted to order from the "Little Bites" menu. I wish someone would have warned me that what Frida notes as "Little", it really means "One to Two Bites" menu. When the three items were placed in front of me, I was shocked at how small they were:
  • Camaron a la diabla ($3) - my favourite of the three and consisted of a good sized prawn cooked perfectly with a spicy diablo sauce. It was flavourful but wasn't overly spicy, rather had just a slight kick to it.

  • Empanada de champinones ($4) - I found the corn crust of the empanada slightly overdone and bit too hard. The portion that was covered with salsa verde was better, but since it was so crusty, it was a bit difficult to appreciate the delicate mushroom and corn flavours of the empanada.

  • Taco de barbacoa ($3) - a sliver of mediocrely flavour lamb served on a tortilla crisp. I hadn't read the dish’s description in detail and thought it would be a mini taco, but the taco was actually like a pita chip. Definitely the most disappointing of the three.

Restaurant staff should feel comfortable warning patrons about how small these Little Bites portions are.  I would have appreciated if my waitress warned me so I wouldn't have been disappointed on my choice.  The staff doesn't have to complain about it - a simple "have you eaten here before?  Just want to let you know that the Little Bites is meant to compliment a meal and is almost like a hors d'oeuvres would suffice.


Luckily, my friend had also ordered the Little Bites and was more than happy to split the Tacos de carne with Oaxaca cheese ($13) with me. Three soft corn tortillas topped with a generous portion of slice steak arrived at the table. They were good but nothing spectacular. Perhaps it's because I've been too accustomed to westernized Mexican food, but I expected the tacos to be more flavourful. I had to add quite a bit of salsa morita to give it the taste I wanted ... rather than relying on a well-seasoned steak.

I also had a glass of the raspberry sangria ($9) that tasted more like sweet pink lemonade with muddled raspberries. But, it was still refreshing - if you weren't expecting sangria.

Our waitress was friendly and attentive. Perhaps it’s because we ordered five types of Little Bites, but I found the pace of receiving dishes to be a bit slow. 

Overall mark - 6.5* out of 10

* If the rating was based purely on the items ate I'd rate Frida a 6. However, I now realize we should have ordered dishes off their "entrees" section and tried the churros for dessert. So, if I am ever in the neighbourhood, I may try Frida again - even if it’s just for the guacamole.


____________________________
Gastro World's Grading System
  • Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
  • 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
  • 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
  • 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
  • 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
  • 10 - absolute perfection!
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