Showing posts with label baja fish taco. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baja fish taco. Show all posts

Tacofino (Tofino)


Taco trucks and surf towns go together like salt and pepper. So, it’s not surprising to find places like Tacofino, which has grown from a truck located in a parking lot in Tofino to several brick-and-mortar locations across British Columbia.

For my first taste of these handheld treats, I had to go straight to the source… and its long winding line in the corner of a parking lot. The wait will have you summoning your inner Zen master, our Sunday afternoon visit meant it would take us over 30 minutes to order and another 15 minutes of prep time before digging into our food. The only saving grace is the long wait allows space on the communal picnic tables to free up, you’ll find a place to sit by the time you get your food.

Grab yourself a large bottle of water as things are salty at Tacofino. Perhaps it was just a heavy-handed chef making my order, but I found the soy marinade in the tuna-ta taco ($8.50) so prominent that it was all I could taste (my friend, on the other hand, found theirs fine). It could be that the tuna wasn’t seared long enough so that the soy didn’t have a chance to burn off and caramelize, the fish tasted like it was dunked in soy and quickly swished onto the flat top, so it was barely warm.

Along with the heap of pickled ginger and wakame (sweet seaweed salad), this taco is certainly bold in flavours. It’s a shame as the tuna taco would have been outstanding if the condiments weren’t so overpowering. Despite the decent portion of tuna stuffed into the taco, I could barely taste it.

The Baja-style fish taco ($7.50) was better. The batter was thick but helps to soak up the chipotle mayonnaise and keep the shredded cabbage and pico de gallo adhered to the tortilla. Again, it incorporated some good flavours, and the tempura ling cod was flaky and fried to perfection.

Both are sizeable tacos and would have been sufficient to leave me satisfied. Yet, after waiting so long, I was ravenous and added a pork and kimchi gringa ($8). What exactly is a gringa you ask? To me, they are like quesadillas, but according to Taro Sushi Brooklyn there are three differences between the two toasted tacos: gringas are traditionally eaten cold, filled with beans and cheese, thicker and flatter, and made using wheat flour tortillas. Gringas are also from Mexico while quesadillas originate from Spain.

At Tacofino, their pork and kimchi gringa includes a cheese and slow-cooked pork filling (not just beans) and it is hot (not cold) and toasted until there is a lovely golden crust… the ideal first bite after waiting outside in the cold for so long. Out of the three, this was my favourite. The filling so rich as the juices and grease from the pork and cheese mix together with the pickled kimchi to create a messy gooey bite that is a hit of flavours. Gringa or quesadilla? Who cares, just get it.

Having had my fair share of tacos, what makes Tacofino stand out, aside from their flavourful creations and fresh ingredients, is their flour tortillas. They are grilled until toasted air pockets and edges develop and somehow holds together despite being so thin. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll still need at least a napkin per taco to get through the meal, but the tortillas surprisingly hold up quite nicely.

In the end, is Tacofino worth a visit? If I were to return, I’d opt for a location that keeps us out of the elements while we wait – food truck be damned. I’d also ask if they could put less salt and/or sauce on everything, especially on things with seafood so that the proteins can stand out better. But it’s certainly worth waiting - when in the East Coast, eat like the locals.  

Overall mark - 8 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Tofino, Canada
 Address: 1184 Pacific Rim Hwy


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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:


Get ready, Craft Beer Market opens on December 6! #GrandOpening


It’s not often the most photographed item from a craft beer restaurant are the pipes. Yet, one look on Instagram’s geotagging of Craft Beer Market and you’ll see more than your fair share of these gleaming silver contraptions. There’s a Willy Wonka factory feel to the place, except instead of transporting melted chocolate these metal pipes move cold brew from the keg room to bars on both levels.


I can understand the need for the high tech setting: with over 150 beers on tap, who would want to be responsible for lugging the heavy brew to the bars? There wouldn’t even be enough real estate at the bars to hold all the kegs. This is what it takes to offer the largest selection of craft beers in Ontario.

Making my way through a few brews, Old Tomorrow’s Light’er Up lager ($6.75) helped quench my thirst and prepare my taste buds for more beer.


There was plenty of drinks to be had at Craft Beer Market’s opening event. Collective Arts Brewing brought in ten beautifully designed cans, perfect for those who want something beautiful to behold other than a frothy cap. Their Lunch Money brew also reminded me of the lovely summer months. Meanwhile, Barrie’s Flying Monkeys served up a delicious crisp Antigravity concoction that really helped cut the saucy food.


If you’re into something different, choose from their “anomalies” section, the tangy Bandit Wizard of Gose ($6.75) had a lovely sour taste that finishes savoury that paired oh so well with the freshly shucked oysters. While these mollusks aren’t served on their normal menu, they can be ordered for larger functions - make sure to ask for the tasty jalapeño mignonette.


In fact, it’s all these crisp light beers that pairs well with the Ocean Wise seafood dishes on their menu: the Baja fish tacos ($14.50 for three) are grilled to alleviate any fried-food guilt (to allow for another beer, of course) and packed with tons of cabbage slaw. Meanwhile, the Hawaiian Ahi poke ($16) incorporated tons of tuna, but could use more garlic and sesame soya vinaigrette.


I can tell already the BBQ beer can chicken sliders ($14.50) will be a popular pick for a small bite amongst the after work drinks crowd. While it’s a typical slider, the house made BBQ sauce isn’t too sweet and the meat isn’t too oversaturated so you can actually eat the sandwich cleanly. 


The gaucho chicken flatbread ($17) has a light heat from the jalapeños and chipotle aioli. Unlike some of the other beer market type restaurants that tend to over season their foods (possibly to encourage more drinking), Craft Beer Market’s dishes are less salty with flavours stemming from the spices and ingredients incorporated into the food.


Thankfully, there seemed to be an endless supply of the Maui ribs ($14); I had more than my fair share. Glazed in a black garlic miso BBQ sauce, it’s an interesting savoury flavour, the coating in between a sticky glaze and dry rub. Paired with a stout beer, the ribs would make for a great hearty meal.


Craft Beer Market will be opened soon – December 6, right in time for all the holiday parties. For beer lovers, this restaurant is one you don’t want to miss. You can also join their CRAFT Club, where aside from getting exclusive access to special events you can also rate and share beers with their likeminded community. After downing 100 different ones, they’ll emblazon your name on a keg on their Alumni Wall. As if you need another reason to drink.


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 1 Adelaide Street East

Follow me on twitter to chat, be notified about new posts and more - https://twitter.com/GastroWorldBlog

CRAFT Beer Market Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

El Catrin Destileria (Toronto)


Torontonians love patios during the summer and El Catrin, located in the Distillery District, has one of the best patios. It’s cheery and spacious, but best of all away from any automobile traffic given its location in the middle of the Distillery compound.

El Catrin Distillery Toronto

To really get the good times started, a bowl of guacamole ($12.95) works wonders. The menu notes it’s “made” tableside, but in reality it’s just a quick crushing of halved avocados with a pestle in front of you. It’s not exactly an extravagant tableside experience, but nonetheless the fruits resist browning.


The guacamole includes plenty of creamy avocado that’s simply flavoured with cilantro, onion, a bit of Serrano chili, and tomatoes. Dip a chip into the creamy concoction while you sip on a cold drink… what else do you need on a nice day?

El Catrin Distillery Toronto guacamole

Weekday lunches are a good time to visit as El Catrin’s not overly busy and they offer a special lunch menu ($16.95) with a choice of soup or salad and two tacos. It also includes a non-alcoholic juice of the day, which was watermelon during my visit, sweet and refreshing.


With my love of shrimp tacos, I had to try their camarones en adobo. Although small in size, the shrimp were cooked well and being tiny there were more to spread out across the taco. The hand-made corn tortilla was a key ingredient for creating an authentic taste and there were plenty of flavours from the salsa verde, pineapple chipotle adobo sauce, and pineapple pico de gallo. Despite all the condiments, I had to add on some of the habanero hot sauce, which made it even better.

El Catrin Distillery Toronto shrimp tacos

The accompanying bowl of ensalada de kiko is a quinoa based salad topped with diced cucumber, tomato, avocado, and queso fresco cheese. The smoked corn aioli dressing was more citrus than smoke and could have been saltier. Luckily, with the complimentary salsas, a few spoonful of the roasted tomatillo salsa helped give the salad interest.


In hindsight, I’d forgo the lunch special for another taco as they were the best part of the meal. The Baja fish tacos ($16.95) were your typical fried battered version with coleslaw wrapped in a soft flour tortilla. Despite there being nothing unique about El Catrin’s version, there’s nothing disappointing either: the fried fish was crispy and not overly oily; the coleslaw nice and crunchy; the tortilla fresh and soft; and the chipotle lime mayo providing sufficient flavours.

El Catrin Distillery Toronto fish tacos

When the sun is shining in Toronto, it’s difficult not to be in a great mood. Get outside and enjoy it while it lasts! With El Catrin’s colourful décor and cobblestone flooring, for a moment you feel like you’re transported somewhere foreign and exotic.

Overall mark - 7 out of 10


How To Find Them
 Location: Toronto, Canada
 Address: 18 Tank House Lane

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!

Other Gastro World posts similar to this:

El Catrin Destileria Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

CLOSED: La Mexicana (Toronto)

Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 838 Yonge Street
Type of Meal: Dinner

When Toronto Common offered a taco Tuesday menu at La Mexicana for $20 (including taxes and gratuities), it was too good to pass up. Being a person who loves to try a bit of everything, having the opportunity to eat four different tacos and wash it down with a margarita seemed like an amazing sounding meal to me!

While waiting for the feast to arrive, a basket of tortilla and dips arrived. The chips were thin, crispy and not overly oily. The salsas, the traditional roasted tomato and tart tomatillo, were fresh and simple. These were great for munching on while sipping on the margarita.


Up first two chicken taquitos and a lobster taco accompanied with a creamy tangy guacamole and some pico de gallo.


The chicken taquitos seemed to be a popular dish ordered by other customers at La Mexicana. Plenty of shredded chicken is stuffed into a deep fried crispy corn tortilla. I found it a little dry, but once some guacamole or salsa was added to it, became better. In seeing the taquitos served from the regular menu (arriving three to an order), they were smothered with guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and cheese. Indeed, this would have likely tasted better if there was more condiments accompanying it.  


On the other hand, the lobster taco was juicy and filled with flavour – it didn’t need anything else. I enjoyed the flavourful guajillo salsa and softened bell peppers/onions, but IT was a tad messy (not recommended for first dates). Admittedly, the lobster got lost in the smoky chili sauce and became indistinguishable from shrimp but not a deal breaker.


In my hurry to dive into the next dish, I forgot to snap a picture. This plate held a baja fish taco and an al pastor taco with chopped cilantro, onions and lime wedges on the side.

The al pastor taco was filled with strips of pork stewed with chunks of pineapple. There was a slight heat from the pork’s marinade mixed into the sweet fruit. The cilantro and onions worked well to enhance the savoury element of the taco and to bring some freshness to the taco. Generally, I’m not a fan of pineapple with meat (with the exception of sweet and sour pork), but must admit it was better than I expected.

With so many restaurants doing baja fish tacos, La Mexicana’s faltered in comparison. The fish was too battered and became dry and lost amongst the slivers of cabbage and typical spicy aioli. This could have benefited from the addition of the guacamole and pico de gallo so it would been better to serve them with the taquitos.

To share amongst the table, there was also some satisfactory Mexican rice and smooth black beans. We were fairly full but had a taste of both anyways.



\

Perhaps it’s due to format of the menu (having two types of tacos per plate), but all the food arrived lukewarm. Personally, I prefer my food piping hot as it seems to taste better and I find the aroma is more prominent. Food, in my opinion, must be a feast for the eyes, tastebuds and nose. As a whole, the food was decent (and the excellent value for the price we paid) but didn’t impress me enough to warrant regular return visits. 


Overall mark - 6.5 out of 10



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
  • - 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!