Me and my roommate had Taco cravings today after watching Food Network (my favourite channel...ofcourse!). But thankfully we found this local taco shop right away, that we've heard a lot about earlier and got some decent reviews. So we decided to check it out.
The one we went to is located on West Hastings in Vancouver downtown..there's another one in downtown on Cambie Street.
At first, parking was a little hassle but we managed to find one right by the alley, close to the shop. Soon as you walk in, you're welcomed with a friendly staff and the whole atmosphere had a very authentic Mexican feel.
They have a simple menu with a selection of both Meat & Vegetarian Tacos .The tacos are made in an authentic style with Plain Corn tortillas, simple filling, onion,cilantro and sometimes lime... as opposed to the americanized Tex-Mex way(rice, sour cream &lettuce). We asked for their specialty items as it was our first time there and so the staff helped us to pick the right tacos to serve our cravings.
I went with 4 different types of Meat tacos ( Beef, Pork,Chicken and Fish)and it came to $9.50 in total, which was reasonable as they were very filling for one person. And you get to pick different types of Mexican Salsas (Sauces)Habanero,Chipotle,Arbul & Salsa Verde with toppings like pickles, banana peppers and jalapeños.
From Left to Right : Tinga De Pollo(Chicken), De Cachete (Beef),Carnitas (Pork) and Pescado (Fish)
- My favourite was Tinga De Pollo - the chicken tacos made with chorizo in a chipotle tomato sauce, topped with Mexican cheese and sour cream which just melts in your mouth with the right amount of spices. I didn't even have to use sauces on the side with this one, as it was perfectly cooked.
- Whereas De Cachete- the beef tacos that were made of braised beef cheeks were a little too sweet for my taste with the beef brisket flavour and found it a little greasy.
- The Carnitas - pork confit with pickled red onions were my second favourite..even though the meat was slightly on the oilier side, the acidity from the pickled red onions kind of balanced the taste out. So the end results were pretty good .
- Pescado - zarandeado fish with chipotle mayo, radishes and pepitas...I was kind of skeptical at first as to how the radishes and pepitas would taste...but all the ingredients incorporated so well together.It definitely worked! I give credits to the chef for coming up with this one. But I had to use the habanero sauce with it as I found it a little dry but otherwise it was very yummy.
Later, I also tried Al Pastor ( Pork marinated in Achiote chilli and pineapple ) taco which was delicious and somehow managed to get that recipe , which I will share down below.
I would rate this place about 4 /5 with an overall experience!
Recreating : Al Pastor - 6-8 Servings
Ingredients:
Small white corn tortillas
4 lb Pork Loin
1/4 cup chopped fresh Cilantro
Pineapples -diced in small cubes
1/2 Onion chopped finely
Lemon wedges
For the marinade:
4 Ancho Pasilla Chilles
1 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 cup Orange Juice
2 Tbspns Honey
1 Tbspn Smoked Paprika
1 medium sized Onion - halved
Garlic-2 cloves
1/2 Tbspn Oregano Peppers
Directions:
Boil the Ancho Chillies and turn off the heat and let it steep for about half n hour. Deseed,cut and throw the stems out and put those in a blender with the sea salt, orange juice, honey, smoked paprika,onion,garlic cloves and oregano peppers. There's your marinade!
Now make deep gashes or cut the pork loin into 3/4 inch thick slices.Make sure not to cut it all the way through and keep it intact. Rub the marinade all over the meat and let it sit in the refrigerator for 24hrs for best results.You could do minimum of 5-6 hrs or overnight also.
Spray some cooking oil on to the grill and cook it thoroughly for about 3-4 minutes per side until slightly charred. Now warm the tortillas on the same grill while its hot and then chop the pork finely. Serve it on the warm tortillas, add chopped onions and cilantro.Squeeze some lime juice on top of it and finally add the chopped pineapples and done !
La Taqueria Pinche Taco Shop
322 W. HastingsVancouver BC V8B 1K6604.568.4406
The server came right after we got seated and took our drink orders of Mimosas & Caesars . They served it with a complementary Bread basket ( White Wheat Bread & Bran Bread) and a plate of 3 different types of butter : 1. Balsamic Honey 2. Beetroot and 3. Regular Plain
