Dining Out: Mariachis Nachos, Classic Tacos, and Churros at 3 Mariachis

I got a nasty cold after coming back from NYC a few weeks ago, so I haven't really been going out to eat. Finally recovered, I had a little reunion dinner with Chelsea, Ronsee, and Val (and baby Tristan) at 3 Mariachis:

Mariachis Nachos: Black beans, salsa roja, Monterey jack, mozzarella, cheddar, pico de gallo, and serrano peppers
Classic Tacos: Tiger shrimp (with coleslaw, pickled red onion, and aioli sauce), shredded beef (with Spanish onions and green tomatillo salsa), chorizo (with cheese, Spanish onions, and green tomatillo salsa), and birria (with Oaxaca cheese and house consommé)
Churros for dessert

INCREÍBLE! EXCEPCIONAL! DELICIOSA! Highlights for me were the nachos (which we unanimously loved), the tiger shrimp taco, and the birria taco, but we all thought this dinner was an absolutely delightful experience. Our server was also amazing — super helpful and accommodating (Chelsea has a lot of dietary restrictions and he took time the time to go through the menu with her and advised on what could be changed or replaced for her needs), attentive but not overbearing, and kept the water refills coming. Frankly, my only regret is not visiting sooner. The Richmond Hill/Markham area isn't well-known for Mexican restaurants, so I'm so glad I finally got to discover this place. (Took me long enough. As it turns out, they have three locations across the GTA.) Will absolutely be coming back for all my Mexican food cravings.

3 Mariachis

Headford Place

16 Vogell Rd., Unit L

Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3K4

(905) 237-6006

Dining Out: Guacamole & Chips, Carne Asada Taco, Cochinita Pibil Taco, and Chicken Tinga Taco at Wilbur Mexicana

Minji, Daniel, and I spent the afternoon downtown and decided to get some Mexican food for dinner at Wilbur Mexicana. I decided on guacamole and chips to start and three different tacos: carne asada (steak, pico de gallo, queso fundido, and crispy onions), cochinita pibil (Yucatán-style pulled pork, pickled red onions, cilantro crema, and cotija cheese), and chicken tinga (shredded chicken in chipotle chili adobo sauce with guacamole and cotija cheese). The food was excellent, especially the guacamole and carne asada taco, though the chicken tinga has a smoky flavour that is somewhat polarizing, so some people (like Daniel, who described it as tasting like "the smell of a barn") might not be so fond of this one.

Guacamole and chips
Carne asada taco
Cochinita pibil taco
Chicken tinga taco

There are, however, a few things to note. Firstly, the Mexican street corn is indeed seasonal, as it says on the menu. Because when I inquired if they had it, the cashier told me, "No, it's a seasonal item, but definitely come back in the summer for it" — as if summer wasn't HALF A YEAR AWAY and I was absurd to even ask about it right now. Secondly, they do not carry sugar-free beverages. This might be the only eatery I have ever been to in North America that did not carry a single type of sugar-free beverage option. The same cashier told me that the only options for sugar-free drinks are bottled water and beer, and so I very stupidly got the $3.75 bottled water as I am diabetic and take medications that are diuretics. But when Minji and Daniel were ordering — AFTER I paid, mind you — the cashier gladly told them that there are free water refills by the salsa bar and then looked at me and SMIRKED. Suffice it to say, my experience was somewhat marred by this cashier.

Thirdly, all menu items that have cilantro in it cannot be removed as it is already incorporated into an existing component. For example, the guacamole contains cilantro, the crema in the cochinita pibil taco has cilantro, etc. As someone who has cilantro aversion, I will say that the cilantro is blended into the components enough or covered enough by stronger flavours that I couldn't detect it in my food, but for those who are allergic to cilantro, make sure to inquire because it is not always listed. Fourth, seating is limited, so if you're visiting during a peak meal time, you may not be able to dine in, especially if you're with a group. We went around 5:30PM, so we got a table right away, but the place was filled within 30 minutes. Despite all of these points, I would still recommend Wilbur Mexicana if you're downtown and craving delicious Mexican food. Just beware of condescending cashiers.

Wilbur Mexicana

552 King St. W. 

Toronto, ON M5V 1M3

(416) 792-1878

Orlando 2024 Travel Log: Universal CityWalk at Universal Orlando Resort — Day 1: Esquites, Tableside Guacamole, and Tacos al Pastor at Antojitos

We had originally planned to have dinner at Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade because the Universal Islands of Adventure park (where Hogsmeade is) closes at 8:00PM. So after we left Diagon Alley around 5:00PM, we had taken a water taxi back to our hotel to relax and freshen up before dinner. Except that relaxing meant accidentally falling asleep until 7:30PM. Which meant we definitely wouldn't have made it to Hogsmeade in time before they closed. So we had to make alternate dinner plans and decided to head to CityWalk instead since they close at 1:00AM. Upon checking out all the restaurant menu boards there, we decided to go to Antojitos because it seemed the most interesting and not something we could find in the theme parks. And also, we just really like Mexican food.

Esquites

Tableside Guacamole

Tableside Guacamole

Tacos al Pastor

Again, I'm not an expert on the authenticity of Mexican food, but we really didn't care because everything was so, so delicious. Especially the tableside guacamole, which, as the name indicates, is made right in front of you. They customize it to your liking, so you can tell them no cilantro, less onion, and more jalapeños, and they can do that for you. Since Minji LOVES corn, I introduced her to esquites, which I had a couple weeks ago at La Mexicanada and fell in love with, and it has now become her new favourite food. Finally, the tacos al pastor, a perfect marriage of savoury and sweet, also became Minji's new favourite taco as she never knew pineapples could be found in tacos. (Before you ask, yes, we are huge fans of Hawaiian pizza.) We thoroughly enjoyed this dinner and were actually really pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food, service, and ambience (live Spanish guitar!). 10/10, highly recommend. Not knocking the Three Broomsticks, but I'm really glad we were able to try this place.

Antojitos

Universal CityWalk Orlando

6000 Universal Blvd.

Orlando, FL 32819, USA

(407) 224-3663

Dining Out: Tacos al Pastor and Tacos de Bistec at La Mexicanada

My friend Chelsea has a lot of dietary restrictions (gluten-free, egg-free, soy-free, etc.) so when thinking of where to go for dinner, she suggested going to her favourite taco place, La Mexicanada:

Tacos al Pastor
Tacos de Bistec

Let me preface this with saying that I have been to Mexico, but I was also 10 and therefore do not remember a goddamn thing I ate there so I cannot compare these tacos to actual tacos from Mexico. But I think this is as authentic as we can get around here (you know, in the Greater Toronto Area), and they were so good, I'd put them on par with my current favourite tacos from Los Tacos No. 1 in NYC. (You can always trust a Mexican restaurant that is run by actual Mexicans.) I think even the most snobby of taco critics could find something to love here. My only regret is not being hungry enough to eat more. On a good day, I could smash ten of these tacos on my own. Or at least share an appetizer or two. 

La Mexicanada

Upper Canada Mall

17600 Yonge St.

Newmarket, ON L3Y 4Z1

(905) 853-7466

New York City 2024 Travel Log: Day 1 — A Mexican-American Culinary Adventure at Mexicue

Greetings from NYC! I am back after six months to finally meet my nephew, who is now four months old. (I gotta say, he is freaking ADORABLE, and I am not someone who cares for babies.) Anyway, being in NYC means dining exceptionally well because my brother is a foodie and always plans out some new and exciting eats for us. So for the first meal on this weekend's NYC trip, he took us out for some incredible Mexican-American food at Mexicue:

Grilled street corn with creamy chipotle, cotija, and chili powder
Charred jalapeño guacamole with house tortilla chips
Crispy Masa-crusted wild cod tacos in corn tort with citrus chili sauce, pickled onions, creamy chipotle, and salsa verde
Nashville fried chicken tacos in corn tort with creamy chipotle, and pickled peppers
Brisket tacos in grilled flour tort with cheese, pickled onions, Mexican BBQ sauce, lime crema, cotija, puffed quinoa, and scallions

As much as I love Taco Bell and Chipotle, this is what a true fusion of Mexican and American cuisines is. Mexicue puts Southern American twists on Mexican classics resulting in incredible combinations of flavours and textures made with the freshest ingredients. Highlights for me were the guac and the fish tacos, but I would easily re-order any of these. An exceptional spot for anyone looking for a more sophisticated Mexican-American food experience.

Mexicue

1440 Broadway

New York, NY 10018

(332) 249-8600

New York City 2023 Travel Log: Day 3 — A Little Midtown International Food Crawl

The best thing to do with a free afternoon in NYC when you just like eating? A little international food crawl across midtown:

Chicken tikka masala naan wrap from Mysttik Masaala at Bryant Park Winter Village
Adobada corn tortilla tacos from Los Tacos No. 1
Chicken and beef gyro platter from The Halal Guys
Kaya butter toast from Kopifellas at Urban Hawker

Everything was incredible, but especially those adobada tacos from Los Tacos No. 1, which are easily my new favourite tacos of all time. If the long line-up out the door on a super-cold November day is any indication, it's everyone else's favourite tacos, too. And speaking of international, I just gotta mention how crazy huge The Halal Guys have gotten. The first time I ever ate there was when I was visiting my brother in 2008. He was working at BlackRock at the time (which used to be located at Park Avenue Plaza), and he was like, "I'll take you to my favourite lunch spot." So we walked a few blocks to this little cart with a giant line-up and I was like, "Really?" And he just said, "Trust me." Indeed, the chicken and rice was one of the most tasty, satisfying, and cheap (it was $5 back then) meals I'd ever had. I went back a few more times on that trip. And since then, I have trusted my brother on all his food picks.

Mystiik Masaala

Winter Village at Bryant Park

W 41st St. and 6th Ave.

New York, NY 10018

(917) 438-5166

Los Tacos No. 1

Times Square

229 W 43rd St.

New York, NY 10036

(212) 574-4696

The Halal Guys

W 53rd St. and 6th Ave.

New York, NY 10019

(347) 527-1505

Kopifellas

Urban Hawker

135 W 50th St.

New York, NY 10020

(917) 769-5513

Cooking at Home: Cheesy Pork Enchiladas with Homemade Salsa and Sour Cream

Cheesy pork enchiladas with homemade salsa and sour cream
Tuesday is normally reserved for tacos, but I decided to switch it up a bit this week and made cheesy pork enchiladas with homemade salsa and sour cream. Same basic ingredients as the enchiladas I made last month, except this recipe uses pork instead of beef and includes way more cheese plus a squeeze of lime. And yes, I made them in the air fryer again, but they turned out way better than last time — I baked them for half the time and they didn't turn out crunchy! A win in my books.

Cooking at Home: Chipotle Garlic Shrimp and Zesty Slaw Tacos with Feta

Chipotle garlic shrimp and zesty slaw tacos with feta
It's Tuesday, so you know what that means: TACOS! Tonight's recipe: Shrimp and zesty slaw tacos with chipotle sauce and feta (sans cilantro, of course). Okay, so these might sound the same as the shrimp tacos I made a couple weeks ago, but the flavours were actually totally different — these have feta and chipotle sauce whereas the other ones have guacamole and poblanos, plus I also added like, four gloves of garlic to the shrimp here. Both renditions are excellent, but I think using the slaw and chipotle sauce from tonight's recipe along with the addition of guacamole like in the other recipe would make the perfect shrimp tacos.

Cooking at Home: Cheesy Pork Quesadillas with Homemade Salsa and Lime Crema

Cheesy pork quesadillas with homemade salsa and lime crema
In lieu of tacos this Tuesday, I made these cheesy pork quesadillas instead, served with DIY salsa and lime crema. Nothing particularly new or exciting — I always seem to get some sort of pork-cheese-pepper combination when it comes to picking out Mexican-inspired recipes from Hello Fresh, whether it's quesadillas, tacos, or enchiladas — but it is reliably delicious and lime crema always gives it that fresh tart kick that I love with Mexican seasoning.

Cooking at Home: Mexican-Inspired Shrimp Tacos with Coleslaw and Guacamole

Mexican-inspired shrimp tacos with coleslaw and guacamole
IT'S TACO TUESDAY! This week's recipe: Mexican-inspired shrimp tacos with coleslaw. Swapped cilantro for parsley and added extra guacamole. A delightfully delicious good time. (Also, I gotta say, taco holders are such a great investment.)

Cooking at Home: Beef and Pepper Enchiladas

Beef and pepper enchiladas
I missed Taco Tuesday yesterday so I made up for it with tonight's Mexican dinner: Beef and pepper enchiladas. I added an extra bell pepper to be healthier and I decided to try baking them in the air fryer instead of the oven (I hate turning on the oven) so they turned out a little crispier (and more deformed) than I intended, but THEY WERE STILL DELICIOUS, OKAY?

Cooking at Home: Chipotle Pork and Roasted Pepper Tacos with Lime Crema and Salsa Fresca

Chipotle pork and roasted pepper tacos with lime crema and salsa fresca

It's Taco Tuesday! So for tonight's dinner, pork and pepper tacos with lime crema and salsa fresca from Hello Fresh. Ground pork with roasted bell peppers and onions tossed in Mexican seasoning and chipotle powder, topped with homemade salsa fresca (minus the cilantro) and a generous dollop of lime crema. Savoury and zesty with a hint of tartness and a spicy kick. Totally made up for the dismal tacos from last week. So much so that I ate tomorrow's portion along with tonight's. Whoops.

Cooking at Home: Saucy Beef Tacos with Salsa Rice and Feta

Saucy beef tacos with salsa rice and fetaa
It's Taco Tuesday, so I made saucy beef tacos with salsa rice and feta from Hello Fresh. Honestly, these were kinda disappointing. They weren't bad, but they're my least favourite tacos I've made so far. Ironically, they weren't saucy at all, and in fact, veered almost on the dry side because the rice absorbed all the salsa. I also really didn't like feta with this. There's all these spices in the beef and the salsa, and the feta is both salty and briny, which made the tacos taste... confused. There's so many strong flavours that none of them end up standing out. I would literally make any other of the other tacos I've made over the past six months over these.

Photolog 2021: Day 313 of 365

Mexican pork tacos with corn, mango slaw, and creamy Baja sauce

It's Tuesday! So you know what that means: TACO TUESDAY! I'm back to Hello Fresh this week with the Mexican pork tacos with corn, mango slaw, and creamy Baja sauce. This is definitely my favourite homemade taco recipe so far. The sweetness of mango and corn, the tartness of lime, the bitterness of the cabbage, and the smoky spiciness of the pork just make up the most perfect symphony of flavours. All the ingredients together created an excellent mouthfeel as well; you got your crunch, your creaminess, and your chewiness. SO GOOD. And easy to make, too. Will definitely be reusing this recipe, especially after an 11-hour work day like I just had.

Photolog 2021: Day 306 of 365

Chorizo tacos with pickled red onions and chili crema

Tonight's dinner kit from Chefs Plate was supposed to be chorizo quesadillas with pickled red onions and chili crema but after a 10-hour work day, I absolutely could not be bothered to turn on the oven, and thus, I added some leftover bell peppers, switched out cilantro (a.k.a. the devil's lettuce) for green onions and turned them into tacos. AND THEY WERE DELICIOUS. 

See, I know how to do Taco Tuesdays.

Photolog 2021: Day 292 of 365

Mexican-spiced pork quesadillas with tomato pepper salsa and lime crema

Taco Tuesday! Except I made quesadillas. But no one says Quesadilla Tuesday, even though it's basically the same components but fried in a pan. Whatever. These ones were made with Mexican-spiced pork and served with tomato pepper salsa and lime crema, and they were freaking delicious. I didn't realize how easy it was to make quesadillas, as my only experience with them has been at Taco Bell. But I will definitely make these again. Even if it's not Taco Tuesday. (Mexican Tuesday? Meat-in-tortillas Tuesdays? I don't know, who even started dedicating Tuesdays to tacos?)

Photolog 2021: Day 283 of 365

Went downtown with Chelsea and Braden this afternoon. I had asked if they wanted to go so I could stop by a BTS Jimin birthday event before walking around, maybe do some shopping, and eat dinner together. We stopped by Bloom Cafe first for the Jimin event, which didn't really work out as planned, but we did get some drinks to tide us over until dinner. (Bloom Cafe makes an excellent iced matcha latte.) We then spent a couple of hours walking around (I did over 14,000 steps today!), perusing random stores and passing through the Eaton Centre. Looking for a good place to eat dinner (a.k.a. my first meal of the day), we found ourselves heading down to King Street. Chelsea had wanted either sushi or tacos for dinner, and as we were waiting at a stop light, we saw a sign for The Haam, a Japanese-Mexican fusion restaurant that specializes in — you guessed it — sushi and tacos. It was fate. And they have an open patio! 

Salmon Tataki
"Queen" (Front) and "Ladybug" (Back) Special Rolls
We decided to start with the Salmon Tataki (seared salmon with truffle oil, ponzu, arugula, balsamic, and pico de salsa) and two special rolls: the Queen (seared salmon, spicy tuna, avocado, cucumber, and garlic mayo) and the Ladybug (seared tuna, avocado, cucumber, kani, honey chipotle, and poblano cream). These were all excellent. The fish was fresh, the textures are harmonious, and the flavour combinations are impeccable. I did prefer the seared char flavour of the Queen more than the smoky tart flavour of the Ladybug, but both of them are absolutely worth ordering again. The Salmon Tataki is especially noteworthy — the truffle oil and ponzu make the flavour of the salmon absolutely sing.

Bulgogi Beef Tacos
For our mains, we got three different types of tacos: the Bulgogi Taco (bulgogi, honey chipotle, guacamole, Chohula, onion, green onion, crema, queso fresco, and cilantro), the Gochujang Barbacoa (gochujang, ancho marinated beef brisket, mozzarella, guacamole, iceberg lettuce, crema, queso fresco, and cilantro), and the Teriyaki Tinga (chicken breast, mozzarella, guacamole, onion, green onion, teriyaki, crema, queso fresco, and cilantro). Okay, firstly, I must note that I normally prefer soft shell tacos, but these ones feature homemade deep-fried crispy shells rather than those prefabricated hard-shell corn tortillas (a.k.a. Taco Bell-style), and these made all the difference in both flavour and fragility of the taco. They are so good, in fact, that they have converted me into a hard-shell taco lover.

GochujangBarbacoa Tacos
My personal favourite was the Gochujang Barbacoa — the flavours of all the components just worked so beautifully together, with the gloriousness of the ultra-tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef brisket. This was truly the perfect fusion food for me. The Bulgogi came in second — it was delicious, but pickled radish or kimchi would've really elevated the flavour of the beef. The only disappointment of the meal was the Teriyaki Tinga. It had many of the same components of the other two — mozzarella, guac, crema, queso fresco — but the chicken was really lacking. It was bland and didn't have any discernible teriyaki flavour, and the texture of the meat was almost soupy. Like, it was literally leaking out broth. These just stuck out like a sore thumb in a meal with so many amazing choices.

Teriyaki Tinga Chicken Tacos

The prices for the rolls and tataki are pretty standard when compared to Japanese restaurants offering similar fare, but the tacos do get on the pricier side at $5.40 per piece. After tax and tip, our bill came out to about $60 per person — not exorbitant, but definitely not cheap, especially considering none of us had any alcohol. Still, this is the average price for casual dining in downtown Toronto, and overall, it was a truly excellent, enjoyable meal and absolutely deserves a return visit. This is all to say that it made our trip downtown today entirely worth it, even if I didn't get a Jimin cup sleeve.

The Haam

342 Adelaide St. W.

Toronto, ON M5V 1R7

(416) 977-7258

Photolog 2021: Day 217 of 365

Beef and bean chili with sour cream and spiced tortilla chips
Tonight's dinner, featuring another Hello Fresh kit: Beef and bean chili with sour cream and spiced tortilla chips! Clearly, I was in a Tex-Mex mood when I ordered my meals for this particular delivery. I used the wrong cheese (I switched the cheese from my taco meal kit with this one by accident) but man, this chili was fucking AMAZING. This was my first time making chili and it was way easier than I expected, actually. I don't know how authentic it is, granted, but still, it was legit restaurant-quality. I would 100% make this again. And add more cheese, obviously.

Photolog 2021: Day 215 of 365

Pork tacos with pico de gallo
I obviously had to save this particular Hello Fresh meal kit for today because it's TACO TUESDAY! Thus, I made pork tacos with pico de gallo. It was supposed to be paired with avocado salad, but it was literally just avocado and spring mix with some lime juice, so I just added the avocado into the tacos and ate the spring mix separately with some homemade balsamic dressing. But anyway, it was simple and DELICIOUS and super easy to replicate. Only thing to improve this is maybe the addition of sour cream and some hot sauce. Think I might try it with chorizo next time, too.

Photolog 2020: Day 57 of 366

2 hours of sleep + super shitty weather = Steak quesadilla + nachos with fake cheese from Taco Bell.