Fayuca
1009 Hamilton St. | fayuca.ca
Open Tuesday to Friday for happy hour, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday for dinner from 5 p.m. until late.
Poké might be the new sushi, but northwest Mexican cuisine is the new taco. Not that Fayuca is strictly Mexican. This new Yaletown restaurant produces northern Baja-inspired dishes gussied up with local ingredients. The result is a menu that elegantly dances the line between what is commonly called Pacific Northwest (or simply West Coast in Canada-speak) and contemporary Mexican.
The team behind the restaurant matches—and is likely the reason for—the ethos. Locals should be familiar with the name Ernesto Gomez as one-half of the team behind the popular Nuba restaurants. Gomez has partnered with renowned Mexican chef and winemaker, Jair Tellez. Tellez has two restaurants in Mexico City, a third in Baja California, and is described as one of the most progressive and recognized chefs in Mexico.
What does this mean in terms of the food? Get rid of your preconceived notions of what Mexican is or ought to be. “Fayuca” is a Spanish term that refers to petty contraband that is often smuggled across borders. The ideas behind the food here also involve a fair bit of “smuggling” and it’s a lovely thing. In the same way that “contemporary Canadian” has come to mean almost anything or nothing, so the label “Mexican” is a limiting term here.
Charred albacore ceviche ($17) arrives at the table with an arrangement of paper-thin fresh cucumber rounds and gently-pickled radishes covering the really impeccable fish. Belgian endive salad ($14) sounds like an exercise in futility and 90s reminiscences, but tasting tells a different story. The slight bitterness of the leaves is complemented by the slick of olive-anchovy dressing and the sweetness of the cara cara oranges, a red-fleshed naval orange that originates from Venezuela and is widely grown in California. A sprinkling of candied pecans and you have something that is deceptively simple in presentation, with deep layers of flavour.
Some of the dishes, while delicious, seem heavy for a summer menu, but I can forgive that for something like the potato dumplings with grilled beef tongue ($16). The dumplings are fluffy, delicate and buttery. They contrast nicely to the rich taste and fall-apart texture of the tongue, which is heavily coated in birria, a spicy Mexican stew that here is also a broth. It’s a heady dish that takes you through starchy, meaty, umami, salty and spicy elements. Oxtail pasta ($18) with pine nut sauce and aioli is so satisfying, we ordered it twice on the same night.
The cocktails here are just as inventive. A fun take on a classic Pisco Sour sees mezcal, Cointreau and yerba mate all making an appearance. The white smoked Negroni is another winner, although I found myself gravitating to slightly sweeter drinks to offset the spicy richness of some of the dishes. There are a handful of good local ciders on the list, local bottled beers, and a rather impressive tequila and mezcal collection. If wine is a must, the list here offers plenty of organic, biodynamic and wild ferment options, both local and international.
Fayuca may not technically be a Mexican restaurant, but, call it what you will, it’s damn fine.
• Anya Levykh is a food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @foodgirlfriday.
