Tacomio
435 Abbott | 778-868-7041 | Tacomio.ca
Open Monday-Saturday, 11am-5pm
It’s official. Mexican-style street tacos are here to stay. Starting with the opening of La Tacqueria and later with Sal y Limon, Los Cuervos, Tacofino, et al, the trend has become a staple. While not yet approaching sushi status in the city (not every corner has one…yet), the numbers are growing, and the subtle differences between the many different kinds of “authentic” and “inspired” are becoming more divergent.
The newest contender to throw his hat into the tortilla-maker is Fhernando Llanas, former executive sous chef at the Vancouver Club under Sean Cousins. Llanas is actually from Mexico, leading one to assume he has first-hand knowledge of what Mexican tacos are all about. Tacomio is his (and his wife’s) first stab at sole ownership. Having two chef-owners promises good things, and guisado (Spanish for “stewed”) tacos are definitely under-represented at the moment, often losing out to grills and other, faster methods. No hood vent, however, means that Tacomio has to do without the grills and focus their efforts on braising and sous vide for the most part.
The room is tiny, just nine seats, and the kitchen space is directly behind the counter, so no secrets here. It’s the typical Gastown space; lots of heritage brick, exposed vents and quirky décor. The requisite skulls are present, as is a nice little shelf of salsas, all arranged from mild through medium to hot. Underneath are complimentary bowls of salsa fresca and pickled vegetables, complete with small take-away containers. With the limited seating, take-out is definitely the preferred option, but, if you can snag a window seat, you get a great view of Abbott Street goings-on.
The menu is equally simple, with around eight to 10 tacos on any given day. This is a daytime-only business, so forget about late-night munchies, but lunch and mid-afternoon cravings will be satisfied. All the tacos are $3 each. You can get four for $10 or six for $15, which is par for the course these days.
Confit pork shoulder with fresh micro-coriander shoots, pickled jalapeno and red onion was lovely and comforting, and was the only double-walled version. (The small tortillas are sturdy enough that a single does the job perfectly in most cases.) Creamed corn with chard, onion and roasted poblanos is another winner, as is the braised pork shoulder I had on another visit. Potato with chorizo, onion and spinach was less impressive, and I had trouble tasting, or finding, the chorizo at all.
A basket of pork crackling and corn chips ($4) is addictive and salty. The guacamole ($2.50) was fresh and obviously made with excellent ingredients, but the salt here was slightly overpowering, meaning the lovely avocado, tomato and lime flavours got lost under its weight.
Drinks ($3) are also housemade. Horchata, a popular Latin American beverage usually made from rice or almonds, is here mixed with strawberry and iced with frozen strawberry cubes. It could use a bit of straining (tiny lumps of rice make for a chunkier experience), but the taste is excellent. The limeade is infused with hibiscus foam, giving a lovely sweet, herbal play to the typical tartness. They’re both so refreshing I was tempted to ask if they were sold by the litre.
Tacomio has been open for less than a month, so there’s room to iron out the very few kinks, and I think Gastown will enjoy this new addition. And I’ll be back for some of that crackling and limeade.
All ratings out of five
Food: ★★★
Service: ★★★
Ambiance: ★★★★
Value: ★★★
Overall: ★★★
• Hear Anya every Monday on CBC Radio One’s On the Coast and find her on Twitter @foodgirlfriday and Facebook.com/FoodGirlFriday.
