What do you do next when you've helped Vancouver fall in love with authentic tacos, introduced buzzworthy mash-ups like Birriaramen, and opened a sibling hidden patio cocktail spot?
If you're La Taqueria, you conquer brunch.
The popular Mexican restaurant has just debuted a stunner of a morning menu, featuring a welcome meld of a.m. classics and big, bold, Mexican breakfast dishes that will gently stretch your usual brunch boundaries.
West Coast traditionalists will appreciate offerings like a smoked salmon or avocado toast, a smoked salmon Benny, or a thick slab of brioche French toast with fresh berry compote and maple syrup. La Taqueria is sourcing bread from Commerical Drive's Bench Bakehouse, which means you'll be biting into top-notch locally-made sourdough and buttery brioche.
Further along the spectrum are some dishes that bridge more expected brunch items with Mexican ingredients and flavours - think a basic breakfast combo but with refried beans and queso fresco in the mix - or some familiar Mexican brunch fare like chilaquiles, which is essentially like a plate of amped-up breakfast nachos.
Try some exciting Mexican brunch dishes
However, you can dive into the varied depths of Mexican regional flavours thanks to options like Huevos Divorciados, which pits two robust salsas - guajillo and tomatillo - against each other in a skillet with refried beans and queso fresco. In those warring salsas swim two just-cooked sunny side up free range eggs (and, if you're wise, an add-on like juicy pork belly. Your task is to marry all those components into perfect, gooey, flavour-packed bites by loading up warm bi-colour house-made tortillas.
Not everything on the Taqueria brunch menu takes a "put an egg on it" philosophy, mind you. You can tuck into quesadillas or enchiladas, or their standout enmoladas, which are basically enchiladas in a smoky-sweet mole. While the French toast is the sugary superstar, a soft cornbread, pan de elote, has a bit of sweetness to it - which you can balance out by swiping your forkful through the green sea of poblano salsa on the plate for a big splash of heat.
And if you're feeling like trying something niche, they're cooking up a silky soft French-style omelette topped with mushrooms and broccolini punctuated with a delicacy called huitlacoche, which is by definition corn fungus. It lends a gentle note of funk to the symphony of mild and earthy notes of the other components.
La Taqueria's brunch menu was created by Chef Maria Ponce, who came to Vancouver recently by way of her native Mexico and after working in several restaurants there and abroad. Ponce is infusing the well-established La Taqueria with her vibrant morning dishes, and has more in store to bring to the brand soon. The brunch menu furthers La Taqueria's commitment to showcasing both the many exciting regional flavours of Mexico and beautiful B.C.-sourced ingredients.
Right now you can find brunch at the Yukon Street location Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon and weekends from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. La Taqueria will soon be putting brunch on the menu at its Victoria location and it will be available at the Amazing Brentwood location in Burnaby when it opens this summer.
@vancouverisawesome Time to get a little bold and spicy! 🔥#forkingawesome #mexicanfood #brunch #vancouverbc ♬ Brunch - Hug Them All
