This Kensington taqueria sources every ingredient straight from Mexico

La Chilaca Taqueria: From Mexico with love This Kensington taqueria sources every ingredient straight from Mexico.

For breakfast, Juan Poot indulged in tacos nearly every day while growing up in Mérida, Mexico – a city rich with Mayan history located on the Yucatán Peninsula. But 18 years ago, when Poot came to Canada, the flavours of his hometown were hard to find.

“When I came here, I never saw any Mayan dishes,” Poot told CTV News Toronto. “I wanted to bring the food from my city to another country.”

To remedy the sparsity, four years ago, Poot opened La Chilaca, a Mexican street-style taqueria in Kensington Market hailed as one of the most authentic burrito and taco spots in the city.

While Mexican restaurants are now commonplace in Toronto – alongside pitchers of margaritas paired with salt-rimmed glasses and charred corn with a heavy dousing of crema and cotija cheese – Poot’s approach strips away the mainstream noise.

His taqueria shares a roof with a handful of South American vendors, creating a food court-style atmosphere serving up empanadas and churros, alongside Poot’s tacos.

Poot’s modest space is rich in hometown pride painted in red with green accents found on Mexico’s national flag. Squeezed into the narrow corridor is a grill and a counter with a line that spills out the door, even mid-week outside of prime mealtime hours.

Their top seller is the campechano taco. To make it, Poot peels a corn tortilla from a high stack as the foundation that holds a heap of beef, chorizo and cheese laid on a simple black-and-white patterned paper at the base of a styrofoam container.

While vying for a low price point can be a sacrificial act when it comes to high-quality food in Toronto – La Chilaca is an exception.

A mix-and-match set of three tacos costs $12, while a torta with lamb, chicken, several varieties of pork or tofu is $10.

As affirmation of Poot’s commitment to authenticity, he sources each ingredient straight from his hometown. “Everything is from Mexico,” Poot said. “I have to bring it from my town to Toronto.”

Poot’s attention to detail – down to the specificity of sourcing spices – is what separates his establishment from the herd.

“The difference is the quality and the original recipe,” Poot said.