El Taco serves light, fresh, healthy food and some unique dishes such as a burrito in a bowl
Mia Stainsby
Sun
Jeannine Belanger displays the beef burritos and taco salad at El Taco on Davie Street. Photograph by : Ward Perrin, Vancouver Sun
It was a cold call. The staff looked young and friendly, it had an element of fun and funky and the music was good. So I went in, hoping to have a quick, tasty Mexican meal.
I found El Taco to be a friendly neighbourhood spot where the food is light, fresh and healthy. It’s casual but that doesn’t have to exclude margaritas, mojitas, sangria, daiquiris, wine and Mexican and Brazilian beers. The food is not stodgy and it doesn’t sit like a medicine ball in the stomach. Cheese isn’t blanketed over everything.
In fact, I had a salad that I could certainly go back for — called Sayulita Salad, a light toss of organic greens with hits of grated cheese, avocado slices, toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dressed with a lime-cilantro dressing. Very yummy and healthy. I had a fish taco, and it too was lightened with crunchy greens and guacamole. The fish was lightly battered and tasty.
On the other side of the table, my partner’s tortilla soup tasted of freshly roasted tomatoes (pureed) with chunks of tortilla chips, avocado and gratings of cheese. His quesadilla was quartered and neatly arranged. There was a choice of a couple of unusual ones — cilantro pesto or roasted garlic as well as shrimp, chicken, beef, chorizo or shrimp.
I didn’t try the enchiladas or burritos, but I witnessed a burrito being eaten. They will satiate. They weigh over a pound (says so on the menu) and require two hands to eat.
This is the second El Taco. The first is in Nelson. Jeannine Belanger runs this one and her brother Gill Langevin and niece Justine run the one in the Interior. There are plans for more in Vancouver.
There are a couple of dishes you won’t see in other Mexican cafes — the Huicol Bowl (wee-chole) is a burrito without the tortilla. In other words, you get the filling in a bowl and four warm corn tortillas on the side. They’ve just started offering a Guadalajaran dish, something like a beef dip but spicier.
Other dishes include tortas (Mexican style sandwiches), tamales, enchiladas, nachos and breakfast dishes. Prices top off at $8.
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EL TACO
788 Davie St., 604-806-0300.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
© The Vancouver Sun 2007