Restaurant Review: Tacofino
TACOFINO HASTINGS COMMISSARY
2327 East Hastings Street ~ tacofino.com Twitter: @TacofinoVAN ~ Instagram: @tacofinovan Co-Diner: Tim Golem
When it comes to tacos on the west coast there is only one true legend: Tacofino. They began in a truck located in the parking lot of a surf shop in Tofino. And they're still there till this day! In my opinion, this original location remains the best of them all. But it's also pretty great that their incredible eats can also be experienced right here in Vancouver. They have now expanded to include six locations and two food trucks in Vancouver, one location in Victoria, plus the original truck in Tofino. They're a taco empire! Serving up west coast tacos and bringing the beachside surf town vibe to life in each of their restaurants, I was excited to visit their original Vancouver spot, located in Hastings-Sunrise. Here's the word on the street: The Georgia Straight voted them #1 Best Tacos 2017 and #1 Best Tacos 2018. Westender magazine voted them #1 Best Cheap Eats 2017 and #1 Best Tacos 2017. We arrived on a rainy Saturday evening and were quickly seated on the end of one of the massive communal tables that fills the space. The staff was so cheerful and friendly, ready to accommodate our every need. Without question, the first thing that you notice in this restaurant is the insanely glorious lighting fixture! This thing is a work of art, encompassing the entire ceiling, weaving a web of glowing orbs and suspended terrariums. It must be seen! Besides this, the decor is fairly minimal, but frankly anything more would be overkill with an installation like that one! The long tables are made of thick shiny wood and everyone eats together, elbow-to-elbow. The music playing was also especially amazing and I even wondered if they were somehow connected to my own iTunes account. They have a pretty exciting cocktail list but I was in the mood for my favourite soda, which they happen to carry. Jarritos Soda ($3.00)! They have literally every flavour, all nine of them, so if you're a Jarritos fan like I am, they've likely got the one that you like.
My jam is the Mexican Cola. It's my favourite cola out of all of the colas. You've gotta try it! It puts Coke and Pepsi to shame. There's a section on the menu called "not tacos" and that's where you'll find such things as ceviche and nachos. But did someone say Tater Tots ($11.00)?? Give me some of those!
Chorizo verde, pulled Oaxaca cheese, fundido, crema, salsa fresca.
I loved that the tots were housemade, so golden and crispy with a soft inside. The only problem is that there could've been more of them! This plate had some heat. The chorizo was savoury and spicy while the crema cooled things down. There was a lot of nice balance. I was especially impressed at the use of Oaxaca cheese, something that way more taco places should do. It brings such a nice authenticity to the entire experience. I loved this! I could've shoveled tons more into my mouth! The menu features three types of burritos and seven types of tacos. And I was ready to taco. There wasn't much discussion to be had; it's gotta be Fish ($6.00) and Tuna ($7.00). These are the same two tacos that I order every time that I visit the Tofino location and so I had to try them here.
Tuna: Soy, sesame, salsa fresca, wakame, ginger, wasabi mayo. Fish: Crispy Pacific cod, cabbage, chipolte mayo, salsa fresca.
Arriving to our table in short order, I was excited to dig in. I began with the fish taco and started with a big chomp! Their fish taco is all that you could want a fish taco to be. The cod is expertly battered and fried, lightly crispy with tender white fish within. The crunch from the cabbage adds a great texture and the chipolte mayo brings the hint of heat and flavour that you crave. But the tuna taco is truly where Tacofino shines. It's their pièce de résistance in my opinion. No other taco captures the west coast like this one does! There's the gloriously rare, melt-in-your-mouth, gently seared tuna. And the rest is a symphony of perfectly orchestrated Asian flavours that boast so much freshness and so much flavour that it'll bring a tear to your eye. I can think of no better taco. Tacofino owns the monopoly on tuna tacos and everyone else should just stop trying. Their tortillas are also very nice. They hold up really well to whatever contents are piled on top of them and they have a nice chew to them. We couldn't leave without dessert and grabbed a Chocolate Diablo Cookie ($2.00). They serve these in Tofino as well, so it's a pretty iconic treat.
Cayenne, cinnamon, milk chocolate.
Served deliciously warm, this soft and chewy cookie is ultra chocolatey and packs a kick in the pants. The cayenne really shines and this cookie reminds me of a Mexican hot chocolate, except in cookie form.
There's something about the magic of visiting their Tofino location that can't be replicated in the middle of a big city like Vancouver. But this is certainly the next best thing. Just close your eyes and imagine yourself on Chesterman Beach. With a taco in hand.