A new Mexican concept is opening for lunch in the former location of La Taqueria in Downtown Vancouver.
La Taqueria announced earlier this month it would not be renewing its lease at 586 Hornby St in favour of upgrading its food truck just up the block outside the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»Art Gallery. It didn't take long for another restaurant to step forward to fill the space.
Toloache will serve up a mix of classic Central Mexican cuisine and tacos (of course) alongside dishes inspired by the other diverse cultures that can be found in Vancouver.
Chef Rodrigo Vela, who also owns and operates on Main Street, is developing the menu and shares with V.I.A. that guests should expect South American appetizers and Asian influences.
He teases the potential for bao buns with a Mexican twist.
"We are going to have these two parts of the menu," Vela explains, "but one is going to be the traditional and the other one is going to be more fusion."
The plan is to open in mid-July for lunch on weekdays between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. before opening at 8 a.m. for weekday breakfast in August and then weekend brunch by the end of the summer.
The breakfast menu will stay true to the more traditional Mexican dishes like chilaquiles and huevos rancheros, says Vela.
For now, there are no plans for a dinner service but the team is toying with the idea of hosting evening events in the future.
The name Toloache comes from a flower that, in Mexico, is connected to stories about love potions. "We really liked this story," says Vela, "and we thought that we could connect that with the way we want to display our way of cooking and our kitchen. People will kind of fall in love with our flavours and our work."
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