Oh dear, it has been hard to find really good, authentic Mexican food in Toronto since Chris McDonald closed Zocalo and Desmond Poon retired from Duppy’s Original Diner and then Iguana. Pachuco doesn’t scale those heights but it debuts pretty high in the city’s charts, especially for people who like modmex food – the cooking of modern Mexico rather than the creaky northern and Tex-Mex canon.
Pachuco used to be called Café Madrid, a basement tapas bar owned by the three Fernandez sisters, Jais, Eren and Mali, who are also the proprietors (and front of house, marketer and chef, respectively) of the more conventional Spanish restaurant and dance bar on street level, Embrujo Flamenco. I’m not sure Café Madrid caused very much of a stir but Pachuco is more interesting. The space is tiny (32 seats) and dominated by a bar, behind which Jais mixes some really good cocktails. A sampler of three Margaritas is excellent value at $15 and the distinctiveness of the tart original version, the sweet strawberry and mint, and the yummy mango, chili and lime variations are remarkable. She also makes a long, addictively austere Mojito or there’s a range of imported Mexican soft drinks displayed, including Mexican Coca-Cola, made with cane sugar instead of the high-fructose corn syrup that, in this country, crouches at the heart of The Dark Master. Sit at the bar and you can see the cocktails being made or watch the silent black-and-white Mexican movies from the 1950s featuring real pachucos – small-time hoodlums in zoot suits. Not that you can’t see the screen from anywhere in the little room, seated at a tiny granite table in the dim candlelight.
Service at Pachuco is impressively attentive and knowledgeable. Our waiter was eager to explain the food and how best to order it. We started with a sampler of three of the five variations of guacamole on offer. Flavours were unexpectedly vague in one of them that featured smoked trout, bacon and poblano chili; a second, starring goat cheese, poblano and chewy sundried tomato was better but the best of the bunch was the blue-cheese-walnut-caramelized-shallot recipe – creamy, piquant and perfect with the excellent corn chips. Blue marlin ceviche felt a little like yet another guacamole, deconstructed this time, with slivers of the delicate fish served on a crisp round tortilla with tangy starfruit aioli and more avocado.
Bolobanes de polo blew the marlin out of the water – a dish that reminded me of Argentinean empanadas – small soft pastry crescents stuffed with chicken and olives and served with the best mole sauce I’ve had in years, full of complex spicing, a nicely judged chili heat and just the barest hint of savoury chocolate amidst the other 25 ingredients.
Taquitos are the main event at Pachuco. Soft, moist, warm corn taquitos arrive in a prettily decorated basket that keeps them in peak condition. The filling is in a separate dish and at least two accompanying salsas make up the quorum of flavours. I ordered the huitlacoche filling – the rather slimy fungus that grows on corn and is known as “corn truffle” or, less attractively, “corn smut.” It has the texture of cooked black trumpet mushrooms and an interesting, slightly pungent corn flavour, and it makes a great filling for the taquitos. Add a trail of one creamy salsa made with requesón (like Mexican cottage cheese) and avocado, and another, much spicier one of smoked chipotle and honey, and you’re good to go, with ot without the black beans that come in a separate bowl in a dark broth with clouds of pressed cheese. Or try a different taquito filling of beef braised with coffee and ancho… Splendid.
Desserts here look interesting, too. One of them comes in a glass with a layer of cake topped with thick lemon custard, as rich and yummy as a citrus tiramisu.
Pachuco is open Wednesday through Sunday evenings. 99 Danforth Avenue (at Broadview), 647 694 0303. www.pachuco.ca.