Latin World
Latin World is known for their weekday deals on dollar tacos and pozole soup.
They also serve a variety of classic entrees, and double as a source for tons of imported Latin American products.
These products make up most of the decor, stacked up to the ceiling: a wide variety of hot sauces, tostadas, candy, jars of cactus, Mexican mayo, Mexican hot chocolate and even beauty products.
Some instant ramen seems to be thrown in for good measure.
There's also the typical kitschy taqueria decor, such as colourful flags, pinatas, aerosol sprays, beat up traditional chairs and woven placemats.
Pastor tacos are $1 each on the day I visit, absent of typical pineapple, a little smaller than regular tacos in a full price order.
All tacos are garnished very simply with onion and cilantro, served with lime, and are made using imported corn tortillas (also available for purchase) grilled to order.
The meat has a punchy seasoning, but the real star of this place is a lineup of sauces.
An avocado jalapeno sauce is thick and creamy with a touch of heat, and adds acidity and moisture to pretty much anything.
The spiciest is a chunky Molcajete sauce made with three kinds of peppers, and it's my favourite as it brings a lot of welcome heat to the tacos. There's also a smoky chipotle sauce.
Chorizo is relatively indistinguishable from the pastor; tortillas piled high with the crumbly, heavily seasoned sausage.
I prefer a carnitas option, the meat more manageable as shredded chunks and a bit juicier than the chorizo. It's a particularly great vehicle for the various sauces.
Cecina ($12.99) is a kind of tough, salted, dried beef product, here utilized kind of like steak. It's paired traditionally with rice, beans, imported sour cream and crumbly cheese. Avocado on top maybe isn't worthy of a pretty cafe, but adds fattiness and flavour to the tough meat.
Enchiladas verdes ($12.99) are more appealing to the eye and more addictive to me personally, corn tortillas stuffed with chicken and doused with a spicy green sauce, served with rice and beans and topped with salty cheese, cream, and shredded lettuce, which adds a bit of crunch.
Pozole ranges in price from $6.99 to $11.99, and comes in rojo, verde or blanco versions with either chicken or pork, topped with onion, cilantro and lettuce.
Huge chewy, crunchy corn kernels and shredded meat soak up the comforting, mildly spiced flavours of the thin stew. Provided tostadas are perfect for scooping, and a little lime wakes everything up.
To drink, there are house agua frescas ($2.50) like horchata.
Otherwise, opt for an iconic Jarritos soda or Boing juice.
Fareen Karim