Thank you, Suresh Doss, for tweeting about this place!
This small family-run restaurant on St. Clair serves up some amazing South American food. It's some of the best food I've eaten in a while, and I can tell that they put a lot of love and pride into everything that they make. The service is very warm and friendly, and we were well taken-care of. I would give this place more than 5 stars if I could.
The first time we stopped by, it was a Saturday evening around 7:30 pm and they had unfortunately sold out of almost everything, so we did not stay. We decided to try again a week later on Saturday around 6 pm and were delighted that most of their menu options were still available; however, by 7 pm, they were again sold out of a lot of options. So make sure to go a bit earlier if it's a weekend!
Everything we had was delicious, filling and reasonably priced. The shrimp ceviche was excellent: full of plump, juicy shrimp, and the marinade was bright and refreshing without being overly acidic. It was served with two delicious plantain pancakes and some freshly fried corn chips. Note that it's only available on weekends.
Both the arepa and empanada were delicious, especially with the house-made hot sauce. The arepa was overflowing with roasted pork, which was tender and juicy. Empanadas were well-stuffed, and were also available as a grab-and-go option.
The sancocho de res (soup with beef short rib, cassava, plantain, and corn) was SO homey and warming. The broth was hearty and flavourful, and the meat melted in my mouth. Perfect for a cold winter day.
We got the chicken tamale and it was HEFTY - definitely not like a typical Mexican tamale, which I think is smaller and flatter. It's definitely more of a main dish and not an appetizer size. It was hot, creamy, and filled with a generous helping of chicken and also some egg. The house-made salsa and hot sauce really elevated this dish to the next level.
We enjoyed this amazing meal with a tropical passionfruit juice (more of a smoothie), which was very refreshing. We finished off with a slice of tres leche cake, which was soft, creamy, and not too sweet. It was the perfect way to end such a great meal.
I would highly recommend this place, and I can't wait to go back and try some of their other dishes. read more