The corner of Kingsway and Fraser St is becoming an interesting place. It has the Pizza Factory that my family used to order from when I was a child; the Bubble Town that high schoolers frequent; and Ba Le for cheap Viet Subs (reference my post on Ba Le). However there’s a new addition that’s been picking up quite the buzz named Sal y Limón.
Let me just say that I’m not a frequent eater of Mexican food. Before the past few years where numerous Mexican joints opened in Vancouver, my only image of such cuisine was the bad Tex-Mex food distributed by places like Taco Time. It is a bit shameful, but I didn’t know the joys and wonders of Mexican food. That changed about a year ago when I went to the Richmond Nightmarket and tried the authentic Mexican Taco stand (yes, a taco stand at an Asian market). I assume that the many other Vancouverites have only heard about Mexican food from places like LA, but never have actually had the opportunity to consume an authentic taco.
The inside of Sal y Limón is fairly small, but they try to pack it with as many tables and seats as they can. Often when I walk by I see a lineup, so it must get quite tight here.
Their menu consists of Mexican favourites like tortas, huaraches, burritos, and quesedilas. I decided that I wanted to go for the tacos during my first go at Sal y Limón.
So, with some cane sugar Coke, I decided to try out 4 tacos.
The counter was lined with different sauces, but I chose to be minimal with my sauces for my first time at Sal y Limón. I did grab the chipotle and avocado sauces, but if you want something spicier they have some sauces for you too.
The first taco I had was the Carne Asada (grilled beef) with cheese. I thought the cheese would be sprinkled on top of the taco, but it was actually melted onto the tortilla. I’m used to the former, with the contrast between the hot meat and the colder cheese. Being trapped in my old ways may have mentally made it harder to taste the cheese, however I enjoyed this taco. This was a great beef taco!
The second taco was the codero al cilantro (lamb marinated in cilantro). I didn’t get cheese on this one because the lamb had a more distinctive taste than the beef. This one did taste heavily of cilantro, but I thought it meshed well with the lamb. I have a lot of friends who hate cilantro, but I love it when it’s put with the right things. This was one of those proper applications of cilantro.
The third taco was the deep fried shrimp taco. This taco was loaded compared to the other three, and so much so that bits and pieces were falling out while I was taking bites. I love shrimp tacos, and this only concreted such love for them. It was totally worth the sauce-covered hands.
The last taco was the beef tongue with cheese. My prior experience with beef tongue tacos was with the tongues marinated and shredded, and so this was my first time eating diced beef tongue. The tongue’s texture was a lot lighter and more tender than the grilled beef. If shrimp tacos are my favourite type of taco, this is probably my second!
Sal y Limón is a legit Mexican restaurant with a chill vibe, and I’m definitely coming back in the new future to try out their other dishes!
Cheers,
D
blandcouver 