Montreal’s New Mexican Wave

A handful of recently opened restaurants has turned Montreal into a mini-fiesta of sophisticated Mexican cuisine.

At Alma in Outremont, Juan Lopez-Luna showcases heritage corn from his hometown of Tlaxcala, nixtamalized in-house. Pop by Terraza Luz, his back-alley taquería, on summer Saturdays and he’ll be there tending to a steaming cauldron of cochinita pibil, his grandmother’s tortilla press at his side. (In winter, the pop-up shifts inside to sister restaurant TincSet on Tuesdays.) For the Taco Omakase experience (offered once a month), eight tacos are served by Lopez-Luna and a guest chef, while a Menu Carte Blanche provides nine courses highlighting seasonal Quebec ingredients and changes on the first of the month. “We want to change perspectives of what Mexican food can be,” says Lopez-Luna.

Meanwhile, at Chinatown’s Barrio-Chino, Geoffrey Moreau — who was born in Monterrey, the capital of the northeastern state of Nuevo León — transforms Oaxacan corn into tacos and botanas (snacks), for enjoying with shots of mezcal late into the night.

On the Plateau, Santiago Alonso works with Ontario corn for Mexican-themed dishes at Cabaret l’Enfer, while Guadalajara-born chef Alejandro Ramirez at Mile End’s Bar à Flot explores Mexican flavours and accents via, say, the tuna tostada with guacamole. Also on the Plateau, at Carlota Boulangerie, baker-owner Mariana Martin shares her pastry expertise (honed at Mexico City’s Rosetta) from the open kitchen where she also leads baking workshops. Martin’s rendition of Rosetta’s legendary guava-and-cheese rolls pays homage to her homeland, alongside swirled, powdery conchas, focaccia with Yucatán oregano, and mole brioches.