I first heard about Agave Y Aguacate from Steven Davey’s review in NOW Magazine. I hadn’t noticed the rating he had given it at the time – 5 N’s – but wholly concur after making my own visit to this one-man operation. Everything is made fresh and to-order – tostadas are fried, guacamole is prepped, tomatoes are sliced – all while you patiently observe and salivate. Watching Francisco Alejandri work is fascinating, as it reveals the care he puts into the creation of every dish. And the results are worth it.

I started with the green tostada. The guacamole is heavily laced with lime – just the way I like it – and piled on a freshly fried tostada with lightly marinated tomatoes and a slice of queso fresco cheese. It is then topped with crema, as well as a guajillo chili and tomatillo salsa. This dish, while rich and creamy from the guacamole, cheese, and crema, gets balanced out by the acid from the tomatoes and lime. The salsa gave things a vague hint of heat and a little sweetness. I splashed some of the habanero sauce that was on offer beside the table, but the sauce wasn’t very hot and I thought the dish was better without it. The fresh and bright flavours really took me away from the dreary rain spitting from the grey sky outside.

Like the green tostada, the flank steak salad had great fresh flavours – lime, fresh red onion, vinegar, jalapeño, tomato, coriander – mixed with the shredded flank steak. And sided with tortilla chips that are fried to order, apparently. I missed this part as I was dorking away on my cell, but I remember hearing the sizzle from the fryer. I could have used more jalapeño for more kick, but the flank steak salad was a really beautifully crafted dish with awesome layers of flavour. I also somehow thought this was a sandwich when I first read the menu. Must read slower.

No photo (gasp, I know) of the pinto bean soup I had taken home to eat. This soup – made to order(!), like every thing else – was piping hot when it went into the container. A container that had fresh chunks of avocado in it. And if you’ve ever cooked avocado, you’ll know it gets bitter. Otherwise, this carefully crafted soup was quite good and filling. Made with ancho chiles, more of the queso fresco cheese, and topped with tortilla strips and crema.

Remembering that the NOW review had directed readers to not leave without the lime Charolotte, I got this dessert to-go as I was both full and out of time. Lime-custard layers alternating with Maria biscuits topped with fresh lime zest and dose of arbequina olive oil. This is a dense and creamy confection, lightened by the citrusy zing of the lime.

I missed out on a few things on the menu, but the one thing that I wished I had ordered: the hibiscus agua fresca. Sounds refreshingly delicious! Will have to save that for my next visit. To make your own visit to Agave Y Aguacate, look for El Gordo’s Fine Foods with signs on the outside for churros. Go in and head past the bakery toward the various food vendors at the back. Though this is a counter-only kind of place (with maybe five seats shared in the entire space), optimally, you want to eat the food as soon as you can. Take-out isn’t the main thrust here.

Most dishes hover around around the $5 mark (cash only), so things aren’t expensive, but portions are more snack-sized than meal-sized for the items I tried. I went during a slow period, so had no issues with the speed of preparation, but during lunch, I can imagine things getting pretty slow. Fast food, this isn’t, so don’t be in a rush if you visit Agave Y Aguacate. Quality takes time, and this is well worth the wait.

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  • Menu (on flickr)
  • Linked from Agave Y Aguacate on Urbanspoon

More at Agave Y Aguacate

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