¡ÓRALE! TACO RESTAURANT
Location:
Hours of Business:
Phone:
Web Address:
1002 Johnson at Vancouver
Lunch & Dinner: 11 am – 7 pm Mon. to Sat.
250-590-3370
www.orale.ca
Chosen for:
Tasty fresh authentically Mexican food
Friendly atmosphere
Imported Mexican food products
It was a perfect late summer day as 19 Grapevine members congregated for the first time since June. Five first-timers attended, one of them a visitor from Korea who was passing by as we gathered and asked to join us.We purposely took members on a longer scenic route to put them off the scent before leading them a few steps down onto the sunny patio of ¡Órale! Taco Restaurant on the corner of Johnson and Vancouver Streets. Behind-the-counter-guy Paul greeted us with a brilliant smile. We called owner Scott Martin from the kitchen and announced his business had won our “best of the bunch for the month” award, which caused him to exhibit his own brilliant smile.
Chef/Owner Scott (left) with Paul
Photos by Barbara McDonell & Sandra Tennent
As bouncy Mexican music played in the background, Scott explained that the name (pronounced Oh- rah-lay) is slang for “extreme enthusiasm”. Having opened only two months ago, the restaurant is the new kid on the block. The cafeteria is spacious and bright with a couple of large photos of the country on one wall – taken personally by Scott.
Chef Scott describes his menu as food typically served at Mexican picnics, weddings and fiestas. Featuring tacos, tamales and tostadas, ¡Órale! is licensed to sell Tequila and Mexican beers, and also offers Mexican juices and sodas. Serving authentic cuisine in a casual, fun atmosphere, the cafe’s goal is to provide top quality Mexican food at a great price. You can order food to eat in or take out.
Mexican imported goods include jalapeno peppers,
black beans, Mexican sauce, chilis, green tomatoes,
tender cactus, maiz, whole hominy – and more!
They also sell well-priced imported Mexican products such as Don Poncho corn tortillas, Mole Sauce, Arbulita Hot Chocolate, Valentina Hot Sauce, a variety of dried chillies, frozen tamales, jalapeno peppers, black beans, green tomatoes, tender cactus, maiz, whole hominy – and more! If you’ve visited Mexico and are craving one of her yummy specialties, check out ¡Órale! Taco Restaurant.
Scott lived in Mexico for a year and a half, learning about her people, customs and culture. There the Dominguez family took him into their home and their family restaurant. After returning to Canada, he attended Vancouver’s Douglas College to take business and hotel/restaurant management courses. It took him almost five years to perfect his recipes by using focus groups to ensure the taste, texture, appearance and spiciness was just right, with Mexican friends ensuring that food stayed authentic to Mexico and didn’t become Tex-Mex.
In 2006 Scott returned to Victoria, where his parents live. Originally his vision was for a taquirea but when he found this larger-than-anticipated location the plan shifted and morphed into a cafeteria where people ordered at the counter. However, it maintains the flavour of a taquirea because you order single items a la carte to create as large a meal as you wish.
Although Grapevine founders initially thought Paul was co-owner of ¡Órale!, during the “graping” we learned that he’d agreed to help behind the counter during the business’ launch only. In fact, we were experiencing his last shift as he makes the transition from a former counselling career into web development.
A wall-mounted chalkboard features vegetarian selections on one side and food with meat fillings on the other (note that they use chicken broth for flavouring options on both sides). The food is nicely presented and fresh-tasting – Grapeviners were not disappointed.
You can order one soft 4-inch corn tortilla for $2 or three for $5, choosing from six different fillings: shredded beef, pork and chorizo stewed in chipotle; grilled pork and pineapple; slow-roased pork; poblano, onion, corn and cream; chicken in roasted red salsa or pulled beef in Mexican marinade. Tamales are corn-flour Mexican dumplings stuffed with your choice of chicken and mole sauce (cocoa, nuts and chillis); chicken and green tomato salsa or the veggie version with strips of the mildest chili, corn and cream ($4.50 each). Tostadas ($3 each or two for $5) are crispy tortillas stacked with beans, guacamole, salsa, lettuce and sour cream. For an extra 75 cents you can add any taco filling.
I ordered the Pizole Soup ($5) which was dinner sized (after a heroic attempt to finish it I had to request a doggy bag, which I then totally forgot to take home!). Filled with pulled pork and hominy (big white corn pieces), it’s basically a stew, served with little pots of condiments on the side: lettuce, onion, chili, oregano, cilantro and a saucer of lime wedges. Kind of a build-your-own-meal, you just add what you like in whatever portion desired.
Also available are Quesadillas, Nachos, Mexican rice and/or beans. Popular desserts included rice pudding and a sumptuous flan.
Do yourself a favour: For a delicious lunch or early dinner at surprisingly modest cost, take a short escape to downtown Victoria’s Mexico, taste the food, and return without lost luggage or a sunburn. You’ll be stomping the Mexican Hat Dance and shouting, “Magnifico!”
