Introducing: Pachuco, the new Danforth Mexican restaurant from the sisters behind Embrujo Flamenco

By Signe Langford | January 20, 2012

By Signe Langford | 01/20/2012

Pachuco is tucked away underneath Embrujo Flamenco on the Danforth

As defined by Urban Dictionary, a pachuco is “a Chicano or Mexican guy back in the 1930s to 1950s that dressed in zoot suits.” As defined by the Fernandez sisters, Jais, Eren and Mali, it’s a subterranean cantina serving authentic Mexican food with a modern twist. The sisters arrived in Toronto at various times over the last few decades, but ultimately, their shared love of food and entrepreneurial nature led them in 2002 to open Embrujo Flamenco, the Danforth tapas bar with live dancing, and Café Madrid in the cellar, which they’ve now transformed into Pachuco.

While chef Mali specializes in Spanish cuisine, the food of her childhood continued to tug at her while she was cooking at Embrujo. “We love to eat Mexican food but we could never find a place in Toronto that served what we remembered—real, authentic Mexican food.” Eren, who handles the front of house, adds, “We’d never even heard of chimichangas until we got to Toronto!” At Pachuco, the sisters aren’t serving the northern Mexican food you mostly see up here, with its heaps of beans and rice and meat. Instead, the dishes, from the middle and south of the country, are lighter and fresher, with more veggies. The taquitos de huitlacoche ($15), for example, are a pre-Columbian dish of corn fungus (think of it as Mexican truffles) with requesón-avocado salsa. The taquitos de pato ($15), meanwhile, are stuffed with fatty, crispy duck confit and topped with pineapple pico de gallo. And that perennial favourite of Mexican food lovers, guacamole, is well represented on the menu—in five ways, in fact. The sampler ($17) comes with traditional, house-smoked trout and goat cheese variations, served with warm, house-made tortilla chips.

While Embrujo’s room upstairs is a touch more formal, Pachuco is a little rougher, with neon, exposed brick and salvaged iron filigree. The soundtrack is current Mexican pop and rock—the sisters assure us it’s a Mariachi-free zone—and the bar is all about tequilas, Mexican beers and the much-sought-after Mexican Coke (it’s got cane sugar instead of HFCS). The margarita selection changes up based on the availability of fresh fruits, and currently includes spicy mango ($8), a goosed-up version of a childhood snack. Mali recalls: “When we were kiddies, at recess we would run to the stand and get a mango all sprinkled with hot chili. We loved it. The pain is lovely and addictive.”

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A sprinkling of hot chili pepper is an unexpected foil for the sweetness of this mango margarita ($8)

Margarita sampler ($15): guava, pineapple and strawberry

Even the Coke comes from Mexico, where it’s still made with cane sugar, not HFCS

Taquitos with duck confit, pear salsa and pineapple pico de gallo ($15)

The tacquitos de huitlacoche, made with Mexican corn fungus ($15)

House-made corn chips accompany the guacamole trio ($17), with traditional, smoked trout and goat cheese versions

Chef Mali Fernandez with the source of much of her inspiration: her grandmother’s neatly typed-out cookbook

Inside Pachuco, in the basement of Embrujo Flamenco

The neon sign celebrates Tin-Tan, a Mexican TV star from the ’60s and ’70s

Pachuco, 99 Danforth Ave., 416-466-8006, pachuco.ca

6 thoughts on “Introducing: Pachuco, the new Danforth Mexican restaurant from the sisters behind Embrujo Flamenco”

sarah says:

January 23, 2012 at 1:28 pm

Saw this and went for a visit Saturday night as I live in the area overpriced, mediocre food at best just like its sister restaurant upstairs… wont be going back.
Flamenco fan says:

January 24, 2012 at 3:58 am

They need to put a flamenco show, lots of interest in flamenco in Toronto.
Susan Spratley says:

January 24, 2012 at 8:32 am

We went Friday night. It was fresh, innovative combination of flavours and presentation. El Sol in my hood can suck it. THese people CARE! Pachuco is like eating in a really good cooks home in Mexico, REALLY! The mole sauce has 25 ingredients and I could eat it like a soup if they’d let me. The 5 guacamoles are very diverse, we had the sampler of 3. The pork conchita (spell?), yum-o with the pico de gallo salsa (zingy!) and haberno mayo. Should be a little more generous with those condiments though. Order lots and share. The black and white Mexican movies behind the bar and the cool mexican pop music add to a very cool ambiance. All margaritas are made with fresh fruit juice, and I had one that was perfection. (Sadly the wine choice is terrible). FYI nothing appeals on the menu to kids or teens. We will be back!
Alex says:

February 1, 2012 at 9:45 am

One of the better restaurant experiences I’ve had in a while. The detractors don’t know what they’re talking about.

Went with a few people, tried each others’ entrees: the stuffed poblano really satisfied the vegetarian in the group, the fish taquitos were the best I’ve ever had, and the conchinita pibil (my dish) was absolutely delicious. Drank a lot of the guava margaritas — I’m not usually into cocktails or sweet drinks, but they were palatable enough for me to have 4. :)

I would definitely recommend this place.
BL says:

September 10, 2012 at 12:32 pm

4 of us, frequent good resturant eaters. Service here was so bad we still joke about it a month later. Felt stalked. Still chewing when they bussed our plates. The whole service team was weird bordering on creepy. Food good but for 200$ we won’t be back until the service gets some training or replaced.
eric says:

October 1, 2012 at 9:45 pm

pachuco seems way to simular to momocho in Cleveland Ohio to be a coincidence / imitation is flattering but c’mon / viva momocho!

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Introducing: Pachuco, the new Danforth Mexican restaurant from the sisters behind Embrujo Flamenco

6 thoughts on “Introducing: Pachuco, the new Danforth Mexican restaurant from the sisters behind Embrujo Flamenco”

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