Must-Try: Playa Cabana Hacienda’s sweet play on the fries-curds-gravy equation

At Playa Cabana Hacienda, the newest outpost of Dave Sidhu’s trendy taco chain, playful fusion dishes round out a menu of traditional Mexican street snacks. Tacos are stuffed with sweet Korean kalbi; huevos rancheros get a salty hit from crumbled Spanish chorizo; and churros—ridged Mexican doughnuts dusted with sugar and cinnamon—sub for French fries in a sweet take on poutine. A glass tumbler holds a half-dozen fritters, crunchy from the fryer and still warm enough to melt a tangle of shredded marshmallows (a convincingly gooey stand-in for cheese curds). The star, though, is the pool of cajeta: a thick, sweet caramel coaxed from sugar and goat’s milk. It makes a delightfully creamy dip for fried dough, but tastes equally sublime on its own. Don’t be ashamed to ask for a spoon. $9.

Playa Cabana Hacienda, 14 Dupont St., 647-352-6030, playacabana.ca