A little piece of Mexico is coming to the Royal City this fall.
El Santo restaurant is slated to open late September in the Trapp + Holbrook building, and owner Alejandro Diaz couldn’t be more excited.
“We really want to bring something fun and contemporary to New West,” he told the Record. “Most people know Mexican food as your basic tacos and tostadas, but we want to do something more, bring that modern part of Mexico.”
Diaz, a native of the country, decided he wanted to open his own place a couple years ago. After living in New West for some time, he said he had found there were few local date-night options, often prompting him to go to Vancouver and elsewhere. A lack of education people have about Mexican food and drink was another reason for the entrepreneurial endeavour, Diaz added.
He and his executive chef, Shane King, visited Mexico earlier this year to do research, scoping out the most forward-thinking and up-and-coming restaurants.
“There’s numerous regions of Mexico that have completely different ways of preparing different dishes,” King said, “So the array and the difference in food styles amongst all those regions is exciting, and I think it’s something that is lacking (here).”
He added when people in North America think of Mexican grub, they think of cheese, cream and flour.
“That’s more Tex Mex food,” King noted. “We’re going to be incorporating as much locally-sourced ingredients as possible.”
Mexican food can be very healthy, Diaz chimed in, with many gluten-free options.
The menu includes chilaquiles made of tortilla strips, seared pork belly and a tomatillo salsa. All tortillas will be made fresh in-house thanks to a special tortilla-making machine. Some of the dishes, meanwhile, will be presented in a share-plate format, giving foodies more flavour for their taste buds. There will even be a few seafood items.
The liquor menu is also impressive, with a variety of tequila options, both smooth and sweet. Like craft brew enthusiasts, El Santo-goers will be able to order flights, not of beer but of tequila.
“We want to remove the stigma of doing tequila shots at the end of the night … it’s kind of against what tequila’s all about,” said King. “Tequila’s like tasting a good scotch.”
El Santo, or The Saint, was a famous Mexican wrestler who was known for always wearing his silver mask both in and out of the ring, never exposing his face (except for once) to the public.
Naming the restaurant after him, Diaz said, made sense because it carries history, adventure and a bit of mystery.
El Santo, located at 680 Columbia St., will have seating for about 100 people. There will also be a patio for those wanting to catch the sun’s rays.
