Los Vietnamita Taqueria began as a pop-up, catering events throughout the Toronto area.

Co-owners Kevin Chiu and Annie Chu came up with the idea of a Mexican-Vietnamese fusion restaurant while playing in the kitchen with their family.

"The whole concept was basically developed through fun," Kevin explains.

Kevin and Annie debuted their creations at TO Food Fest in 2016, where they sold out almost immediately.

After an equally successful stint as a booth at Evergreen Brick Works, the duo decided to take their act on the road with a food truck.

The couple tells us that this decision helped them grow their business during the height of the pandemic. Though many eateries were forced to limit entry to a select number of visitors, food trucks had fewer restrictions to contend with.

Los Vietnamita's recent transformation into a brick-and-mortar restaurant was the result of positive reception at local food markets and festivals.

"People would always ask where else they could find us," says Kevin. "We wanted to have somewhere we could point them."

The space pays homage to the concept's roots with its stylish monochromatic decor. The walls are decorated with graffiti tags, as well as pictures of their truck, which also appears in the restaurant's logo.

The menu consists largely of handhelds — sandwiches, tacos and the like — with a few notable exceptions.

Each dish is designed with both Mexican and Vietnamese flavours in mind, giving you the best that both cultures have to offer in a single meal.

The best example of this design philosophy is the restaurant's signature banh mi taco. Instead of traditional taco shells, Los Vietnamita uses soft, buttery pastries to hold a variety of different meats and veggies.

Most of these tacos come topped with lettuce, cucumbers, pickled carrots, daikon and cilantro; toppings often found in traditional Vietnamese banh mi.

In 2017, the Crispy Fish Taco ($12) won Best Dish from Toronto Taco Fest.

In addition to the usual fixings, this dish is dressed with purple citrus coleslaw and sriracha crema, which bring out the delicate flavours of the fish filet.The Saigon Fried Chicken Taco ($14) is the recipient of two awards, from Taco Fest 2019 and Street Eats Fried Chicken Festival 2021, respectively.

I first tasted this dish at the Street Eats Market in 2020 and was not disappointed by my second try.

Buttermilk fried chicken is the main attraction, with sweet chili sauce and garlic crema enhancing the crispy meat.

The Firecracker Shrimp Taco ($15) is as spicy as its name suggests, thanks to a winning combination of sauteed chipotle shrimp, mango chili sauce, sambal crema, and hanoi slaw.The Braised Pork Belly Rice Box ($17) is a filling bento-style meal and one of my favourite items on the menu.

Tender slices of boneless pork rest atop a heaping pile of white rice, with sides of fish sauce, garlic and ancho crema and pico de gallo for dipping.

The meal also comes with a Mexicano Beef Egg Roll, filled with corn, black beans and spiced skillet ground beef. These egg rolls are also available individually, for $3.50 each.

Mexicano Fries ($10) are the ultimate messy treat, piled high with sweet peppers, pico de gallo, crispy shallots and scallions.

Sambal crema and chipotle ketchup are the final ingredients, adding an extra kick to this already zesty dish.Loaded Churros ($2.25 each) are stuffed with your choice of chocolate or dulce de leche filling, then dusted in cinnamon sugar, resulting in a light, portable dessert.Los Vietnamitas Taqueria is located at 2644 St Clair Ave E.