A Good Pupuseria

Hola, amigos. Last Sunday, I went in search of a good pupuseria in Kensington. It's been a few years since I've had authentic Latin American meal, more specifically, pupusas. Pupusas, in short, are stuffed corn tortillas grilled and served with salsa or the Salvadoran version of coleslaw. They're tasty, filling, and good as leftovers. Pork, refried bean, and cheese (or any combination of the three) are standard fillings. They're Salvadoran in origin, and are considered one of the country's national foods. If you've ever been to Latin America, you know that pupusas sell like hot cakes on every corner, with some places - pupuserias - selling only those.

My pupusa-making skills are lacking as of late, so I thought Kensington would be a good place to start. I found my way into the Latin American Emporium (243 Augusta Avenue), and thought I had died and gone to heaven. If you cook Latin American food, you need to visit this tiny little shop/cafe packed full of imported goodness.

The Latin American Emporium has dried goods, candy, cooking ingredients and freshly prepared foods at a reasonable price. I stocked up on Goya, Duvalin candies, marzipan, chocoleta, and a few other assorted things, all for under $20. I also enjoyed breakfast with one of my roommates. Reliving my memories of El Salvador, we ordered a $7 huevos con queso breakfast (an omelette, salsa, fried plantains, refried beans, tortillas, cheese, and tortilla chips) that was really good, and some pupusas. When I went to El Salvador a few years back, I ate huevos con queso three times a day. It's filling and somewhat good for you, so for $7, it's a pretty good deal. I the bean pupusas were really good, too - the tortilla dough was just right, and everything tasted really fresh. I meant to take some to go but was too full to look at another one.

The Latin American Emporium is more of a take-out place, but they have a few stools set up at a bar by the front window, amidst boxes of veggies - true Latin American style. They serve typical, homemade Latin American cuisine at very reasonable prices - tacos, burritos, empanadas, tostados, poblanos, and even a few sopas (soups). Their drinking chocolate (chocoleta) is also excellent. It's not as thick as hot chocolate, and has a rich cinnamon flavour. It's a popular drink served with meals in Latin America, and highly addictive.

I noticed another Latin American place a few doors away, but was too stuff with pupusa goodness to waddle in there. Next time.