Fayuca: Unique Northern Pacific Mexican restaurant opens in Yaletown

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      Vancouver’s Yaletown neighbourhood already boasts a wide range of cuisines, including Japanese, Greek, Vietnamese, and contemporary Canadian—but there’s no such thing as too many choices.

      Fayuca (1009 Hamilton Street) is the latest food establishment to open up in the restaurant-congested area. The new eatery will offer a menu that features Northern Pacific Mexican flavours.

      The 3,000-square-foot space will accommodate around 120 guests, including 25 out on its patio. Its interior design focuses heavily on bringing a warm and inviting environment, and balances out glass and tile elements with yellow cedar (tables and bar), thatch (ceiling) and hand-made weaved bar chairs.

      Its menu offers distinctly unique flavours: Northern Pacific Mexican.
      Michael Mann

      Co-owners Ernesto Gomez (Nuba, YVR Food Fest, Fox Cabaret) and Mexican-based chef/restaurateur Jair Tellez acknowledge that their restaurant’s concept may be hard to grasp, because there is nothing similar to it in the city.

      “It’s going to be more than a restaurant with a theme,” Tellez said to the Straight in an interview at Fayuca. “We will be a restaurant with a statement. We want to do the best possible food at this place, [and] it will be very authentic because it will have to do with the way that we understand food flavours and where we come from.”

      “We’re taking on the inspiration from Northern Mexico, and specifically the North Pacific—where Jair is from,” Gomez told the Straight. “Drawing on our inspirations and expressing them through the ingredients that we find here, some really magical things are happening because we really are developing a new thing.”

      Fayuca means the free flow of ideas and flavours through the Pacific.
      Michael Mann

      At this point, you may be curious as to what kind of dishes are on Fayuca’s menu. Even though some of its culinary creations may be Mexican-inspired, the two co-owners assert that they have not opened a Mexican restaurant (so don’t expect the regular tacos and burritos).

      “If people were to think about how is our relationship with Mexico here, what they’re going to get is the part of Mexico that they don’t usually see,” said Gomez. “Mexico doesn’t end with tacos, tacos is only what you eat on the streets.”

      Guests can expect culinary creations such as broiled periwinkle snails; savoury clams with Dungeness crab and red chile broth; grilled cactus with halloumi cheese and avocado; oxtail fideo pasta; sablefish with green Nordic pipian; and grilled halibut in red adobo with Mexican tabbouleh (Levantine vegetarian dish), among others.

      The drink menu is also extensive—a variety of Mezcal, signature cocktails, craft beers and ciders, and wines are available.

      The bar serves everything from Mezcal to craft beer.
      Michael Mann

      “We are very excited, and we know what we’re doing,” said Tellez. “When we say that we are doing a great restaurant, what we mean is that this restaurant would be great even if it was in Berlin, New York, or Tokyo. Quality only knows one quality.”

      “We are extremely serious about food, but the atmosphere will be really fun,” said Gomez. “Guests can expect to hear eclectic music such as dreamy ‘70s Mexican psychedelic songs.”

      Follow Tammy Kwan on Twitter @ch0c0tam and Instagram @ch0c0tam.

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