Comal y Canela

Tacos (al pastor or carnitas)

Hand-pressed tortillas from the comal holding slow-cooked pork — the fat renders properly and the char from the griddle adds depth you don't get from store tortillas

Quesadillas

Made on freshly pressed tortillas — the difference from pre-made wraps is stark, and the cheese pull is generous

Pozole

Long-simmered hominy soup with tender braised pork, garnished tableside with cabbage, radish, and dried chili — a bowl that rewards cold Toronto evenings

Mole dish

One of the kitchen's most labor-intensive preparations — the sauce has the layered, slightly bitter depth that comes from toasting and grinding many components, not from a jar

Tamales

Masa-wrapped and steamed until the interior is just set, with a filling that carries its seasoning all the way through