La Morena — Restaurant in Toronto

This one hits closer to home being the country where they originate from and my being from there! Ecuador🇪🇨 It’s a small family owned café which from the outside it looks like your typical coffee shop.., lemme tell you though that’s not the case once inside. Once inside you’re greeted by father and son who are so welcoming, personable always courteous and attentive to whoever walks through their doors. The backend (kitchen!) is run by their other son and their mother so you know foods gonna be amazing👌🏽👌🏽👌🏽

Their menu changes as they have your regular standard dish for the week, as well as their special dishes on certain days! (ie:Sunday encebollado) price wise they don’t disappoint and are worth every$$$. Their hornado sandwich is top tier and I highly recommend try it out. Empanadas! Ohh lemme tell you about the empanadas🤗🫠🤤🤤 These delicious golden treats are from different parts of South America. From Colombia, Chile to Argentina and Ecuador you won’t be disappointed in ordering several of them. I recommend you try them all at least once with the Ecuadorian café which always hits ♨️♨️🥹🫶🏽

The place is small with limited seating which may affect the the seating availability, atmosphere, vibe but where it lacks in this is made up by superb friendly service, quality of delicious food and most importantly the people. If you want to try something different and new or if you miss a taste of traditional Latino culture cuisine I Highly recommend you try this spot. Just tell them Danny sent you! Buen...

Gluten-Free Options: Yes Cross Contamination: low Halal/ Kosher Options: No Vegan Option: Yes Vegetarian Options: Yes Nut Free Options: Yes

First Impression: Cute little restaurant on Clair. We were greeted by an older gentleman who was so kind and made us feel very welcome.

Favourite: The chicha morada was outstanding. It’s a traditional drink made from ears of purple maize (maíz morado), which are boiled with pineapple rind, cinnamon, and cloves. If you like to try new things you should definitely give it a shot!

Critiques: The space is small. If you want to sit in there isn’t much privacy. The cute design and kind staff make up for it!

Bonus: They have tamales 🫔!!! This is so rare to find in Canada. I got the chicken one and it was very good. I have only had Colombian tamales so it was fun trying a different take on it.

Take Away: I really enjoyed this place and will be returning again to try some more options.

Follow on tiktok: @eatwithbuns

Update: I have returned to this spot multiple times after my initial review and believe it’s one of the best in the city! The service and food are outstanding and I am excited to watch this small...

Ceviche de Camarón at La Morena

Shrimp marinated in lime juice, red onions, and tomatoes, served with plantain chips and toasted chulpe corn 🌽 . Simple, refreshing, and flavourful. I can have this all day.

@lamorenastclair is a family run Latin American restaurant. Andres runs the front of house with his dad, Marcelo, his mom and brother create the magic in the kitchen. Andres family immigrated to Canada from Ecuador, his mom used to cater empanadas for Latin restaurants in Toronto before opening La Morena.

Besides the Ceviche, we also ordered patacones (flattened green plantain fritters), chicken tamale, Fritada (marinated pork served with yuca, potatoes, and sweet platain), and Chicha Morada (a drink made with purple corn, pineapple, orange, apple, cinnamon, lime - served over ice).

Everything was delicious. If you haven’t already, you have to visit La morena. Note that this spot only seats 6 people, so if you’re lucky, you will get a seat, otherwise, just do take out and eat outside the...