After making Mexican cuisine shine in a micro-local on rue Beaubien, Caifan is reborn in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal in a much larger space of 4,500 square feet.
Damaged by the pandemic and the forced closure of restaurants, the original Caifan survived for some time before closing its doors. It was when the premises next door to Barranco became available that Fidel Vasquez, general manager of Barranco Partners, which also owns Nikkei, contacted chef Eduardo Acosta to bring to fruition the Mexican restaurant project he had in mind. for a while.
For this new address, Eduardo Acosta, a former Tapeo employee, had carte blanche. Those who have tasted (and certainly appreciated) his cuisine will find at this new address the same passion of the chef for the flavors of his country of origin. “We see it as an evolution,” says Eduardo Acosta. It’s the same essence, the same concept, the same recipes. We are doing the best we can now that we have many more resources. »
On the menu, there are around ten varieties of tacos, including al pastor with pork, l’arrara with flank steak and rosarito with white fish. The offering, made up of sharing plates, also includes signature creations and lesser-known dishes such as cochinita, a typical Mayan dish composed of pork cooked slowly at low temperature with ancestral spices imported from Mexico, and costra de queso composed with a crispy cheese crust rolled and stuffed with a meat or vegetable filling.
What Eduardo Acosta offers, passionate about history and anthropology, is a taste journey to the different regions of the country and to the heart of the history of Mexican gastronomy, which has greatly evolved over time, contacts colonials and cultural exchanges. “We have dishes that come from northern Mexico, Oaxaca, the capital, Baja California, Jalisco, Yucatan. We offer a culinary trip with drinks and sauces. Everyone thinks they know Mexican food, but most people don’t. They know Tex-Mex. »
Something rather rare in the city, the kitchen will be open until midnight on certain weekday evenings. With its long bar, its private room in the basement, its DJ space, its wine list, its choice of 26 cocktails and non-alcoholic cocktails created by mixologists Jérémi Escolano and Johnny Martinez, the place is ideal for partying. “It’s not a club, but a festive restaurant that serves food a little later,” explains Fidel Vasquez. We have a great cocktail menu and a sommelier on site. We want to offer a complete experience. » This festive and clandestine spirit is also reflected in the design of the place, thought up by Stéphanie Bélanger of Rebel Design, and the street art style wall works created by Montreal artist Teetz.
Caifan also evokes an expression in “spanglish” (me cae fine) which means “it’s good” and which was used by the pachucos in the 1930s. These Americans crossed the border to escape prohibition and gathered clandestinely in bars to eat Mexican food and drink tequila.
