Vanfoodster's Taco Challenge 2018 - Part Two

In the continuing search for great tacos, we skipped our way from downtown to McArthurGlen Outlet Mall. It is a nice place to walk around on a sunny day but don't ask my opinion of long line ups to get in and look at hand bags at Coach (something we did not do) and elsewhere. I question our sanity when labels have come to  mean so much but clearly, I am getting crankier as the years pass by. I'm just asking, has showing off how much we spend become our source of meaning in life?...Anyway...Hugo's is popping up all over the place with outlets in Chilliwak (seriously?...sorry Chilliwak) and Langley.

It's a fair size place, kind of sparsely decorated (in contrast to Coach) with seating outside where you can watch the kids ducking in and out of the water feature and their parents trying to stop them from getting soaked! 

Hugo's prepared a Meatless Taco for the challenge. Vegetarian Chorizo sauteed with small diced potatoes on a corn tortilla were the centre of this offering. In retrospect, I should have asked where the chorizo came from (in house or otherwise?). On top was a cashew serrano crema (colour me impressed) which was very good. Completed with grilled corn, cilantro and pickled onion, we enjoyed the nice balance of flavours. It should never be the point of a vegetarian dish, but you wouldn't have known it was meatless.

We also ordered a Barbacoa Taco which was a tasty bite too. It reminded me a little of something that might come off a taco truck (to my delight) a couple of days drive to the south. Consider that my form of high praise. 

Marie has developed a love for churros and these were very good all though they might have been a little under cooked in the centre. Also she was disappointed that there was no chocolate but we are pretty sure that was an error on our part when ordering. Still, well done Hugo's Churros!

Next up on our program was La Cantina and Tacos Gobernador (insert your own Arnie joke here). Alas, we arrived on Saturday to learn that they had sold so many on Friday there there was nothing available.  Like Google directions that re-calibrate if you take a wrong turn, I developed an alternative strategy (Hey! We come in from the valley and not all the challenge tacos are available every day all the time!). Still it was lunch time  so we decided to sample this establishments bill of fare! We loved the atmosphere here!

The Mexican wrestling motif always makes me happy for some weird reason (I have never watched any except for the movie, "Nacho Libre").

We tried some tacos at $3.00 each. They were small but really generous with the fillings and therefore delightfully messy.

Mole Verde Chicken, which is more herby than the regular chocolate and pepper mole but very good, was the first. Pacific Rockfish (my partner's favourite), Conchita Pork and Pork and Shrimp Chorizo rounded out the quartet. All imaginative and very good. 

Finally, we shared a bowl of tortilla soup which was more tomatoey than the chicken soup I have had in the past but still hit the spot. I look forward to trying their challenge offering and will tack it on to "Vanfoodster's Taco Challenge 2018 - Part 3". Stay tuned!