Hugo’s kitchen hosts a fiesta for your mouth
When the Garcia family immigrated to Canada in 2002 from Cuernavaca, Mexico, they soon discovered the flavours of the home they’d left behind weren’t readily available in their new town of Chilliwack.
Noticing there was a gaping hole in the Mexican food market in the Fraser Valley, the patriarch of the family, Hugo Garcia, decided to create a food trailer in 2011. He called it El Pueblito, or little town in Spanish, and his mission was to give local diners a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine.
“There virtually wasn’t any Mexican food in this town,” recalls Dan Garcia, a co-owner of Hugo’s Mexican Kitchen and one of the founder’s sons.
The food was a fast favourite among those who were hungry for a taste of Mexico.
“He did well and everyone loved him,” Garcia says proudly
Hugo’s food trailer quickly gained a loyal following, so he set up shop in a slightly larger location; this time, at a local gas station. It was there that the small eatery lost its original name, and became Hugo’s Mexican Kitchen.
“People came to see my dad and eat his food, so I told him, this is silly, just call it Hugo’s Mexican Food,” Garcia recalls with a laugh.
It was also where Dan, and one of his brothers, Joshua, joined their mom and dad in the business.
After first expanding their reach with a small eatery at the McArthurGlen Vancouver Designer Outlet, the Garcia family set up shop in June in Surrey’s Clayton Heights neighbourhood.
The new eatery boasts a friendly staff, and a very photogenic interior.
“The original vibe was very traditional,” Garcia explains of how the decor has evolved. “We still want to keep a lot of authentic Mexican elements, but we also want to make it a little more fresh. That’s basically what our concept is.”
That idea of freshness exists with the food, too, as Garcia says the menu is always evolving to add new dishes that are rooted in traditional tastes. But, while the entire Hugo’s Mexican Kitchen team works together to create new food, Garcia says it’s the restaurant’s namesake who ultimately gets the final word on what makes it to diners’ tables.
“Most recipes are rooted from Hugo himself, and we’ve just added a few things as we’ve gone on,” he says. “But, of course, Hugo tastes and approves them.”
One area of the menu Hugo doesn’t oversee, though, is the cocktails, a curated collection of sips that offer traditional, and slightly unexpected, flavours.
“My dad’s not a big drinker, so Hugo cannot take any credit for the alcoholic offering,” Garcia says with a laugh.
Instead, the cocktails are crafted by Garcia, his brother and the bar manager, Sylvan.
“It’s a lot of trying new flavours because we want to incorporate things that a lot of other people are not doing,” Garcia explains of the drink-creation process. “There is a limitless number of things you can do with cocktails.”
Our table tried the Coco Ron, a creamy, plant-based coconut drink, which was a chill treat
( but not too sweet) thanks to a house-made horchata crafted with rice and coconut milks. While we sipped our drinks, a tray of crispy tortilla chips with a trio of salsas was a tasty way to tide our table over until our appetizer plate arrived.
The meal started with an order of the chicken tostaditas ($14.50), which feature mashed beans, chicken tinga, shaved lettuce, pico de gallo, drizzled crema, shaved radish and queso, all piled high on a crispy, cornflour tortilla. The flavours were balanced and delicious. Be forewarned, the plate of four Tostaditas is best shared with the same number of people, especially if you’re ordering more sharing dishes and mains.
“One thing my dad has always said, is he never wants anyone to leave hungry,” Garcia says when asked about the ample portion sizes. “Traditionally, Mexican dishes are full, so we want to make sure everyone leaves satisfied.”
Next up was the Quesadilla ($14.50), which comes either fried or grilled and features a thick, corn-dough exterior stuffed with cheese, and topped with shaved lettuce, pico de gallo, crema and queso. Meats such as chicken and beef, or the tasty tofu chorizo, can be added for an additional charge.
“I’ll never go meatless because it’s not who we are,” Garcia says. “But we do want to have several meat-free options. And ones that taste good, too.”
The hulking quesadilla is stuffed full of cheese. We added the vegetarian chorizo, which is spiced tofu crumbles, to the dish, and we weren’t disappointed. The slightly spicy tofu mixed perfectly with the thick tortilla and the cheese. While it was perfect for sharing, it would be a food feat for someone to finish this sizable dish on their own.
We finished our meal with the tacos, sold individually or as a plate of three, each one boasting rich flavours and lean meats. While we found the beef a bit salty, the carnitas, or braised pork, with pickled onion slices and grilled pineapple was a meatpacked marvel. The meat was moist and delicious, not dried out or tough, and was seasoned to perfection. “Everything is made in-house, all the sauces. And we don’t use any flavour enhancers or MSG,” Garcia says of the fresh flavours. “We like to do things the hard way.”
By dinner’s end, our party was way too full for dessert. But, with the promise of Hugo’s famous churros — and another round of carnitas tacos — on offer should we visit Hugo’s again, we consoled ourselves with the fact, that we will indeed, surely be back.