h, Mexico. For such a big country just a stone’s skip across Harper’s continental jerk-off buddy, it’s stupefying how the rest of North America consistently butchers its national cuisine. It’s as though we take pleasure in making it mushier, more processed and oddly omnicultural.

Most of the time, that is. Occasionally, someone gets it right, and for that to happen it usually means there’s a Mexican living in Canada. Take the owners of Yaletown’s Tequila Kitchen, for example, which opened its doors in early March. Authentic roots are why the drinks are generous, the food smart, and the décor unpretentious. I wouldn’t have thought such a thing possible in Staletown. Failtown. Nailtown (if you have fake boobs, that is..). The list goes on, but let's try to stay focused here.

Tequila Kitchen is a simple enough eatery, spacious and clean with a partially exposed half-moon kitchen (thumbs up there - I hate not knowing what’s going on in restaurant kitchens, having worked in a few myself). Owners obviously left some elbow room for big bustle potential once business picks up, as it’s still wide open and breezy. No neighbours will be breathing down your neck as you break up with your lover, though with the added bonus of 18 kinds of tequila, you probably wouldn’t care.

Currently serving a set, eight-course menu for $25 a head until the official opening later this month, Tequila Kitchen is taking a stab at silencing a spoiled society. It’s rather nice to sit down and trust that the kitchen knows how to do its job. So trust it. They do.

Comida: In lieu of bread, expect requeson, a Mexican cheese similar to ricotta blended with herbs, serron chili, and lime and served with baked tortilla strips. It goes well with the traditional margarita or house favourite, the hibiscus rose margarita. Bartender Kyle Macpherson, a brunette Ken-doll with honest charm who makes the juices and syrups fresh each day, mixes the drinks.