Restaurant: Chimichanga Mexican Grill & Tequila Bar

Ed. Note: I guess this is what happens when you first get started on something. You screw up. I tried taking photos for this review, but my camera decided to save the files in NEF format and I have no idea how to change it into a JPEG (Photoshop said it wasn't a recognisable). So until I get that part sorted out, I guess you'll just have to rely on my beautiful written diarrhea. HAHA.


Ambiance: 3.5 / 5
Cleanliness: 5 / 5
Service: 3 / 5
Taste: 4.5 / 5
Presentation: 3 / 5
Price: $$
Overall: 3.5 / 5

Before I continue further, I think that I should preface this by saying. I am not a foodie. I don't have a mature / experienced palate like most writers do. I simply enjoy eating and I enjoy food and hope to share some of my experiences with you. And hopefully... it'll help you choose / stay away from certain places. =)~

Chimichanga has two locations. The Yorkville one, being their new(er) site, was the one we decided to go to. It's kind of tucked away in a little corner of Toronto's Yorkville area and the decor is casual, clean, and a little rustic, with sections of brick wall. We had reservations, so we were seated promptly. Menus and water was brought promptly and everything was moving along swimmingly. The first item we ordered, was their guacamole. This is something they're known for. They make it fresh at the table by a poor guy, whose sole job is to run around making guacamole at each table. But practise makes perfect right? The guacamole was excellent. The flavour was very well balanced. There was nothing too overpowering. Just enough heat to give the guacamole a small kick. It comes with a side of homemade tortillas, that was a little hit or miss depending on the chip you picked up. But hey, who cares about the tortillas when the guacamole is so yummy!

This unfortunately, is the part where I give some BAD news about the place. Between receiving the guacamole and getting our entrees? We waited for about 45 minutes. By the time the entrees arrived, the guacamole bowl was scraped clean, and we were experimenting with tortillas and their house chili sauces (some pretty potent stuff). While the waitress was pleasant, friendly, and prompt about getting us drinks, and refilling our tortilla bowl, there was no explanation for the food coming out so slowly.

When the food finally came, my friends had ordered:
- Newyorkican Chicken Burrito
- San Francisco "Mission Style" Beef Burrito
- Cacun Shrimp Burrito

I'm lumping them all together for a reason. They came out, all looking EXACTLY the same. Same size, same shape, same toppings, same presentation. We asked the waitress how she knew which one was which, to which she replied that she had to rely on the kitchen to tell her which dish was which. I was in a party of 4, so it's not too hard to remember. What if we had a party of 10 and everyone had ordered a different burrito?! Judging from the reactions from my friends after they started eating though, it looks like I should make another trip to Chimichangas. =)~

I ordered their Chipotle Ribs Adobado. A full rack of ribs seared in chipotle sauce, this dish was fall off the bone delicious! My first impression was that the sauce was too rich for my own personal taste, but after a few bites, the slow burn in my mouth set in from the heat of the chipotle and I quickly forgot about how I generally prefer flavours that are less rich. Again, the flavours were well balanced. Nothing was too overpowering. I don't know what they have in their "secret" adobado sauce, but it was deliciously smokey, perfectly tender, and I simply can't say enough about the slow burn from its spicy heat.

With each of us patting our bellies after ingesting fairly sizeable portions and imbibing margaritas and sangrias all night, it was a sign for us to to leave when the in house DJ started turning up the decibels to give the place a more 'loungey" feel.

~Cheers.