Authentic Mexican food is as good as it gets at Ay Wey! Mexican Street Tacos

Early last year, an acquaintance from Mexico told me that her preferred Mexican restaurant in Ottawa was Chilaquiles on Beechwood. No sooner had I planned on making my way there, than I learned they had closed for good. Now what?

Was this to be the fate of genuine Mexican food in Ottawa? This city has some good options for this cuisine, but what about those restaurants that will deliver tastes which are than just variations on a handful of ingredients?

As good as some can be, many rely on mass-produced corn products, salsas and generically seasoned taco fillings. Just far less interesting.

Over the last years, my preferred Mexican destination has been Tortilla Maker in Orléans where they pull no punches for a North American audience. Their birria tacos (always traditionally made with goat meat) are an education for those who think they know birria. If you’ve not experienced them, get yourself out there.

Now Ay Wey (which is an exclamation of surprise in Mexican-Spanish) brings flavourful and deserving tradition closer to the the centre of town. Lovers of Mexican food can rejoice.

When I first returned to Ottawa, I ate at a Mexican restaurant named Taqueria Kukulkan. This was Mexican food as real as I’d experienced. I was sad to learn they had closed. They had an assortment of beer-based savoury drinks called Micheladas. A curiosity of which I became fond.

Now I was confronted with an Ay Wey Michelada and they offered it with one of the three beers on their menu: Corona, Negro Modelo Amber and Stella Artois. I took mine with Modelo and had pangs of nostalgia for Kukulkan.  

A Michelada is made using beer of your choice, tomato or clamato juice, hot sauce, lime juice, Worcestershire and Maggi condiment. There are other variations and as I write this, I’m enjoying mine with a beer from Sonnen Hill in Caledon named Dunkel Hour. Fantastic. 

We were off to a good start which was made even better with a from-scratch chicken tortilla soup spiked with lime and deepened with tomato. The tortilla strips had been made that day, and the shredded chicken breast was tender and moist. 

It’s an oddity in the world of cookery that, too often, chicken in soup can be tasteless and dry. There was no such issue here.

Ay Wey offers a few options for tequila from Cuervo to ultra premium Don Julio, and you can upgrade your margarita for a few dollars more. I stuck with the Cuervo Margarita ($14) and was pleased that this had been made to order using fresh lime juice and just a modicum of sugar. No mixers here.

Tacos de Carnitas are a staple confit pork taco that showcases deep pork character while retaining a welcome juiciness. An order of five was only $21 and was sufficient for sharing.

These were delicious and fulsome bites. The single Taco de Suadero (beef brisket) I’d ordered for $6.50 was even more memorable, having been given a bit of roast character on the griddle. All came served with both red and green house-made salsas of varying intensity. It hardly mattered; I braved it all and was mightily happy.

Tlayudas, for obvious reasons, are sometimes referred to as Mexican pizza. It’s a popular street food found in markets throughout the region of Oaxaca. Now the dish has migrated to McArthur, and it’s worth sharing.

A crisp homemade corn tortilla is painted with unrefined pork lard (asiento) and refried black bean paste. It’s then layered with shredded cabbage, quesillo (Oaxacan cheese), grilled beef strips, in-house crumbled Mexican chorizo, fresh salsa, tomatoes and avocado.

There was a damp cold outside and this was a sure-fire remedy for any chill in your bones. Nothing here was spicy, but the ingredients came together wonderfully with fats and bright acidity keeping the palate invigorated. 

Underpinning this flavour-fest was the delicious roasted corn tortilla. Its taste alone became a key ingredient in making this dish sing. I couldn’t help but give it a little octave jolt with their fab habanero salsa. It was hot, but I helped myself to more of it. 

With leftovers in tow, it was back outside. I was pleased I had found my new Kukulkan. 

Ay Wey is a family affair, and the energy and genuine welcome are infectious. There was something so generous and open about everyone who prepared and brought your food, that I felt truly at home. 

By the way, the leftover “Mexican pizza”, like many pizzas, crisped up perfectly in the oven the next morning for an Ay Wey breakfast.