Ottawa is 3,366 km from Mexico but quite suddenly I am a mere 10 metres from truly authentic Mexican cuisine. The drab, generic strip-mall location is quite a distance away from Cabo San Lucas but this should not deter you from experiencing the genuine Mexican classic dishes found at Taqueria la bonita.

Enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, nachos, ensaladas and burritos. The menu is expansive and colourfuly overwhelming but accurately reveals the diversity of Mexican food. There is some very serious cooking going on at this taqueria. Try the Carne Al Pastor quesadilla, pork marinated in a mix of dry chili peppers, spices and pineapple juice, then cooked on a rotating spit. Want something a little lighter? The Ensalada de Nopales has tender cactus, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, avocado, radish, feta cheese and cilantro. Fresh, crisp and filling. The Sopes is fried corn batter shaped into the form of a taco, topped with refried beans, your choice of meat, crumbled cheese, onion, lettuce, sour cream and topped off by your choice of salsa.

So, if you don’t mind missing out on the Mariachi band, save your travel money and try out Taqueria la bonita. It’s such an authentic Mexican place, you may need a translator!