I was here for a concert at History and was looking for a spot to grab food before the concert and Tinga Kim showed up in my searches. It seemed like a new restaurant that had never seen before and it looked really cute and trendy... and I was also craving tacos. I think the concept is very unique to have Korean fusion tacos with Mexican cuisine and so it was quite promising. I ordered a few tacos and I went with a group of three. We had started with drinks and I had this one drink that had a jasmine tea base which was delicious. I ordered four tacos... a mix of just regular Mexican tacos and then their Korean style tacos. The server was really nice and asked for any diet restrictions and make sure that there was no dairy on mine. I felt that overall the tacos pulled way too sweet and the Korean flavours were really in your face and almost too literal. I feel like the fusion wasn't as successful as it could be. I found that the Bulgogi taco, specifically, was almost inedible because of it being way too sweet however, I found that the al pastor taco, which was just a regular Mexican taco, was probably the best thing on their menu that I ordered that night. So much so that I ordered an additional al pastor taco. My other two friends also felt the same about the sweetness of the tacos. Some of their tacos were drenched in sauce which made it very hard to eat, and it was way too overpowering. Overall, good concept but I feel like I've had better tacos elsewhere. read more

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We started with "appetizers" including the K-Wings or Korean style wings in both flavours. I preferred the Oro K-wings ($20 for 6) the crispy chicken left neutral but having been marinated in arbol (type of chili pepper), soy, and oyster sauce was very flavourful. Juicy and crunchy this is what makes Korean fried chicken so good. The Rojo K-wings ($20 for 6) were too strong for me: the gochujang, ginger, soju, and oyster sauce base tasty on the first bite but overwhelming by the last. Rest assured, Tinga Kim doesn't baby their diners and makes these spicy. I'm glad we got the quesabirria ($18) for the table as the shredded beef saturated in consommé was so rich and salty that one is sufficient. They don't skimp of the cheese so it's nice and gooey but could use more raw onion and herbs to counteract the heaviness. Strangely this arrives with chili oil and a sour cream aioli instead of the beef consommé you'd expect to dip it in. It seemed more quesadilla than quesabirria. Their single order tacos are great for building your own main. Ideally, the chef should have left the shrimp in the pingo Coreano ($12) neutral rather than saturating it in soju, soy and oyster sauce. By this point, I was getting tired of this flavour combo and was looking forward to what the menu describes as shrimp, soju-based salsa, guacamole, cotija & Oaxaca cheese, and cilantro. No where did it mention soy and oyster sauce, which completely covered the sparse guacamole and cheese but did help soften the tostada, so it was foldable and easier to eat. I'm really reaching for the silver lining here. The maapo libre ($10) tasted the same since the main protein was Korean marinated galbi. Except this was topped with an overly salted citrusy red cabbage slaw. Quite frankly, by this time I'm not sure what on their menu doesn't contain soy sauce. After all that salt I was craving something sweet. The Mexican flan ($10) was calling and while it wasn't terrible, if the recipe includes white chocolate in the custard they really should have left the syrup thin rather than dousing it in a thick caramel that brought this to cloying sweet level. Moreover, the custard became too dense. The silver lining? At least each order contained two mini flans that makes it perfect for sharing. My perception is that the chefs at Tinga Kim create one sauce then use it on everything. That same caramel was drizzled onto the already sweet tres leches cake ($17), which means yes this is tooth achingly sweet as well. At least the cake was nice and moist. Even the cinnamon sugar dusted churros ($10) didn't escape the sauce, which needs to be served on the side. The actual pastry was a bit dense but at least freshly deep fried and hot. read more

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Hands-down the best tacos in the East End! Tinga Kim serves up Korean-Mexican fusion dishes done exeptionally well, where flavour profiles are paired together with a purpose. We ordered the Sunny Ceviche (citrus cured sea bass, szechuan peppercorn, and coconut milk) to share, which came with crunchy fried tortilla chips. It had the perfect amount of acidity and spice without overpowering or taking away from the natural sweetness of the fish. For tacos, I ordered the pescado (fish) and spicy shrimp on a soft shell, while my partner had the Korean marinated galbi and pulpo (octopus). Despite the price tag on each taco ($10-11), the amount of toppings piled on make them worth it and you can be full with just two. I especially loved the guac that came with the crispy fish, and the spicy sauce that coated the shrimps. The octopus was decent, but the galbi was a bit too sweet. My main critique was that our drinks took a bit of time to arrive, with our apps & mains served before they came. The table next to us was also attended to first even though they came in after, but I understand that it was a busy night and the staff were working as fast as they could. read more

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A great place to get some amazing tacos! We got the taco flight and the elotes. This place is a fusion between Korean and Mexican cuisine. The interior was well decorated and spacious! The server was super attentive and friendly, I highly recommend getting their taco flight; a great way to try their soft and hard tacos. read more

Tinga Kim Taqueria - Elote - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I wanted to rate them 4 but I will have to go with 3 for few reasons. One the nachos was super salty like heart attack level salty so we just left them. Soft shell taco with tofu was good in flavors but it was so much packed that you cant eat it as taco and will have to eat it as salad. I loved the flavors though of fried tacos. The service and ambience were good. Will think before going next time! Not so much sure! read more

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Quaint, cozy place - close quarters! 1) we got the taco flight - great way to test out a bunch of their tacos. They were just ok. I think their hard tacos were better than their soft.. mainly due to the filling being too wet and making the taco too soft. The flavors were Asian inspired but we didn't find them unique or particularly delicious. 3/5 2) corn was yummy - tangy and in your face with flavour. Grilled smokiness was great. 4/5 3) chicken wings were just ok - there's just so many other places that serve comparable or better fried chicken wings - like Korean fried chicken! 2/5 4) ceviche - bang on. Great tang and the chips were crunchy + salted. Absolute winner. Some might prefer a different cut of fish but the menu outlines what is in it. 5/5 5) churros - just ok. 3.5/5 6) flan... just not my jam, but seemed like legit flan. 4/5 7) we also got drinks. Very cute cocktails- my fav was the Jasmine one! Delish. Others got the blue one - looked popular and pretty! I would come back just for the ceviche! read more

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A Korean Mexican restaurant in the heart of Leslieville in Toronto. Food is so good here and I can't stop thinking about it! It's a small cozy restaurant with not too much seating. Tuna Tostada 5/5 - This was amazing and looks like a salad on top but the tuna tostada was on the bottom. Refreshing, light and a great starter. It comes with tuna, onion, avocado, cucumber, mango and pickled onion. I loved this! Taco flight 5/5 - Comes with Chef's choice of 3 crispy and 3 soft tacos. I can't recall which tacos we got but can confirm that all of them were so delicious, packed with flavour and so aesthetic to look at! The taco flight/ platter comes with sauces and some salad in the middle. Even just looking at the photos you can tell that it's so good! A great restaurant with amazing food! Server was great as well with a super chill vibe! read more

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We got here late right upon arriving at our AirBnb and were hangry and irritable after being trapped in a car with each other all day. Tinga Kim hooked us up. They had the mega fan blowing (it was hot af out still) and despite closing early, made sure to accommodate us and our order! Delicious food (birria and authentic tacos) to fill our hungry bellies and a place to chill before we settled in for the nite - it really hit the spot! read more

Tinga Kim Taqueria - Birria quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I came on a Sunday evening and it was not too busy. I hope this place gets more recognition it hoping it was just a slow night because it was AMAZING! Very cute interior decor and super friendly staff. My friends and I shared the elotes, bulgogi trio and Maapo trio. Everything was outstanding. Some of the best tacos I've ever had. This Korean and Mexican fusion is a MUST TRY. It'll definitely be my go to spot whenever I'm in Leslieville. read more

Cute spot in Leslieville and service was incredible. Honestly, the food was very tasty and nothing disappointed us. We had a pitcher of margs, elotes, taco flight (which was incredible) and tres leches to start. I can't wait to come back and try more of the menu. read more

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Tinga Kim Taqueria located in Leslieville along Queen St. E. and Jones Ave serves up Mexican food with a Korean twist. The restaurant is small and intimate, with about seating for 25-30 customers. The menu consists of sharables, soft tacos, crispy tacos, and desserts. They also have a separate lunch menu with different items as well. Reservations can be made online and they also have delivery and take out as well. My party of 4 stopped by Tinga Kim Taqueria on a Fri night. We made reservations ahead of time although it likely wasn't needed. The restaurant was only half full when we arrived. We sat near the door which was a bit chilly every time customers or delivery drivers opened or closed the door. Service was friendly throughout the whole night and the staff didn't rush us or ask us to leave despite us staying for quite a while (about 2.5 hrs). They were even nice enough to give us some Mexican snacks to try! Food wise, my partner and I shared an appetizer and had 2 tacos each. The items we ordered: - Quesabirria (grilled flour tortilla cooked in barbacoa consomme, beef barbacoa, chihuahua and oaxacan cheese, onion, and cilantro) - The tinga kim crispy taco (chipotle braised chicken, pico de gallo, guac, crema, cotija, oaxaca cheese, cilantro) - Pingo coreano crispy taco (salted shrimp, soju based salsa, guac, cheese, cotija, oaxaca cheese, cilantro) - Maapo libre soft taco (Korean marinated galbi, red cabbage salad, citrus sauce) - Pescado soft taco (battered white fish, jicama slaw, red cabbage, chipotle aoli, citrus blend) - Churros The tacos and quesabirria was quite filling and all the flavours were good. I particularly enjoyed the salted shrimp taco! Overall, a unique take on Mexican food, friendly service and a chill vibe! read more

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Bad exhaust system you will smell !! Great service Would have been more stars. Great food but man you need a new exhaust. The whole party stunk like greasy pit. You need to ask to sit in patio or tell server to turn on ac or something! read more

Went here for dinner. I got the Al pastor, Carnitas and barbacoa. All of them taste like what you expect from a good Mexican restaurant. My girlfriend got the Pulpo (Octopus) taco. She said it was the best Octopus she ever had. The cocktails were good, ambiance was relaxed with attentive staff. Great decor too. read more

An interesting find. I tried this place as it was in a promo for a delivery app. I enjoyed the barbacoa trio as it's flavorful and filling. Maapo libre didn't fare well. One has to adjust expectations in Canada for his cuisine I guess but this is an ok option if you are craving this type of food. read more

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We went there today for Mom's Day. I was able to make a reservation for the seven people we would be (5 adults and 2 kiddos). We arrived just before 11:30 when the restaurant opened. The food we delish. We had the nacho plate which was chock-a-block with EVERYTHING. We went with the vegan chorizo as our daughter doesn't eat meat. It was really tasty. Other dishes included tacos for Barbacoa, Carne Assada, El Pastor, Pescadore and several others. The portions were very hones and generous. The service was somewhat slow but I give them plenty of leeway on this as we were the first to arrive and the kitchen was just getting the oven warmed up. The one strange thing is that they do not have warm bevies like tea or coffee. How do you serve food and not have these? Ambiance-wise, the music was nice and contemporary without being too loud. Overall, we would definitely return and maybe take pics, but we devoured the food. read more

Premium stoner food. I keep coming back for the sea bass ceviche which has the most addictive sauce made of coconut milk, radish, yuzu, and sichuan peppercorns. It's just different from any I've had and I feel I could drink the sauce even when the dish is done. This kind of taqueria is reminiscent of the LA or Californian food trucks with Korean-Mexican fusion, but less cheese-dominant. All their tacos are jammed with toppings and saucy but tremendously satisfying. I've been lucky to grab a 90min table right before the Saturday prime dinner hour since they seem to get pretty booked with weekend reservations. read more

Tinga Kim Taqueria - Green tea soju cocktail with dried rose on top of a freeze dried orange slice - Mexican Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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Fantastic tacos! Well worth the wait. Unique combinations of flavors with a solid foundation of Mexican ingredients. Has a good cocktail list too. read more

We're eaten at other Mexican taquerias before in Toronto area. These were the best tacos we've ever had. Díos mío. My god...We had the Taco carnitas (Meats Taco) and the Taco pescado (Fish Taco-battered). We will be back. read more

Amazing little spot, great price, cosy atmosphere. Tacos always hit the spot, always tasty. Prompt and friendly service. 10/10

Quite good and reasonably priced for the quality. Nice servers. Cute too. Would love to return but it's far from home.

Delicious Korean taco fusion spot! Super cute patio in the back to enjoy too. A new Leslieville favorite.