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Amid the diverse culinary landscape of Kensington Market, diners eyeing a quick meal can score three Mexican flautas at Seven Lives Tacos y Mariscos for under $10.
Nestled within Toronto’s most eclectic neighbourhood, Seven Lives has served up flavourful and affordable Mexican food since it opened in 2012. (A year Toronto was approaching Peak Taco.)
Flautas en vaso, translated to “drowned flautas in cups,” are rolled tortillas that get deep-fried until they become crispy and golden brown. The name comes from the Spanish word flauta, which means "flute.”
Presented in a plastic cup, the trio of flautas at Seven Lives is immersed in salsa roja, salsa verde, crema, cotija cheese, onion and cilantro. The crunchy treat has a hint of spice and is served with potato filling for $8.50 or pork filling for $9.50.
Flautas are also known as taquitos, a dish perhaps most popularized in Canada by the 7-Eleven convenience store chain. Seven Lives’ version only costs slightly more than the gas station variety, which clock in at $1.99 each.
Every individual item on the menu at Seven Lives — aside from the quesadilla — is priced below $10 before taxes.
When it comes to tacos, the restaurant serves seven varieties, including the gobernador (smoked yellowfin tuna, grilled shrimp, cheese and pickled onions), Baja fish (breaded fish, cabbage, Baja sauce, onions and cilantro) and camarones a la diabla (grilled shrimp in a creamy chipotle sauce and cilantro). Each taco is priced at $8.50 or lower.
There is also a salsa bar.
Tacos at Seven Lives can be washed down with their lineup of Jarritos. Less carbonated than traditional soft drinks, the bottles of fruity Mexican sodas are each priced at $3.50.
HST is not charged on orders at Seven Lives amid the federal government’s ongoing tax holiday.
Customers told TorontoToday they enjoy the colourful vibes and tangy Mexican scents inside Seven Lives. With limited seating, most restaurant goers will savour their tacos while standing up at the restaurant’s provided counters.
In homage to its name, the restaurant’s decor is themed around cats, which either have seven lives or nine, depending on which veterinarian you ask. Cat figurines deck the shelves of the eatery at 72 Kensington Ave., alongside plants, empty bottles and other cultural fixtures.
