Canaima Cafe is your new spot for Venezuelan street food. Specializing in arepas and empanadas, this shop recently opened in the World Food Market by three friends with years of experience in the hospitality and culinary industry.
After discussing their longing to cook Venezuelan cuisine in Toronto, Steffany Tovar, Jose Mendez and Shada Habib decided to partner together and open a restaurant. While saving up for a physical shop, the trio started their business as a catering company making homemade empanadas. After actively searching for a location and getting the opportunity to open a space in the World Food Market, they have since expanded their menu to include favourites like arepas, tequeños and chicha.
Part-owner Steffany Tovar says, "Our main idea is to give everyone a full experience in both flavour and service, to take you back home. At the same time, we want everyone to have the opportunity to try our food, so we twisted it a little bit." As a result, everything on the menu is halal-friendly and there are also vegetarian and vegan options available. You can even substitute their corn flour arepa base for a casabe base, which is made with cassava (yuca) instead.
Everything about their business is heavily influenced by aspects that remind them of home. The name Canaima Cafe stems from Mendez and Habib's upbringing in Bolivar, a large state in eastern Venezuela, home of the breathtaking Canaima National Park. Tovar's upbringing in the Northern Venezuelan state of Carabobo near the beach influences the names of the fish and seafood-based arepas Cayo Sombrero and Tucacas on the menu.
One of their most popular arepas at the moment is the Aladdin, which comes with beef, lettuce, tomatoes and pickled turnips. For vegetarian-friendly options, you can select the Green-Tentation, which is stuffed with caramelized onions, kale, cheese and avocado. Accompanying their arepas is their signature tartar sauce, serving as the perfect complement to this savoury option.
Their crispy, golden empanadas are available in four options: Salto Angel stuffed with tofu and vegetables, Gran Sabana with Venezuelan cheese and sweet plantain, Ying Yang that comes with Venezuelan cheese, black beans, vegetables and bacon and Kama Meru, which is filled with juicy ground beef and vegetables.
Canaima Cafe's recent menu update includes mini sweet arepas with grilled cheese, tequeños (a fried pastry stuffed with cheese) and chicha. According to Tovar, chicha is a drink that brings the ultimate feeling of comfort and nostalgia for home. Chicha is a rich, decadent drink made from soaking, cooking and blending rice and adding different kinds of milk. This thick and addictive beverage is sweet and packed with flavour. For dessert, find homemade tres leches and flan cake on the menu.
Visit Canaima Cafe in the World Food Market Monday through Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and from Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. to enjoy crispy empanadas and arepas overflowing with savoury fillings. Don't forget to order a cool glass of refreshing chicha while you're there!
Be sure to follow Canaima Cafe on Instagram to stay up to date on all their new menu additions for the summer that you won't want to miss out on.
