Before vape, cannabis and trendy coffee shops, Kensington Market was where newcomers opened start-up enterprises. They created a cultural mosaic with bakeries, restaurants and grocery stores representing their heritage. Today, Latin Taste is one of the last vestiges of this era.
Inspired by her mother’s restaurant in her hometown of Huaral, Peru, owner Lorena Ramos Paz stays true to tradition, never compromising recipes to make them trendy. She cooks everything by hand, sourcing ingredients like yellow hot peppers and purple corn from Peru.
“I ground the corn,” she explains about her tamales (corn dough with a quinoa filling, wrapped in banana leaves). “Some places make them with flour. It makes me happy to say it’s corn.”
The small restaurant bustles with Latin music, the hum of Spanish conversations and the aromas of stewing meat.
The weekend menu includes ceviche and desserts like alfajores (a cookie filled with dulce de leche).
During the week, regulars pop in for an empanada — a savoury meat- or vegetable-filled pastry.
Besides cooking, the award-winning chef educates customers about Peruvian foods, sharing preparation techniques and flavour profiles. “People have to know what they eat,” she says.
Lorena hopes her daughter will continue the legacy. But until then, she’s not slowing down.
“I love cooking. I’ll never stop,” she says as she garnishes a plate of ceviche.
This article appeared in the 2025 Summer issue.
