YAM magazine’s Best Restaurant Awards 2024 celebrate Greater Victoria, B.C.’s exciting food scene, judged by an independent panel of chefs and food experts. 

BY CINDA CHAVICH | PHOTO BY JEFFREY BOSDET

MAiiZ Nixtamal, Latin, YAM Best Restaurants 2024
A trio of tacos on housemade tortillas at MAiiZ Nixtamal.

Best Latin: MAiiZ Nixtamal

540 Fisgard Street  |  $-$$ |  maiiz.ca  |  No reservations; walk-ins only

Chef Israel Alvarez Molina opened his MAiiZ Nixtamal café in Chinatown just four years ago and has been wowing locals with his authentic Mexican street food ever since.

What began as a passion project — to revive the traditional nixtamalization process and create authentic Mexican corn tortillas — has made MAiiZ a household name. He’s slowly expanded from a takeout counter and a couple of tables to 30-plus seats (both indoors and on a new sidewalk patio).

And now you can find his tasty corn tortillas on restaurant menus, in independent food shops and major supermarkets all over the city. Working with organic B.C. corn, he’s recreating a traditional Mexican product with local provenance.

Stop in for lunch or takeout tacos, tamales and quesadillas with beef barbacoa, chicken tinga, huitlacoche (fungus) or even grasshoppers. This is the real deal!

Runners-up:

Benjo’s Tacos

Bodega