 |
 |
Tacos Ricos, a closer look
  |
   |
 |
Don't just take my word for it! Check out these other fine views on Tacos Ricos in Kapahulu:
|
See Lyle Galdeira and Russel Yamanoha on their popular tv series! |
 Read Adrienne Lafrance reviewing Tacos Ricos at Honolulu Weekly! |
 Yelper's sounding-off on Tacos Ricos! |
 Check out Melissa Chang at Metromix! |
3/21/10 - Cheap eats. Does have a nice ring to it. When you're under ten bucks, there's minimal risk, a low degree of expectation, and when you can't get any lower, well, the only way left is up, yes? I guess that's why you have so many plate lunch houses around. Fast-food chains, too. Vietnamese pho and local okazuya houses, as well, while we're at it. But there's another breed of eateries besides proliferating these days, as evidenced by my pre-occupation with Mexican on this particularly fine month in the islands. Street taco's are becoming all the rage now, and though I'm winding-down on this South-of-the-Border binge for now, there's still many other spots doing a brisk business in such fare, such as La Tacqueria De Ramiro, Just Taco's, and even Maria Bonita, to name a few.
Tacos Ricos has been one of the more celebrated spots around, receiving quite a bit of media attention with their new store on Kapahulu Avenue, at the former Waiola Shave Ice. I say new store not only because they just opened a few months ago, but also because they were actually once located at the 99 Ranch Food Court, don't ask me why. I mean, an Asian-style Food Court, leaning heavily Southeast Asian?
Once just getting by, moving plots has been the best business decision owners Phil and Carolina have made yet, as ever since then, it's been a literal beehive of activity, attracting all manner of clientele even though it doesn't even have a parking lot (gotta find something on-street).
Though Phil is ethnically Taiwanese, wife Carolina still speaks with a Mexican accent, and her family also gets involved with making sure that everything stays as true and authentic as possible. While dressing our tacos at the self-serve salsa bar, Carolina was quick to step-in for me, explaining that there was an order and method to topping each taco correctly. And when Kumi served herself some dip for our chips, placing a little salsa, a little guacamole, and a wedge of lemon in a small container, we were once again corrected, as Carolina offered us a separate, properly-arrayed container of dip, cleanly split down the middle with rojo and verde (red and green salsa):
Yep, that's the real stuff. No shortcuts here. Why, they even have a couple of large shelves housing unique candies and snacks from Mexico, as the owners are willing to deal with the added shipping costs of items not always found here through established means. Carolina explained how diabetes was getting out-of-hand in Mexico, and a large part of that was because of diet soda and fake sweeteners, an issue that has since been addressed there by products like the Jarritos brand, which uses pure sugar for flavoring and has less carbonation than typical American soda brands. Saccharin, aspartame, sucralose - I always knew those things would kill ya!
One of the unique advantages Tacos Ricos has is that they are open until 2am every night except for Sunday, when they shut-down at an also yet-amazing 12am. Just remember, though, that they don't open until 12pm, usually to a small crowd of people waiting on benches outside the store.
Everything here is order-at-the-counter, and there are only a few self-serve, scattered tables, along with a few bar-like, small planks as tables along the glass perimeter walls. The menu is simple and small, just as in a normal street taco operation:
Aaaand - that's about it! Basically, it's all about tacos, burritos, nachos (each coming with your choice of different meats), and a whole pollo asada, or roast chicken. The rest are fruit drinks and side orders, such as this refreshing, healthy mix of raw cucumber and jicama squash, seasoned with a Mexican fruit seasoning called Tahin, which consists mostly of salt, chile peppers, and dehydrated lime juice. The crispy sticks were great on this cold and breezy Hawaiian Winter day, but I can imagine them even better come Summer!
Our first and second times here, both at around their opening times of 12pm, we were dissapointed in finding no chicken available. Now, whole chicken is oftentimes like a good steak - all's you need is some salt 'n peppah, and all that skin, fat, bone, cartilage, and everything else works together with the meat naturally, for a simple, unbeatable taste combination! However, once in a while, I love some added seasonings implemented as well, some of the best coming from rubs of Italian herb, American bbq, Caribbean jerk, and yes, Mexican, too, with such spices chili, cumin, paprika, and oregano.
That being said, it was on our third excursion here, probably because it was well into the evening, after having all day to cook, that we finally found what we were looking for. In fact, right at the counter, there were several containers of chicken, all halved and placed in a hot display box:
Just as expected, the chicken was delicious, the red-tinged rub mixing with the chicken oils for a tasty, slightly spicy juice sensation running all over. Non-breast pieces were especially tender, while the large, very meaty breasts were, quite naturally, not quite as tasty and a bit dryer - perfect for sandwiches the next day, though!
After ordering not a half but a whole, I was kinda hoping for a more dramatic pic, kinda like a beautiful turkey shot on Thanksgiving day. However, each chicken was already cut in half, a whole order simply meaning two half-bird trays, each stuffed simply and a bit unceremoniously into plastic containers:
No worries, though, they still tasted great, and when a whole chicken comes with 12 tortillas, beans, rice, and whatever you want at the salsa bar, $14 is a great deal good enough for three, perhaps even four people!
Last time I wrote about Mexican rice always being either on the clumpy, starchy, dried-out, or mushy side, at least when compared to a straight-white, high-quality short-grain rice. I still hold the same opinion today, however, I really liked Tacos Ricos' version. It was a tiny bit on the starchy side, nothing overt, but it had a really nice, natural aroma of, well... rice! I mean, I could taste the sweetness of the rice itself and inhale its very essence through my nose alone, while there was just a hint of ground spice, a slightly tangy acidity, and a rounding of savoriness that I really enjoyed. Kumi said it tasted like normal Mexican rice, but I dunno, you know how it is sometimes. The tiniest of elements can somehow, someway get to you while everyone else is wondering what you're talking about! Question is: do you poke your head back into your shell for fear of being perceived as wrong, or even just wierd?
Hell, no!!! No matter what anyone else says, go with your impressions and let them flow; nurture 'em or they may completely wither-up and dry-out after a while!
The beans also carried that faint hint of ground spice, but the best thing about it, to me, was a more natural taste and feel, and a lighter, purer taste than the normally heavy re-fried beans I'm accustomed to. Both sides were simply excellent.
Oh, and one item not on the chalkboard menu above, and which they only recently started offering regularly, is their shrimp ceviche. I wrote on our visit to Mexico Restaurant that I didn't particularly care too much for traditional-style ceviche of fish, preferring either new-wave styles or non-fish ceviche types, such as lobster, scallop, shrimp, etc. That notion was further bolstered today, as this shrimp ceviche, though coming with relatively small bits of shrimp that I could hardly recognize amidst the onions, cilantro, tomato, and whatever else, was deliciously refreshing. Kumi loved, loved, loved it, and that's the main thing. Happy Kumi, happy Aku. You know how that goes...
But moving along to more main dishes, we had to try another form of popular Mexican street foods, a King-sized burrito ($9). Once upon a time, I mistakenly believed that anytime you saw rice or beans in a burrito, it wasn't authentic. Oh, contrare, Aku, it's actually very authentic to have both items stuffed inside your giant tortilla, as this was and still is the method of field workers who need a fast, easy, all-in-one take-out meal with no need for utensils at all! You got your meat, you got your veggies, your starch, your beans - everything all together - what could be more natural and authentic?
Still, however, I just don't like seeing too much rice and beans in a burrito. But that's just me. The good thing about Tacos Ricos is that although the two ingredients are included, neither taste was predominant, and the main ingredient in this particular burrito, carne asada (beef), was generously portioned, while crisp, fresh vegetables also added a nice texture mix inside. If there ever were a rice and bean burrito around that I'd habitually order, it'd probably be this one:
And lemme tell you, this thing will fill you up. It dropped-down on our table with a loud, dull thud, like a whole rib roast or something!
By far, the most popular items at Tacos Ricos are their street tacos, made from 4-inch-wide, double-corn tortillas. There are usually five different types of meat used, and sometimes with one or two special items that Carolina includes when inspired, such as shrimp, fish, or tripe. You can order them for $2 each or $9 for five, where you can mix-and-match fillers or just get one of each, just as we did. From the corn-filled ground beef at 2 and 3 o'clock, then continuing clockwise, there's also shredded carnitas (pork), beef tongue, conchinita (stewed pork), and carne asada:
Simple enough, yes? Both of us found the two pork varieties best and the tongue least, as it was just a little on the wild side. Not much, but you could still tell it wasn't normal beef, as the stew-like sauce wasn't enough to cover the taste. To be fair, tongue is tongue and beef is beef, and while most prefer the former tasting like the latter, some actually do prefer the former tasting like the former. Got it?
We were expecting a little more steak-like characteristics in their carne asada, but it came instead looking almost like ground beef, or at least a long-stewed beef that had already begun to fall apart. The taste, however, was great, coming full of Mexican spices and flavors. In fact, everything had a kind of simple, home-made, very humble make-up; a real grandma's house kind of thing, and no wonder, as most of these items come from genuine family recipes.
Like I said earlier, Carolina quickly intervened as I began loading-up our plate of bare tacos at the salsa bar, instructing us as to just how each should be accordingly dressed. In the midst of this-goes-with-that and that-goes-with-this, I kinda got lost in the shuffle, so I'll just let the next couple of pics do the talking!
Aaah, that's more like it! The cuisine here won't win any quality awards, as the meats you see above are not exactly USDA Prime and are all held in warmers just behind the counter for who knows how long. The taste, however, is genuinely good, with strong, well-balanced flavors and all of your culturally-correct nuances, as Carolina's attention and appreciation for authenticity have not gotten lost in the island shuffle. For a simple, relatively inexpensive mix of home-style Mexican street tacos, I'd say Tacos Ricos gets it done right.
I still wanna cover a few more Mexican spots, but I think we'll move North of the Border next time, specifically, with a spot recently hosting an international Food Channel celebrity with one incredible appetite! Ooops, did I just give it away?
In the meantime, take care, continue having a great weekend, and Aloha till next time!
Aku
Post a Comment or just say hello! Don't worry about leaving REAL names if you don't want to! No e-mails will be posted without consent, last names will be abbreviated, and if you don't want me to post all or any part of your correspondence, please state so! Hope to hear from you all!
