Well, today I was invited by owners/founder Javier Fregoso and Esdras Ochoa to come by their new brick and mortar store location in Los Angeles. I unfortunately never had a chance to try their famous food from their original taco stand, but have been told nothing has changed except for the location. Going off the recommendations of friends and yelp, my wife and I ordered a sampling of the best Mexicali had to offer. We ended up with a carne asada taco, pollo taco, vampiro, cachetada, and zuperman! Now if your wondering about the names and what the heck they are, check out the description on their menu for more info!
Here is what our lunch looked like:
Here is a close-up of the Zuperman
Full of LOVE!
This was awesome in flavor and I love that you can season it however you want with their choice of salsas, pico de gallo, Avocado salsa (Guacamole), pickled onions, and more! The only criticisms I would have is, this is a little awkward to eat. The tortillas are purposely cooked to be soft and tender. That being said, it's hard to cut through it. And you can try to hold it like a sandwich or torta, but be careful everything doesn't fall out of the bottom. But I can say this, once you figure out your routine to eat the Zuperman, you won't be disappointed.
I know there are a bunch of taco lovers out there, so we got one Chicken (pollo) and one Beef (Carne Asada). We also tried them on different shells. The corn and flour. Again, it was great that the food is simple in plating and presentation and that allows you to dress it your way. The meat was full of flavor and has that nice little char on it to give you the extra layer of flavor. All the dishes were served with a side on Pinto Beans that were equally as awesome to the rest of our meal. So good in fact I was tempted to drink the liquid. A word of caution however, with the green onions, I found it best to cut those up. When adding them to the taco and trying to take a bite, your fighting with the onion and trying to make it not pull out. This is a great meal but definitely a hands on cuisine.
In the end, much like all great meals, this is the aftermath I encounter! Empty plates, full bellies, and a big sigh of relief to have survived another great meal! In this picture you can see a specialty drink Javier introduced me to. It's a sort of agua fresca that has a similar taste to a combination of a Thai iced-tea and horchata. This has a lot of spice flavors reminiscent of horchata, but the rice flavor is not there. That's because I was told this is made from a grain similar to barley. So if you have a chance, ask for this drink! It was a pleasant surprise and a new item to try that's now off my list. My only regret is I have no idea the name of it. Just ask for the Barley Agua Fresca that Chef Christopher had and I'm sure they'll know what I'm talking about! :)
My outing to Mexicali Tacos & Co. was nothing short of amazing. It is no wonder they were voted BEST TACOS of Los Angeles for 2011 (by Taco Madness). In fact they are in the top 4 running AGAIN for 2012. So, take it from me, if you can't make it down there right now VOTE ANYWAYS! You won't be disappointed. Help these true underdogs earn the reputation they deserve to have the Best Tacos in Los Angeles for 2012!
Vote for Mexicali Taco & Co. here:
To end this post.....Mexicali Taco & Co. - Chef Approved!
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