Of all the day-of-the-week food designations, none have captured the public imagination as much as Taco Tuesday. The closest competitor is Meatless Monday, but that reflects more of a philosophy and lifestyle rather than a specific dish.
The phrase was helped along by the sheer ubiquity of Mexican restaurants and taco joints eager to entice diners to leave the comfort of their nests on what might normally be a slow-traffic day.
It wouldn’t have worked if the appeal hadn’t been so persuasive, as Americans have long been a fan of the affordable, flavorful fare that they could stuff into their mouths with their hands.
Over the years, the tacos most of us first got to know — the ones mom made with ground beef stuffed into hard corn shells and what amounted to a small salad of lettuce and tomatoes — turned up in restaurants as flour tortillas with more luxurious fillings of chopped steak, carnitas, fish, cheese and cilantro-and-onion-infused salsas.
Then food trucks ushered in the era of the smaller, leaner, no-nonsense, no-cheese street tacos. It became clear that street tacos were here to stay, and the number of storefronts specializing in these small wonders keeps growing. Here are the latest two.
Taqueria El Gallo Rosa — Kakaako
Ward Centre
1200 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu
“Juicy” is the word that best describes the street tacos served here, so much so that the owners have printed instructions for how to eat these tacos so the juices dribble down your throat instead of spilling down your face and hands. It starts with a 45-degree tilt of the head and to be honest, I’ve never been good at following instructions so found my own way of tackling these loaded babies.
Housemade blue corn tortillas hold up well to the weight and moisture, particularly noticeable with such wet fillings as shredded chicken in a smoky chocolate-and-spice mole sauce ($4.90); Michoacán-style pork carnitas ($4.90) topped with brightening pickled onions, and tomatillo salsa cilantro; roasted poblanos ($4.90) with queso fresco, cilantro and creamed corn. They’ve succeeded in making this combination of veggies taste as savory and satisfying as any meat taco.
Fresh fish is offered daily for their Baja-style taco (market price). When I visited, the catch of the day was hebi (shortbill spearfish) similar to marlin but with a more palate-pleasing, softer texture. The deep-fried fish was dressed with habanero mayonnaise, and topped with crunchy red cabbage, pico de gallo and thin slices of radish.
The fresh-cooked tortilla chips were warm and crispy, not greasy, salty or bland. Another solid delivery of a staple, as was the guacamole, simply made with avocado, flavored with tomato, onions, spices and lime from the pico de gallo.
Other filling options include pastor pork marinated in adobo sauce ($4.90), and carne asada ($5), grilled steak accompanied by beans, onions, cilantro and salsa roja.
For something different, you might want to try a sincronizada ($9-$13), originally a ham-and-cheese tortilla “sandwich.” They’ve taken some liberty in making it available with steak, poblano peppers or greenie-friendly oyster mushrooms and vegan cheese.
Don’t miss snacks of guacamole and chips ($8.50) and elote ($6) dressed with habanero mayonnaise, cotija cheese and cilantro. The housemade chips are pretty dense but the guac is the real deal, not watered down.
Wash it all down with a margarita, cerveza, tequila, mezcal, or if you’re driving, a refreshing jamaica (hibiscus) tea ($3).
Call: 808-597-8626
Hours: 11 A.M.-4 P.M. Wednesdays-Sundays
Prices: About $30-$35 for two without alcohol
Food ***½
Service ***
Ambiance ***
Value ****
Tight Tacos
3617 Waialae Ave., Honolulu
Originally from California, owners Reggie Ballesteros and Rizza Cosio were living in Honolulu before seeking new adventures in Portland, Oregon, in 2015, including launching Tight Tacos. The biz grew from a food cart into two brick-and-mortar locations.
Well, the two never forgot Hawaii, and although their ultimate goal was to return to Honolulu, in 2019 they opened first in underserved Kahului, Maui. After testing the waters with a pop-up on Oahu last summer, they began searching for a permanent home and moved into Kaimuki in May. You’ll find them at the top of Waialae Avenue, in the space that for years housed Azteca, a good omen.
They started drawing lines from day one because of their clean, non-greasy approach to food. Every ingredient on the plate looks fresh and vibrant.
Before getting to the tacos, you might want to try one of their extras, a small bowl of Coliflor ($6), comprising moleand peanut salsa-spiced cauliflower with crisped kale, a delicious combination.
The rest of the menu is straightforward. You can opt for a taco ($4), quesadilla ($9), burrito ($12) served on fresh house-pressed tortillas, or mix-and match any two ($12) or three tacos ($16) on a plate that includes Spanish rice and beans.
From there you can choose one of eight fillings for your taco: carne asada, carnitas, grilled chicken, charred poblanos, lengua (beef tongue, additional $1), grilled shrimp with cheese (additional $2), Baja-style deep-fried catch of the day (market price), or a daily special.
The fish was kajiki when I visited and the textures of the fresh fish and crisp batter were amazing. But of course I have a particular love for pork and gravitated toward the braised carnitas with its wow factor of juicy interior meat and crisped outer edges.
Apparently, some people can’t get enough of the pork so there’s a quarter pound carnitas plate on the menu. The Surtido ($16) comprises assorted cuts of carnitas with rice and beans, a meat lover’s dream.
I also loved having that veggie poblano offering that included crunchy charred zucchini and onions.
For even more flavor, their red and green sauces are housemade blends of habanero and carrot, and avocado crema with tomatillo. I really enjoyed the garden-fresh flavors that are a signature of this restaurant.
Call: 808-302-1636
Hours: 11 A.M.-6 P.M. Tuesdays-Saturdays
Prices: About $30-$35 for two
Food ****
Service ***
Ambiance ***
Value ****
Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).
