The smell of lime hits you as soon as you walk in. And if you’re as obsessed with Mexican food—yes, even fusion—as we are, that smell is enough to make your mouth water at the thought of delicious possibilities.
At Taco Vengo, there are many: burritos, nachos, tacos, quesadillas, rice bowls and salads which you can all wash down with craft beer.
“What’s the bestseller?” we ask the girl behind the counter. Her reply was quick: pork cheek confit and tempura shrimp tacos.
We ordered one of each. There are two options: a standard taco (priced at P110 and P125); or the bigger super taco for P20 more.
When the plate arrived, we attacked the pork taco first and had to close our eyes. “Oh my God,” we said to no one. There was a hefty serving of pork on our taco with plenty of crispy skin. It was good, bangag-level good and so sinfully rich that you have to make sure you squeeze a lot of lime juice on it to cut the fat. Soon, we were shamelessly licking sour cream from our fingers.
The tempura shrimp taco was a delight, too. We love the extra crunch and how generous they are with ingredients. There’s no scrimping at Taco Vengo.
We thought two would be our threshold but, no, they had unleashed our inner taco monster. We went to the counter again. “What else is good?” we asked the girl. It was, after all, Taco Tuesday, the perfect day to stuff your face with tacos. (Although at Taco Vengo, every day seems to be Taco Tuesday.)
“Honey soy chicken,” she told us. But it’s spicy, we were warned. “And steak with orange chipotle rub.”
Again, we ordered one of each, and devoured them when they arrived. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the honey soy chicken taco will taste like your favorite Korean fried chicken on tortilla. This one has a kick and is covered with slaw, creating a beautiful balance of flavors.
The orange chipotle steak was a good choice as well—we love the mix of spices.
We surrendered after four flavors but there are four more to try, four good reasons to go back to Taco Vengo: B.L.T. (bacon, lengua, tripe), grilled salmon, and the vegetarian-friendly choices of savory mushroom tofu and Asian slaw tofu.
When done with the tacos, we’ll get started on the burritos and make our way through the rest of the menu. Eventually, we might even find room for dessert.
Taco Vengo, 16 United St. Kapitolyo, Pasig. Open from noon to midnight Mondays to Thursdays; noon to 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays.
