Today was TacoAsylum, a small taco shop at the 'Hipster' mall - the Camp in Costa Mesa. The tacos are far from traditional with tacos like "Grilled Octopus" and "Wild Mushroom" on the menu. Not knowing what would be good everyone in the party ordered the "Flight of Eight" which is smaller versions of their top 8 tacos:
1. Grilled Octopus: Kalamata Olives, Oregano, Feta, Tomatoes - an excellent taco, very rich. Octopus cooked to perfection, firm, not chewy or slimy. I would rather see these without olives as I am not a fan and I do not think the olives add a needed flavor to the taco.
2. Pork Belly - Carrots, Daikon, Onions, Cilantro - the best taco by far. If you have not had Pork Belly do yourself a favor and try it when available. It is a fatty pork between bacon and pork shoulder. Very very tasty, very very rich.
3. Short Rib -Pickled Red Onion, Salsa Verde, Cotija Cheese, Cilantro - another great taco. This one is tied with the Octopus for the second best taco. Though I do not think I could eat an entire full sized one.
4. Curried Paneer - Raita, Tomato Chutney, Scallions - I do not like mexican curry so this was a definate no go for me, however the others at lunch were quite happy with it.
5. Wild Mushroom - Chickpea Puree, Parsley Salad, Fried Chickpeas - a very good Hummus and mushroom taco. Probably the best veggie taco I have had. Though again, a large taco would be way too large.
6. Lamb - Olive Tapenade, Ratatouille, Mache - Horrible taco. We were all looking forward to this taco, but I had to spit it out. Should never be served to human beings. The four of us were in agreement with this one.
7. Duck - Camambert, Dijon Creme Fraiche, Purple Fingerling Chips - This was enjoyable, the duck was very rich and there was nothing to cut the fat. I would love to see something with vinegar as an ingredient to cut the fat, also not a fan of Dijon, so I would have used half the Dijon powder in the Creme, but added some paprika to set it off. A good taco, well liked by all at the table.
8. Steak - Chimichurri, Buttermilk Fried Onions, Potato Hash - Not good, not bad, very boring. would not order again.
All in all a great experience, even with the tacos that I did not like. It was great being able to try all the tacos (except one, which I will get to) in a demi size. I would recommend anyone to try this dish once as it utilizes flavors that are hard to find elsewhere.
However, there are a few issues I have:
1. The menu has 9 tacos, not 8. The ninth is a Ghost Chili Pork taco with a nice heat. Spicy and flavorful. Way too spicy for a large taco for one person, we cut it into fourths and it was excellent. Would be nice to see it on the "Flight".
2. There was not one taco I would be able to eat as a large taco and they do not offer a smaller version of their tacos in an ala carte fashion. If they offered a 4 for $10 flight I would go back, since I could see eating smaller versions of a couple tacos I would go back, but all 8 is too much.
3. The waiter. This one does it for me and why I will not be back, not even to show new people the place. We wanted to suggest the 4 for $10 idea. This was something we all felt would bring us back to the restaurant when nothing else was coming to mind. His attitude was terrible, very hipster know-it-all and we were all offended by his flippant reaction.
Ultimately we wanted to like this place and come back, but it will not be happening, sadly.
