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Taco Taskforce: Los Angeles’ Best Fish Taco

Published

on December 22, 2009

in Chain / Multiple Locations, Los Angeles, Mexican, Restaurant Review and San Gabriel Valley

. 18 Comments

In a city where taquerias can be found on nearly every corner, it is oftentimes impossible to distinguish one shack from the next. While the inverse relationship between cleanliness and deliciousness is usually a reliable guide, it is unfortunately not always accurate. Thus, the Taco Taskforce was born.

Comprised of Bill (Street Gourmet L.A.), Javier (The Glutster), Matt (Mattatouille), Josh (Food GPS), and yours truly, the mission of the Taco Taskforce is to seek out Los Angeles’ very best tacos and to share these findings with like-minded eaters. Some might call this little endeavor a poor excuse for gluttony, but we simply view it as a service to the community; eating bad Mexican food is a travesty that no Californian should ever endure. Iowans? Sure. But Angelenos? No way.

For the inaugural meeting of the Taco Taskforce, we sought to find Los Angeles’ best fish taco. The list of five potential candidates was curated by Bill, a veteran of the city’s taqueria scene. We scored each taco based on its key ingredient (i.e. fish), condiments, authenticity, overall flavor, and cooking soundness. Since I’m more of a qualitative thinker than a quantitative one, my assessments were mostly based on taste and the overall vibe I received from the shops. For the numeric breakdown, see Mr. GPS.

Beginning with the establishment that scored the fewest points, here are our findings:

#5 Taco Nazo - South El Monte

With six locations in the Los Angeles area, Taco Nazo was one of two local chains on our list. Tony and Telma Garcia have been making the “world’s best fish taco” since 1978.

The fish taco ($1.69) arrived dressed with shredded cabbage, crema, pico de gallo, and a roasted guero (blonde chili) on the side. Even though Taco Nazo finished in last place, it is important to note that the taco was not the least bit offensive. In fact, it was actually quite pleasant. Taken on its own, Taco Nazo makes a fine specimen. However, going up against the city’s best, Taco Nazo floundered in a few key areas. This taco lost major points with the Taskforce with its excessive batter to fish ratio, lackluster condiments, and missing seasonings on the fish (pollack) and batter.

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#4 Señor Fish No. 2 - Eagle Rock

If atmosphere were a category that the Taco Taskforce considered important, than Señor Fish would’ve finished stronger than fourth place. The outdoor patio here is one of the loveliest around. We placed our orders inside and received our grub while relaxing in the shady courtyard.

Ringing up at $2.50, Señor Fish’s taco was one the day’s priciest. The cod fish taco arrived tableside with a bevy of condiments piled atop including cabbage, crema, a chile de arbol salsa, tomatoes, and cilantro. The Taskforce was impressed with Señor Fish’s extensive salsa bar and the taco’s robust flavors. However, we were unsatisfied with its clumpy batter and messily applied fixins.

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#3 Best Fish Taco in Ensenada - Los Feliz

There’s a lot to love about Best Fish Taco in Ensenada. Its concise menu (fish taco, shrimp taco, and drink) is straight up fabulous, and all of the food is made right in front of the customers. Public deep-frying is a mesmerizing sport.

At Best Fish Taco in Ensenada, the tacos ($1.50) were presented completely bare—just like in Baja. Each of us customized our basa (farm raised catfish) taco to our liking with the selection of salsas and vegetables on hand. Mine included La Crema Magica, shredded cabbage, and a bit of Pineapple Kiss salsa. This taco scored big points in the authenticity category. However, Bill proclaimed the bevy of unorthodox salsas “silly.”

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#2 Tacos Baja Ensenada - East Los Angeles

Tacos Baja Ensenada is a 10-year-old establishment located in the heart of East L.A. The narrow little shop was full of locals enjoying various Mexican seafood preparations when the Taskforce stopped in.

The catfish taco ($1.59) came slathered in house-made crema, diced tomato, hot sauce, and cabbage. From the ratio of batter to fish to the seasonings and condiments employed, the Taskforce was all around very pleased with Tacos Baja Ensenada’s solid product.

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#1 Ricky’s Fish Tacos - Silver Lake

The blogosphere and Twitterverse have fallen head over heels for Ricky’s Fish Tacos. Ricky sets up his little stand on Silver Lake’s Sunset Junction on Saturday and Sunday afternoons (weather permitting). He was the sole street food vendor on our fish taco tour.

Ricky’s fish taco ($2.50) was completely delightful, especially since it was served with a killer smile. Ricky takes care of the toppings (crema, cabbage, salsa) because the hot oil is a little too close to the condiments for his comfort. The deeply seasoned batter and tiny dice of jalapenos in the salsa really made this fish taco stand out among the competition. I find it kind of perfect that a street food vendor makes Los Angeles’s best fish taco.

Next up: Birria (goat) tacos!

Continue reading ‘Taco Taskforce: Los Angeles’ Best Fish Taco’

Sam Woo Barbecue Shop - Monterey Park

Published

Gastronomer

on December 9, 2009

in BBQ, Chain / Multiple Locations, Chinese, Restaurant Review and San Gabriel Valley

. 20 Comments

Not last night but the night before, a group of friends and I dined at Newport Tan Cang Seafood Restaurant, a fancy pants Chinese banquet hall in the city of San Gabriel. Aware of Newport’s reputation for stellar seafood preparations, our party of twelve indulged in a prix fixe menu that included delicacies like sharks’ fin soup, sea cucumber, lobster, and crab. The spread was luxurious, plated neatly, and mostly delicious, but after forking over $32 to cover my portion of the tab, I couldn’t help thinking that we should’ve just gone to a simpler joint like Sam Woo.

I’ve always had an inkling that I preferred hole-in-the-wall Chinese eateries to grand restaurants oozing with ambiance, but wasn’t certain until my recent dabble in high-end Chinese cuisine. Granted, Sam Woo is a dingy chain, but there’s something about taut-skinned ducks glistening under florescent lights and service so indifferent that I feel like I’m doing the restaurant a favor by dining there that captures my heart and satisfies my gullet.

According to the restaurant’s superbly written Wikipedia entry, Sam Woo is not a person, but rather the romanization of the Cantonese pronunciation for “triple harmonies.” “Sam” meaning three and “Woo” meaning harmony. Triple harmonies is a reference to the principles of feng shui: heaven, earth, and humanity.

The first Sam Woo was opened by a Hong Kong immigrant in Los Angeles’ Chinatown in 1979. Since then, the chain has expanded into communities with sizable Chinese populations like Las Vegas, Toronto, and Southern California. There are currently over ten Sam Woo locations in North America.

The Astronomer and I were introduced to Sam Woo by a fellow named Ryan, a classmate of The Astronomer’s. I was excited to learn that Sam Woo specialized in roast fowl, because one of my fondest food memories is of eating roast goose in Hong Kong. I can recall savoring the juicy meat dipped in sweet plum sauce like it was yesterday.

Our group shared half a roast duck ($8.95) that arrived at the table chopped into manageable bits. The quality of the meat and seasonings didn’t match my Hong Kong experience, but the crispy skin, moist meat, and plentiful pockets of fat made everything all right. The plum sauce was worthy of sipping alone; it’s certainly not for everyone, but it definitely is for me.

While I normally frown upon chicken, Sam Woo’s Tung Kong-style salty chicken (half - $7.95) was very enjoyable, especially with a generous pour of scallion oil. The notes of ginger and garlic soaked into the skin, and the boiled texture of the meat reminded me of Hainanese chicken.

For the carbohydrate portion of our meal, we selected a seafood chow mein ($6.75) with scallops, fish, krab, shrimp and squid. For me, chow mein tastes best once the goopy sauce has properly soaked and softened the fried noodles, creating a clumpy delight.

Lastly, we shared a plate of salted and spiced deep-fried bean curd ($6.50). The tofu’s salty crust brought a great deal of flavor and a killer crunch, while the jalapenos and scallions gave the tofu an edge. Sam Woo executes this simple dish very well.

Now, if only it were acceptable to invite wedding guests to a barbecue shop rather than a formal banquet hall.

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Sam Woo Barbecue Shop
634 W. Garvey Avenue
Monterey Park, CA 91754
Phone: 626-289-4858

Nem Nướng Ninh Hòa - Rosemead

Published

Gastronomer

on September 16, 2009

in Banh Beo, Banh Hoi, Nem Nuong, Restaurant Review, San Gabriel Valley and Vietnamese

. 19 Comments

After sitting in bumper to bumper traffic for a solid half hour, it was clear that my dreams of kicking it with carnies and eating deep-fried White Castle burgers at the L.A. County Fair had to be reassessed. Of course I was looking forward to the smelly petting zoos and dizzying Tilt-a-Whirls, but wasting a beautiful summer afternoon idling on the freeway wasn’t in the cards, so I did what I had to do. “There will always be next year,” consoled The Astronomer.

With Plan A kicked to the curb, we moved on to Plan B—cruising for grub in the San Gabriel Valley. Twice in the past week, I’ve received recommendations for a Central Vietnamese restaurant in Rosemead named Nem Nướng Ninh Hòa. “It’s one of the best,” said Hong, one half of the Ravenous Couple. “It’s in my top three and I’ve been going here for years,” said Wesley, one half of the Two Hungry Pandas. After confirming the address with yet another Panda, we made our way to Nem Nướng Ninh Hòa in time for lunch.

The restaurant was operating at full capacity when we arrived. After placing our names on the waiting list and moseying around for fifteen minutes, we were seated at a table for four.

In between placing our orders and the food arriving, I felt a tap on my shoulder. “Are you The Gastronomer?” asked a friendly looking gentleman. “And you’re The Astronomer!” he said while pointing at Vernon. I can’t remember whether or not we actually confirmed our pseudonyms, but we did invite him and his friend to join us. Surely, it was the least we could do for the first readers to spot us out in public!

We started off with an order of banh beo ($5.49), a dish from the city of Hue. The twelve steamed rice cakes arrived in shallow porcelain dishes piled atop one another. Each cake was sprinkled with dried minced shrimp, smeared with scallion oil, and finished with a crisp “crouton” of rendered pork fat.

To eat, we spooned a bit of sweet fish sauce atop the warm banh beo and dug in with spoons. Once while visiting Hoi An, The Astronomer and I ate banh beo using flat wooden sticks! The steamed rice cakes were doughier and less pliable than the ones we enjoyed in Vietnam, which surprisingly bothered The Astronomer much more than me. I love how my boy’s become a Vietnamese food snob.

Next to arrive was the house special, a selection of Ninh Hòa-style grilled pork meatballs and skewers ($14.99). In the great tradition of Vietnamese do-it-yourself dishes, the protein was accompanied by rice paper and a forest of greens and herbs for garnishing and wrapping. A curiously goopy orange sauce (tuong nep) was served on the side for dipping.

The bevy of meats included nem nuong (sweet pork skewers and meatballs), nem cap (pork patties wrapped in banana leaves), nem chua nuong (sour pork patties), and cha ram tom (shrimp egg rolls). The classic nem nuong were my favorite, although the others weren’t very far behind. I skipped the strangely sweet orange sauce and dipped my rolls in nuoc mam instead.

My favorite dish of the afternoon was the banh hoi ($8.25). The woven mats of rice noodles were topped with thit nuong (grilled pork), tau hu ky (shrimp cake wrapped with bean curd), shrimp egg rolls, scallion oil, and a smattering of dried shrimp dust. The texture of the banh hoi was just about perfect, soaking up the nuoc mam like a gauzy sponge.

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Nem Nướng Ninh Hòa
9016 Mission Drive
Rosemead, CA 91770
Phone: 626-286-3370