Mr. Taco Truck

Dear Mr. Taco Truck,
How have you been? It’s been awhile since I last visited you, and a lot of things have changed. Remember the days when the whole office was excited to order from you, each of us got like 5 tacos, and ended up over 50 tacos would be delivered to the office.
I was young and things were simpler in those days. I thought, what could go wrong when I ordered tacos from a place where literally had the name «taco» on it?
I have had been to a lot of places since then. And last week, I came to see you again. «Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different?» (yes I’m quoting C.S. Lewis here.) I went by to order the usual favors, fish, beef, pork, and spicy pork. They were not the same as before. Or were they the same, but that I had tried more tacos around the world, I found them different nowadays?
The soft taco shells were dry. The beef and pork were both very bland. The tacos were small (but I know, each costs only $ 25+ so I couldn’t really complain…). It seemed when I moved on and explored the world, you stayed at where you were. I wanted to say something good about you, so that we could end this relationship in good terms (no hard feelings, okay?) but even for the coke I ordered, it was not properly carbonated. A can of coke would have been nicer.

Tacos in Hong Kong are just as bad an idea as they sound.
Taco Bell is a Michelin rated haute Mexican cuisine restaurant compared to this place.
If this place opened in LA, we’d burn it to the ground in a fit of culinary outrage.

When they first opened I was excited by Mr. Taco Truck — the idea of a decent taco at reasonable prices seemed like a perfect fit. However, the quality of the tacos have never quite lived up to expectations. The pastor is just ok, but the carnitas is always super dry and tough. It wouldn’t actually cost them more to improve the quality, just a bit more TLC during cooking, but after a few years of trying it off and on, I’ve given up on it changing.

Mr Taco Truck is a small Mexican food joint in Central. I think the restaurant serves largely as a takeaway place, as there are only a couple of tables in the restaurant and there really isn’t much service to speak of.
My friends and I were feeling a little hungry and I remembered that I had heard of a Mr Taco Truck on Wo On Lane. We were walking around on Queens Road Central anyway, so we decided to give it a go. It was around 4pm when we were there and the restaurant was empty except for one table.
We ordered a chicken quesadilla, a carnie asada (steak) taco and nachos to share. Our food came almost immediately. The chicken quesadilla was pretty good, but didn’t have much chicken in it. The steak tacos were alright, though the steak itself was quite hard and not very tender. You could tell that this wasn’t close to premium beef or anything. You could choose to have the Mexican rice and retried beans with the taco or change that to salad, which we did, although in hindsight we probably shouldn’t have because the salad didn’t look very fresh, and at a Mexican place it just feels more fitting to go with their rice and their refried beans. The nachos were not bad — I really liked the tortilla chips and they were sufficiently cheesy.
Overall, Mr Taco Truck is not a bad place for a quick snack. If you’re really looking to indulge in Mexican food, you may prefer to go to Taco Loco or iCaramba in Soho nearby. They’re sit-​down restaurants where you can relax and enjoy your food (they’re albeit more expensive though), whereas Mr Taco Truck is actually just a food stall with a couple of seats.

During lunchtime there’s usually someone on Queens Road in Central holding the advertising sign for Mr. Taco truck. I’ve been to the original restaurant in Quarry Bay, and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I wouldn’t have to make the long journey to Quarry Bay in order to fulfill my taco craving. The original Mr. Taco truck was and actual taco truck whose siding was stripped and is installed in the original location. The Central restaurant is located on the small street in Lan Kwai Fong. Since expanding, the restaurant has lost its truck structure but is giving us a chance to enjoy some Mexican flavor closer to home. There are only about 15 – 20 seats at this restaurant so it can fill up quickly during the lunch rush.
I ordered and waited about ten minutes for my set lunch that included two tacos, beans and rice, a few chips, and a drink for $ 69. The tacos look wonderful. The carnitas were a bit dry and oily. Al pastor was moist, had a nice flavor and are cooked just right. The rice and beans were tame, and the thick homemade tortilla chips were amazing! The meal was served with a spicy red and roasted salsa.
The restaurant is full of traditional Mexican memorabilia including sombreros, pinatas, and of course the Mexican flag. The walls are painted rich red and yellow, and there’s Mexican music playing lightly in the background.
Overall, very cute, and perfect for a quick bite to eat. I’m definitely returning for some chips and salsa, and plan on giving their famous burrito a try.