El Poblano is a cemita poblana truck that parks at the corner of Fairfax and Pico weekdays from 11-4pm. The cemita poblana milanesa is the truck specialty but they also serve tacos.
They were out of al pastor so I went with carnitas and carne asada.
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the meat at El Poblano. Ever since the Tacos Kimberly incident I approach some trucks with the "please dont kill me" mindset. I know it's ridiculous but I still have bad flashbacks.
But the meats here were tasty and juicy and the tacos well prepared. The carnitas had a salted punch to it and the asada a peppery aftertaste. There wasn't alot of salsa on the asada taco so I just wrapped the jalapeno into the taco and went for it. This made quick use of my orange jarritos and I started to regret this decision about two thirds in to it but it was damn good.
Both tacos could have used more salsa though. Part of that is on me for not asking for some extra on the side but I always like when the taquero ladles an ample amount of salsa on the taco so I don't have to ask for extra.
I got curious so I ordered a cemita poblana de milanesa for the road. My sandwhich came on a sesame domed roll with a cut of beef that was pounded thin, breaded and fried and then topped with panela cheese, slices of avocado, onion and a chipotle chile. Sabroso!
The sandwhich was quite tasty at first but the further I got into it the dryness started to affect the taste. The cemita roll is very bready and there wasn't anything saucy of any kind to counter the breadyness. I'm not a cemita poblana expert so I'm not sure if it's customary for this sandwhich not to have some kind of mayonaise spread or salsa. It could have used something though.
El Poblano, Pico/Fairfax Midcity. Tacos $1
The cemita poblana is a regional variant on the standard torta. Most tortas have mayonnaise to counteract the breadiness you mentioned.
ReplyDeletecemitas are tooo good. :] my dad has them in his truck too. :)
ReplyDeletei had that when i was traveling with friends to zacatecas, juarez to be exact. when i had it they put some kind of thick tomato salsa on it and but it was like eating beef jerky sandwich I like it.
ReplyDeletePico and Fairfax?!? Perfect, I can walk there from my casita!!! Thanks for the recommendation, Bandini.
ReplyDeletewhere is this wonder? I rode by Fairfax and Pico today, and saw nada.
ReplyDeleteCemitas are, by rule, on the dry side. The right consistency falls between that of a potato roll and a savory scone, with a hint of anise on the dough and a few sesame seeds on top. The one in the picture kinda looks like a burger roll, but by your description of its taste and doughiness it must be close to the real thing...
ReplyDeleteAs for the fillings, it's interesting that they took the torta approach. Cemitas are usually eaten for breakfast along with your morning coffee. Sometimes they get a thin spread of butter or even frijoles refritos . Your cemita, on the other hand, had milanesa (that's the breaded beef), which almost always must be paired with beans or crema to balance the bread's dryness. The avocado and chipotle do
How do I know all of this? I'm a Mexican expat living in Miami, where a decent taco is extremely hard to find. And yet here I am, reading Bandini's blog and envying his Angeleno whereabouts. How sad is that?
Buen provecho!
My dad is from Puebla & that's where cemitas are originally from, most of the time a cheese called "quesillo" is what they use. I've never had them for breakfast nor with coffee. We usually eat them for lunch with a soda :) lol..& there's also different types of them... the picture of yours looks exactly how we usually eat them..:]
ReplyDeleteI've lived my entire life in LA and it isn't until recently that I've noticed so many places selling Cemitas Poblanas. Maybe it's due to increased immigration from Southern Mexico? All I know is, I like it!
ReplyDeleteI've lived my entire life in LA and it isn't until recently that I've noticed so many places selling Cemitas Poblanas. Maybe it's due to increased immigration from Southern Mexico? All I know is, I like it!
ReplyDelete