Is there a more enticing sign than a florescent "Tortillas Hechas a Mano" sign on a taco wagon? I don't think I've ever driven past such a sign without pulling over with my belly rumbling in anticipation. It’s rare that I have a bad taco when the tortillas are homemade in fact none come to mind. I figure if they go the extra mile with the tortillas then it’s likely they do the same with the meats and salsas. And I loved the tortillas at Daniel’s. They were soft with a nice grilled corn flavor. Unfortunately that’s where the love ended. The carne asada was grayish, a little tough and bland and the lengua was really funky. The al pastor wasn’t bad but al pastor that doesn’t come from the trompo only has so high a of ceiling.
I’m starting to think that lengua just isn’t my thing. Maybe I don’t trust my palette yet to tell the difference between good lengua and bad lengua. I could tell this lengua wasn’t cooked al vapor(steamed) because of how greasy it was and the only other times I’ve enjoyed lengua was when it was cooked al vapor.
(lengua, al pastor, carne asada $1.25 each)
I could have been more diverse with my salsa selection. Sometimes I’m stuck in my old ways and before I realize it I’m ladling the reddest salsa they have on my tacos. This salsa roja was made with guajillo chile and had a strong smoky flavor that masked some of the weakness of the meat. The spice level didn't register very high but a there was a strong chile taste to the salsa.
I paired my tacos with a Tamarindo Jarritos . This is another great flavor from Jarritos. If you like agua frescas with Tamarindo you will like this soda. There’s a little pop to it and then just all the great flavor of tamarind.
After Daniel’s I contemplated hitting up another taco truck but I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat 3 more tacos and I was starting to worry about the traffic getting back to the Westside and giving myself enough time to blog. These were pretty big tacos and I felt my stomach tighten up a bit. The valley taco truck scene is sort of uncharted territory for me. I will definitely be back.
2/5
Daniel's Tacos
Vanowen and Lankershim
San Fernando Valley 91605
tacos $1.25
Have you tried Daniel's? Rate it
No comments:
Post a Comment