Nowhere else I’d rather be! Photo: Kazuri Photography.
We are eating our little hearts out at Taco Boi, where Tex Mex takes a Korean twist, and where owner, Yokas, pours his passion into the very smallest items on the plate.
Only three months old and located where Burger Hero once stood in Braddon, Yokas has kept a couple of Burger Hero’s best-loved burgers on his menu: “We are all about tacos, burgers and wings.”
My mouth waters as I take in Taco Boi’s fun fusion menu. A variety of eight tacos, two of them vegan, hero the menu, with several burgers and a sides menu that ranges from mozzarella fingers and waffle fries to loaded fries and jalapeno poppers. Oh, and there are wings and frozen margaritas!
Do you need an excuse for frozen margaritas? Photo: Kazuri Photography.
We get a four-piece mix-and-match plate of tacos, a Southern Smoke burger, Korean fried chicken wings, a side of jalapeno poppers and a frozen margherita!
Yokas says the beef brisket taco is the biggest seller in his taco range. One bite confirms why. Brisket that has been smoked for 36 hours, then pulled, so it is silken strands of smoke-infused umami. Yokas allows the true flavours of the slow smoker process to shine through; he doesn’t add BBQ sauce to the brisket. The taco is topped with smooth mayo, the perfect tang of pickled red cabbage and a heady parmesan sprinkle. This is an unforgettable taco. Just a plate of these and I would be happy every day.
Our second favourite is the Korean fried chicken. Crisp-tipped and golden, topped with siracha mayo, coriander and a deliciously crisp kimchi slaw, we don’t even realise it is vegan chicken until we see it on the menu.
The flavour packed in these tacos is wonderful and diverse. The beef brisket taco is chef’s kiss! Photo: Kazuri Photography.
The birria con carne taco is delicately spiced, and very tender con carne mince imbued with the heat and flavour of dried birria chilli. Because he uses dried chillies, the flavour they produce is deeper and more caramelised.
The pulled pork taco delights our tastebuds: tender pulled pork with the added sweetness and tang from housemade BBQ sauce.
Our Southern Smoke burger fits double smashed cheese-covered patties, chipotle mayo, fresh lettuce, tomato and onion all in a toasted brioche bun. The patties have a crisp, caramelised exterior and burst with flavour.
The housemade jalapeno poppers take a lot of effort to make from scratch, but Yokas says they are worth it, and boy is he right. Bitey jalapeno flesh is stuffed with cream cheese filling, battered and fried to a golden crunch. We dip them into lush aioli.
Taco Boi’s Korean fried chicken wings are next-level crunch: so tender and juicy, so crisp on the outside with a sticky glaze and kimchi radish. The secret to that incredible juiciness is brining, Yokas tells us.
The kimchi radish … I have to rave about these pickles. I have not experienced brighter, crisper, fresher pickled items anywhere. The flavour and texture are incredible. My description would not do them justice. Just get to Taco Boi and taste them.
Taco Boi’s head chef and owner, Yokas, is an absolute delight and incredibly talented. Photo: Ben Calvert
The frozen margherita. Where do I start? Housemade and coming out of the slushy machine, soft and chilled, my margherita is sweet and refreshing, with a perfectly salted rim. It is DIVINE to the point that I am trying to plan when I can drop past for another.
And please save tummy space for churros. The prettiest churros plate ever, golden-fried dough with the softest fluffy centre, drizzled with chocolate ganache and sprinkled with a mix of Oreo and Biscoff crumble. And you have little bowls of chocolate ganache and biscuit crumble to dip your churros into. Heaven.
The prettiest churros plate ever does not disappoint. Photo: Kazuri Photography.
Taco Boi is located at 31 Mort St in Braddon. It’s open for dinner seven days a week from 5 pm to 8:30 pm and for lunch from 11 am to 2:30 pm, Monday to Saturday.
Say hello to head chef and owner Yokas when you go; he is an absolute delight and happy to make recommendations based on your dietary needs.
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