GREAT EATS HAWAII: honolulu taco shop

Showing posts with label honolulu taco shop. Show all posts

Sunday, July 31, 2022

TAQUERIA EL GALLO ROSA

1200 ALA MOANA BLVD

HONOLULU, HI 96814

808-597-8626

https://www.taqueriaelgallorosa.com/location/taqueria-el-gallo-rosa-ward/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-el-gallo-rosa-honolulu

https://www.instagram.com/tacos.el.gallo.rosa/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/tacos.el.gallo.rosa.kailua/

You can imagine how happy I was to see a Taqueria in Ward Village. Just had to stop in and try all of their Tacos. First off I need to taste their Salsa. For me a good indicator of great Mexican food is the Salsa. The Taqueria El Gallo Rosa Salsa is bland. Not much going on and no heat. The Tacos all looked great and the meats had some nice flavor.

We tried the Pastor, Carne Asada, Fried Fish Taco, Pork Carnitas and Birria Tacos.

The Fish Taco was drenched in what tasted like straight mayonnaise with lime juice. More like a mayonnaise Taco rather than a Fish Taco. The fish was fresh and tasty after removing the thick batter. My favorite of all the Tacos was the Carne Asada. The Tortillas are good and I like that they don't have to double up on them to hold the fillings. I asked for hot sauce and was given a medium and hot. In all my life visiting Taco Shops, I have never seen Salsa like this. They were mostly oil and dark. The medium sauce was oily and I really didn't get much flavor or heat. The hot sauce brought the heat but it too was also oily. All in all my Wife and myself were not too impressed with these Tacos. My Wife said she would never come back. What makes me not want to return is the Salsas and hot sauces.

TAQUERIA EL GALLO ROSA

GREAT LOCATION AND INDOOR/OUTDOOR SEATING

TAQUERIA EL GALLO ROSA MENU

CHIPS, SALSA AND THE OILY HOT SAUCES

PASTOR, CARNE ASADA AND FISH TACOS

BIRRIA AND PORK CARNITAS TACOS

Sunday, May 31, 2020

TACO'AKO

675 AUAHI STREET, #129

HONOLULU, HI 96813

808-824-2547

HOURS: Daily 11AM - 3PM / Closed Sunday (as of 6/1/20)

https://tacoako.com

www.yelp.com/biz/tacoako-honolulu

www.facebook.com/tacoako/

www.instagram.com/tacoakohi/?hl=en

Had never heard or seen Taco'ako before but ended up walking by the place on a family stroll through Kakaako. As we were walking back to our car I decided to stop in and try two menu items. Went with a Carne Asada Taco and Chicken Tostada. I ordered at the counter in this COVID-19 lockdown and then was asked to wait outside. Lucky for us there is a little standing counter area right outside the restaurant so we went and hung out there with our dog. A few minutes later a man came out with our food all boxed up. He brought the food to us along with napkins and forks. I asked him for hot sauce and he went back in and brought me a small container of sauce. The Carne Asada Taco ($5) looked good with caramelized onions on top and Guacamole on the bottom. There were two tortillas which were more like a Flatbread. I opted for only one of the Tortillas and it was able to take the weight of the meat without falling apart. First bite impression was really good. Liked the flavor and quality of ingredients. Just thought $5 was a little pricy for a small street taco. Hey but I have been in the restaurant business before and know the cost of food and overhead. Plus the packaging they use had to cost a lot. So price aside, this was a good taco. The Chicken Tostada ($8) however was EXCELLENT. Probably the best Tostada I have had in Hawaii in ages. In fact cannot think of when I had a better one here. What set this apart was the two layer Tortilla with the bottom one covered in Black Beans. The the marinated Chicken which actually has flavor unlike most Mexican chicken that is just boiled. Then came the Mexican Cheese, Guacamole, Jalapeño and Veggies. This baby was super good. In fact as I sit here and write this I am craving another one. Cannot wait to go back to Taco'ako and try a few more items and especially the Carne Asada Burrito.