What I Got: Adobadas Taco, Nopal Taco, Nopal Plate, Agua de Tamarindo

Price: $$

Location: NYC

Review:

All the tacos at Los Tacos No. 1 come on a fresh corn or flour tortillas.  The tortillas are made fresh for each order.  I got my tacos on corn tortillas.  They had great flavor.  They also held up and did not fall apart unlike many corn tortillas.

Adobadas Taco – The Adobadas Taco includes marinated pork with pineapple, onions, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole.  The meat is shaved off a giant, flamed-cooked rotisserie pork.  It is juicy, tender, and has just the right amount of fat to make it extra delicious.  The marinade is bursting with wonderful flavor and a kick of spice.  The sweet pineapple perfectly balances out the salty pork.  The onions, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole are all incredibly fresh and delicious.  You cannot find a better pork taco anywhere else.

Nopal Taco – The Nopal Taco includes grilled cactus with onions, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole.  This was the freshest cactus I have ever eaten.  It had a great slight crunch to it and a nice subtle tart and citrusy flavor with a touch of bitterness which adds depth.   Once you chew it, cactus has an interesting, slightly slimy texture.  Don’t let that scare you away. It sounds weird but it is quite fun and delicious.  The cactus had an excellent grill on it.  The onions, cilantro, salsa, and guacamole complimented the cactus and added freshness while letting it shine through.

Nopal Plate – The Nopal Plate is a taco-bowl-like plate that includes grilled cactus, beans, cheese and your choice of meat.  I ended up getting the pork again because it is so delicious, and I love how it is shaved off of the giant hunk.  The crunchy cactus and tender pork are just as delicious as they are in the tacos.  The beans are soft, earthy, and hearty.  The cheese is melty and delicious.  All the ingredients mix together to make a delectable combination of flavors and textures.   This was a great warm and comforting dish on a cold day.

Agua de Tamarindo – Tamarindo is made from tamarind, water, and sugar.  It is almost like tamarind “juice” (tamarinds don’t have enough water in them to make juice on their own).  This was the best tamarindo I’ve ever had.  It had just the right amount of tamarind pulp to make it slightly thicker without being overly pulpy.   It was the perfect balance of tart and sweet as well.  Tamarinds have a very distinct flavor and the fresh tamarind flavor truly shined through.  If you are a fan of tart and sweet, you must try it!