Tako
601 Expo Blvd.
78-379-7010
takovancouver.com
Open daily, 11am to 10pm.
Someone asked me the other day about Korean tacos in Vancouver. Where, in fact, could you find them? Traditional Korean restaurants don’t do tacos. The long-closed Cartel Taco truck used to have excellent bulgogi tacos, but these days, apart from Damso in the West End or food truck Disco Cheetah, there aren’t a lot of places to indulge in Mexican-Korean fusion.
When Tako opened late last summer, it seemed like a great addition to the south-east end of Gastown, right next to the Stadium-Chinatown SkyTrain station and across from Rogers Arena. Just off the strip of Abbott that’s home to places like Fresh Slice, it purported to offer a bit of upswing on the take-out front, as well as convenience for commuters and concert-goers. Sure, you can eat in at one of the cemented bar stools or on the patio in good weather, but this is mainly a to-go operation.
I finally got around to visiting last month and my first emotion after trying some of the dishes was pity for all those who end up here. The prices for the tacos are cheap, absolutely, at $2.95 to $3.45 each, but the adage about getting what you pay for hits hard here.
In case you’re wondering why Tako is named after the Japanese word for octopus, it’s not. Tako is short for Taqueria Koreano (cue the eyerolls). The flour tortillas are fine, neither better nor worse than most joints around town, seeing as they’re not made in-house. It’s the fillings that cause the stomach to turn. The “Seoul” taco with deep-fried chicken was my first choice. Alas, this is not the stuff of which KFC (Korean Fried Chicken) dreams are made. The admittedly crispy and crunchy exteriors of the tiny chunks covered up deeply-chewy and stiff pieces of chicken that obviously seized in fright before meeting their ends. The lavish drizzling of gochujang didn’t help hide the unfortunate lack of flavour in the meat itself or excuse the stale tortilla chips that sit underneath when you order this as a side. The prawn was worse, and resembled every lacklustre and forgettable fish taco you’ve ever eaten in this city. The drizzle of chili mayo didn’t hide the rather squishy state of the batter.
The burritos seem to offer more bang for the buck, being large and considerably less offensive. But, at $9.50 each, I find myself wishing for a lotmore flavour in the kimchi-fried rice. Kimchi can be a spicy-fermented thing of beauty, but this tasted like someone’s night-before science experiment, hastily tossed with white rice. The bulgogi, with tender strips of beef, was juicy and had some flavour, which, when combined with the corn, cheese and lettuce, made for a reasonably filling meal.
The same bulgogi appears in the quesadilla ($8.95), also filled with kimchi, corn, red onion and cheese. You can get a kimchi-free version, but then, instead of mayo, it’s drizzled with the gochujang that appears on almost every dish. It’s probably the best (read: least off-putting) thing here, although the gochujang seems like the restaurant’s way of pointing out that you are, in fact, eating Korean food. The side of rice cakes on a skewer ($2.50) is heavily doused, creating a sickly sweet and moderately spicy effect that doesn’t cover up the rubbery texture of the tubes.
There’s also poutine, but, really, at this point, why bother? I took one for the team and tried the spicy pork ($8.45). The employee behind the counter said it was pork belly, but damned if I could tell. Stringy, lacking in flavour, and doused with the same monotonous level of spice as almost every other dish on the menu, it was a far cry from versions I’ve tasted at several food trucks around town. Even the fries couldn’t keep their end up and offer something that didn’t taste microwaved.
I know that busy commuters and those heading to a rock concert may not always be looking for high-end, locally sourced whatever; but surely, SURELY, we can offer them something better than this? I hear the arena has upped its game in the food department. I’d seriously suggest you check it out instead. If not, there’s always Fresh Slice.
All ratings out of five stars.
★: Okay, nothing memorable
★★: Good, shows promise
★★★: Very good, occasionally excellent
★★★★: Excellent, consistently above average
★★★★★: Awe-inspiring, practically perfect in every way
Ratings:
Food: ★
Service: n/a
Ambiance: n/a
Value: ★
Overall: ★
Anya Levykh is a freelance food, drink and travel writer who covers all things ingestible. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. All ratings out of five stars.
