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Disintegration but my love for tacos was too strong and I headed towards highland park, the taco capitol of our fine city. When I was younger I loved the rainy weather but now I yearn for the sun to come out and shine across my face and plate of tacos and glisten off the bottle of my lime jarritos. Parked at a car wash less than 100 feet from La Estrella this taco truck doesn't hide the love for mexican futbol. The imagery is on the truck,the menu and probably on the mind of the taco chef.
Image hosting by Photobucket I knew I was in for some great tacos when I saw that they printed up their own menus. Not as bold as putting a bulls head or a portrait of Pancho Villa on the wall of a taqueria but it's a statement to the taco patron that they know what time it is(time to eat great tacos).
Image hosting by Photobucket And I agree with them,these were great tacos. The asada was finely cut on top of soft well oiled tortillas and covered with a delicious salsa roja and the pastor was spiced and sweet and melted in my mouth. I can kick myself for not trying the chorizo after being recommended to do so but there will be a next time. I could go on and on about how good these were but I think I'm gonna need another go to really understand what I felt when I ate these tacos.
Image hosting by Photobucket me to taco al pastor "why can't I quit you?" I've noticed that the eastside taco trucks tend to have a more rustic spicy salsa roja compared to the westside and valley which are more tomatillo and chile arbol based. It might have something to do with King Taco having an influence over the territory. A steady stream of taco patrons came and went as I sat on the bench next to the truck enjoying my tacos. The sun never came out but the wonderful tacos at El Pique brightened my day.
Image hosting by Photobucket There are three La Estrella locations in highland park. This location is open 24 hours and besides your standard mexican fare also serves ceviche and seafood cocktails. Having been to this hut once before and enjoyed the carne asada I was curious to try the al pastor after so many recomendations.
Image hosting by Photobucket The al pastor was shredded with soft carmalized onions. The roja had a little kick to it but i'm so used to the hot stuff that I don't even reach for my lime jarritos anymore unless it's some homer simpson hot pepper shit. After finishing my tacos I drove to the La Estrella taco truck at York and Ave 54 to compare the two. I found a blue truck parked on a lot with a big sign and tables and chairs.
Image hosting by Photobucket I ordered the al pastor again and was pleased to find out the quality measured up with the tacos at the Figueroa location. It was hard to tell the difference but the pork had a stronger flavor. The shredded texture of the pork and salsa roja were the same but there were more charred bits of pork at the truck which made the taco better.
Image hosting by Photobucket So the verdict is that La Estrella makes a great pork taco. I'll be back to try the asada and to also try some of the other trucks I saw in the area. Highland Park is the taco capitol of Los Angeles and this taco reporter is just getting started. Only after I sample every taco truck in this eastside city will I be able to call myself a taco conquistador.
Two locations less than a mile apart from each other serve up cheap tasty mexican food for the people. The Centinela location has an indoor seating area and a salsa bar while the Inglewood blvd location has a taco window to compliment the carniceria and mercado. I was at the Inglewood location buying some carne asada and decided to have a few tacos. I've heard Taqueria Sanchez described as the best taqueria on the westside but they'd have to go a long way to replace tacos por favor and Don Felix as my local taqueria of choice. I ordered asada, al pastor and shrimp tacos and by the time I was done paying for the carne asada and a lime jarritos inside the market my tacos were ready. The first thing you need to know is that the salsa roja may look harmless but it has some kick to it. So if you are one that likes a mild salsa I suggest asking for a verde. I like my salsa to make me sweat a little and reach for my lime jarritos so I poured the salsa liberally over my tacos.
Image hosting by Photobucket I tackled the shrimp first. It didn't overwhelm me and there was no taste explosion but I'm partial to crispy shrimp tacos anyway. The asada is unique at Taqueria Sanchez in that it is baked not grilled or braised. The end result is toasty charred bits of beef with an extra beefy aftertaste. The first time I had the their asada I was put off by the method but it's grown on me and I quite enjoy it now.
Image hosting by Photobucket The al pastor is also prepared differently. There is a heavy dry rub of seasoning on the chunks of pork. This is not your standard al pastor and I'm not even sure it should be called al pastor but I liked it. It was different and the heavy chunks of pork packed alot of flavor.
Image hosting by Photobucket Overall a good taco experience and the market at Taqueria Sanchez is a must for all westsiders. Fresh salsas and carnes that locals line up for make this taqueria a local institution.
I've referenced his blog for westside taco trucks and it has been an invaluable resource. It's how I found the taco truck at Palms market on motor ave as well as several other taco destinations.
Image hosting by Photobucket Palms market is a great neighborhood market with a fresh produce section and a carniceria. They also have a taco truck they pull out on the weekday afternoons and weekends called El Sembrador. Living on the westside I'm always looking for a local carniceria and produce market I can buy my tomatillos, chiles and carnes. You can go to your local Vons to pick up these items but chances are you'll pay twice as much. Not only will you pay twice as much but if you pay with your vons card your purchases are being tracked by big brother.
Image hosting by Photobucket So after buying some carnes,chiles and tomatillos I walked out to the parking lot where the taco truck is parked and handed the lady my ticket. I asked the cashier about the taco truck when I was paying for my items and she said that I could pay her for the tacos. I didn't really know what I wanted so I thought to myself for a moment then said I'd like two al pastor and one asada. She looked me over for a few seconds then wrote the number three on a piece of paper "give this to the truck mijo" I felt like a dork for breaking it down to what I wanted instead of just saying how many I wanted. So I walked up to the truck and handed the lady my ticket with the #3 on it but instead of saying two al pastor and one asada I flipped it around to two asada and one al pastor. She paused for a moment and for a second I thought she might pick up a walkie talkie and say "this gringo is playing games" but she smiled and started to prepare my tacos. When my tacos came the first thing I noticed was the lettuce. I'm not a fan of lettuce on soft tacos because it gives the impression that there is something to hide. I usually stand pretty firm to the idea that soft tacos should have onions, cillantro, salsa to compliment the meat and tortillas. If a guacamole salsa makes an appearance for it to make the taco better it can't overwhelm the meat. I dont see any beneficial reason to add it to a soft taco.
Image hosting by Photobucket The asada was charred with some crunchy bits and combined with the subtle salsa roja it was enjoyable. Too many gummy bits of pork and an overall lack of al pastor flavor left me wanting to just toss this taco in the bin.
Image hosting by Photobucket Overall I'm glad to have another mercado to shop for my tomatillos and chiles on the weekend. There are a couple other markets to shop at but the taco truck in the parking lot is the tie-breaker.
I like soft well oiled corn tortillas, charred juicy cuts of carne asada, savory bits of al pastor and a salsa roja that makes me reach for that cold beverage. I may be different in that when I see a taco truck on the side of the road I have the impulse to pull over and d...
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