Far East Taco Grille is a truck that I have been meaning to try for a very long long time. The reason it has taken so long is their constant, huge line of customers. These guys are real players on the foodtruck scene, drawing massive crowds even at major food truck centers where they are not the only option. So, what do they offer that other trucks don’t? What do they bring to the table to attract the lunch time horde over and over? Is it the sexy/sleek all black truck or the low price tag? No friends, the secret is customization.
Choice is what makes us human... omnomnomnom
The Far East Taco Grille is a DIY mostly Asian-fusion taco party. The menu is broken up into four sections. You choose one selection from each of the following: Protein, Sauce, Slaw, and Finishers (not too mention a choice between corn and flour tortillas… choose flour). There are four proteins available, steak, chicken, pork, and tofu. There are four sauces: salsa roja, #15 sauce, spicy mayo, and spicy pineapple. There are four ‘slaws’: kimchi-lime, sweet chili romaine, zesty chipotle, and grilled peppers. Finally there are two finishers: onion-lime relish and cheesy-lime crema. 4 x 4 x 4 x 2 = 128. 128 x 2 (for the types of tortillas) = 256 taco permutations.
So when you walk up to the window, you get three tacos for $8, a good deal in the food truck world. Don’t be stressed, but you essentially have 256 choices to pick from. No wonder they have such a long line. Luckily for you I have some suggestions on what to go with and what to stay away from when making this arduous taco choice.
The Far East Taco Grille has some highs and lows. It’s highs are enough to make it one of the best trucks out there. Let me tell you the lows first, just for your own personal safety. Stay away from the tofu. I am not saying that because I dislike tofu, I don’t. They say tofu takes on the flavors of what it has been cooked in. Well, I don’t know if I got a bad batch but the tofu, which they describe as ‘sweet sexy,’ was nearly inedible due to a pervasive, almost medicinal (think cough syrup) sweetness. Other misses on the menu were the sweet chili romaine which seemed to just be lettuce and the grilled fajita peppers which, while pretty tasty, distracted from the other flavors and tasted like they would be more at home on an italian sausage and pepper sub.
Now that I have gotten that out of the way, I can talk about the positive. When I go back to The Far East Taco Grille I will be ordering three steak tacos, guaranteed. Not to say that the chicken or pork were bad. The chicken is good, if a little too mild and easily lost, and the pork was great, tender juicy and spicy. But the steak is clearly this truck’s real money maker. Clearly, we at Eat The District love Korean Bulgogi beef. We have even been publicly criticized for our constant fixation on it (you know who you are). But we will not back down. Bulgogi is amazing and we are not ashamed to love it like the meaty steak step-child whose cow mother we have yet to marry. And the bulgogi used by the Far East Taco Grille is a show stopper. Combined with the kimchi-lime slaw and the onion-lime relish, you are going to get some really wonderful and authentic Korean flavors in your taco.
So my advice when visiting the Far East for tacos, is stick to the far eastern flavors. The steak. The spicy mayo or the #15 sauce. The kimchi lime slaw. The onion lime relish. These are going to give you the best experience. Sure, mix it up, keep it fresh, the cheesy crema and the pork are also delicious. But if you are going to get salsa and chipotle mix, there are better truck options that will give you authentic mexican food.
Follow them on twitter @FarEastTG and remember, get the steak.
