166 - ketab farsi

166
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The Chosen Taco!
By: Tannaz Sassooni*
“Offering a fusion of two of LA’s most quintessential ethnic cuisines
‘Mexican and Jewish” Takosher deliciously fills a neglected niche in the
food truck scene.”
An exciting trend has taken
over the Los Angeles food
scene, and most everyone’s getting
involved. At lunchtime, dinnertime,
and especially late at night, on the
busiest pedestrian streets of the
city, you’ll find long lines of people
eagerly waiting their turn to taste
the flavor explosions on offer at a
variety of food trucks. The food is
part of the draw, but just as important
is the fun factor: food trucks force
us out of the isolation of our cars
and give us a rare opportunity to
socialize with our city’s diverse
citizenry. You may not hang out in
the same places as the people in line
with to you, you may even live in
completely different parts of town.
But you find yourself bonding over
the delicious treats that await you --
after all, everyone can appreciate a
Korean fusion burrito, Vietnamese
spring rolls hot out of the fryer,
or sweet potato fries topped with
tomatillo chicken, right?
Well, not exactly everyone.
The sizable number of Angelenos
who maintain a kosher diet can’t
join in the fun, with trucks offering
menu items like Korean spicy pork
burritos or cheeseburger dumplings.
Enter Takosher, the nation’s first
glatt kosher taco truck. Offering
a fusion of two of LA’s most
quintessential ethnic cuisines -
- Mexican and Jewish -- Takosher
deliciously fills a neglected niche in
the food truck scene.
But what is a Jewish-
Mexican fusion taco? The best
example might be the brisketaco.
At first glance, it looks totally
authentic: shredded meat in small
lightly grilled corn tortillas topped
with chopped onions and cilantro,
and it even riffs off the traditional
suadero taco, which also features
brisket. But the flavors here are
pure Ashkenazi family dinner. Slow
braised in a sauce of chili, raisins,
and sauerkraut, the tender meat is
sweet and tangy.
Another unorthodox option
is the latketaco. While you can
occasionally find potato tacos at
Mexican taquerías around town,
Takosher packs theirs with crispy
potato mini-fritters, and tops them
with an apple jalapeño chutney,
demonstrating how well the flavors
of a traditional Hanukkah favorite
can satisfy anyone’s late-night
hankering for salty, sweet, and
fried.
Carne asada, citruschipotle
chicken (cheekily called
“The Chosen Chicken”), and the
“Fujita” -- tofu prepared fajitastyle
-- round out the taco selection.
Though there’s no cheese or sour
cream to be found at this taco truck,
Takosher keeps things bright with
fresh homemade salsas and a crisp
jicama cucumber slaw. They also
feature a selection of kosher sodas.