CookSmart (17th Issue) Page8

EatSmart Restaurants Snaps

Mr. Taco Truck 

 Light and Healthy Mexican Food

Located in the trendy Lan Kwai Fong area, Mr. Taco Truck has a charming Mexican atmosphere. Brightly painted in yellow and red and decorated with sombreros and ponchos, the eatery serves authentic Mexican-style street foods at affordable prices. Since opening, it has successfully built up a clientele that embraces local residents, expatriates as well as tourists from the mainland.

Vivian used to work in investment banking. She turned her passion for Mexican food into a business.

Eligio has worked in restaurants in the US and Mexico for a good 20 years.

Authentic Home Style Mexican Food

Vivian WONG, managing partner of the Mr. Taco Truck, says, "Mexican food has been very popular in the United States and is best known for its tacos - a common street ­food. I became so fond of tacos when I was studying in California." Yet Vivian found that Hong Kong's Mexican restaurants serve mainly Mexican food with an American slant - plenty of cheese and cream, lots of meats but not too many vegetables. So she came up with the idea of opening a restaurant that serves authentic Mexican food. In 2010, with her partner Calvin TSE, Vivian opened the first shop of Mr. Taco Truck. They invited Eligio ESCOBEDO MEDINA, an experienced Mexican chef, to join them as partner and Executive Chef.

Vivian says, "Traditional Mexican cuisine consists mainly of tacos, refried beans, rice and vegetables. Cooked with plenty of vegetables but less meats, it best suits the palate of health conscious people." The restaurant offers a variety of tacos and burritos which deliver a distinctive, fantastic flavour. "Burrito Bowl" and "Pico de Gallo", a salad made with tomatoes, spring onion and coriander, are two of the most popular dishes in the restaurant.

Delicious Fresh Salsa Sauce

An almost necessary companion to most Mexican dishes is the "salsa". The restaurant's home-made salsas are prepared with fresh tomatoes, chilli and a variety of herbs. Diners can put salsas on their tacos and burrito to suit their palate.

Mr. Taco Truck takes pride in serving customers with authentic and healthy Mexican dishes. Not only do they use traditional Mexican recipes, they import most ingredients from Mexico and the United States. Further, the restaurant shuns animal fats in favour of healthier cooking oils to provide healthy food options to customers.