*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*
The Good:
For myself, I took the advice of our server and ordered the Kimchi Chicken Burger. I thought the addition of housemade kimchi was the key to this. It was crunchy and had a fermented spice to it. Unlike other Korean-style chicken burgers out there, this wasn't drenched in gochujang. Instead, there was only a modest amount of sauce. Therefore, the chicken was still crispy and also plenty juicy. Those fries on the side were pretty awesome, hot and crunchy.
From their breakfast menu and also acting like our dessert, we had the Classic French Toast with strawberries, fresh cream and maple syrup. This was really good where the bread completely soaked so it was a bit eggy and almost custardy. The outside was nutty from the pan-sear. Overall, our meal at Beechwood Cafe was pleasant with some real highlights. No wonder it is so busy and not only because of tourists. Food is good and done right while the portions are generous.
The Good:
- Diverse and large menu
- Food prepared properly
- Service was great
The Bad:
- Super busy, prepare to wait
- Cramped seating arrangements
From all the choices of tacos, we got a few including the Baja Shrimp and the Octopus. Crispy on the outside while meaty and perfectly cooked on the inside, the shrimp were pretty sweet on their own. However, the addition of some cabbage, crema, mayo, salsa roja and pico de gallo added crunch, brightness, acidity and background spice. As for the octopus, it was tender with just a bit of crispiness on the outside. It sat atop a calamari ink sofrito which provided some moisture as well as sweetness and earthiness.
They also have Pork Carnitas Tacos on the menu as well. A bit random, but an option for those not wanting a hot dog. These came with green sauce, pico de gallo and jalapenos. I thought they were pretty legit with tender pork that was meaty and natural-tasting. The addition of the fresh and bright pico de gallo kept things light despite the amount of pork in each taco. We added some of the available sauces including jalapeno mayo. This was pretty mild, but added some creamy moisture.
They also have a selection of Monster Shakes and we had probably the most whimsical in the Om Nom Nom featuring a "Cookie Monster" theme with Cookie dough ice cream, milk, blue food colouring, Biscoff spread, crushed Chips Ahoy and chocolate chip cookie ice cream with blue sugar crystals and edible googly eyes. This was topped with
chocolate syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles and cherry. So yah, this was pretty sweet, but at the same time, fit with the theme of the milkshake. Lots of nuttiness and cookie flavour that was everywhere including on the outside of the cup. The kiddies would love this. For me, it was all about the dawgs and they were indeed good with complimentary condiments. Brats were high quality too.
*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*
The Good:
So we didn't get to Guerrilla Tacos the night before due to classic LA rush hour traffic. I mean, we *could* have braved the I-5, but was it really worth it? I guess that was in the back of our minds as we decided to go to Guisado's instead. Now don't get me wrong, Guisado's was truly good and that wasn't a mistake. On the other hand, everyone keeps raving about Guerilla Tacos and in actuality, the place is different than Guisado's. Fine, we decided to head there for lunch the following morning just because we didn't want to risk missing out. 
We started with both Tostadas including the hamachi and ahi tuna. The hamachi was buttery and tender with a bite. It was on the saltier side, but there was plenty of umaminess and earthiness. There was a bit of spice from the chile de valle, but it didn't overwhelm the fish. I have to say that it was a truly beautiful thing to look at. Too nice to eat! Even more colorful, the ahi tuna was buttery and soft as well being lightly sweet. It was dressed in a cilantro-forward avocado chile and accented by citrus wedges. As a result, the tostada was bright and herbaceous. The combination of white miso and nori paste added a fermented deep saltiness with a taste of the sea. There was enough acidity there to bring impact to an otherwise mild-tasting creation.
One of the more surprising tacos was the Sweet Potato with almond chile, feta cheese, fried corn and scallions. For something without any meat, this ate very hearty and almost meaty due to the full-bodied thick slices of roasted sweet potato. They were firm with a soft bite while being sweet and caramelized. There was a touch of spice and also creaminess from the cheese. Loved the pops of sweet nutty corn as well. Onto a meat taco, the Pork Belly was soft and tender while being mild. On top, the smoked trout roe provided a smoky brininess. Another non-meat taco as the Smoked Cauliflower where it was cooked-through retaining an appealing firmness. The apricot slices were sweet and fruity while almond chile and pistachios were nutty and aromatic.
The Grilled Steak Taco sported jack cheese, chile molcajete, charred chile and avocado salsa. This was plenty spicy and cheesy where the flavors were apparent and impactful. However, we thought the steak was a bit too chewy with many pieces of sinew. Last to arrive, the Lobster Quesadilla was my favorite dish of the bunch. The whole thing was so buttery and crispy while loaded with springy lobster meat. Plenty of spice from the chile de valle that was tempered by the runny egg and silky whites. The Oaxacan cheese added a pleasant umaminess. As you can guess, Guerilla Tacos is completely different than a place like Guisados (including the price point). Both are good in their own ways where Guerilla offers up grander creations with bold flavours and eye-catching plating. I'd do this again when I'm in LA.
Often, I have these elaborate plans for food during our vacations. This would include traveling quite a distance such as going across town or even through several suburbs. So while we were staying in Burbank, the original dinner destination was Guerrilla Tacos in the hip Arts District. However, that meant driving in classic LA rush-hour traffic to get there. Hence, the usual 17-minute jaunt down the I-5 would take us over 40 minutes according to the current update on Google Maps. We moved onto plan B instead and merely walked up the street to Guisado's instead for less fancy tacos.
Now that doesn't mean we weren't getting legit tacos though. That we did with Viv's Taco Sampler which included smaller versions of Bistek en Salsa Rojo, Tinga de Polo, Chicharron, Mole Poblano, Cochinita Pibil and Steak Picado. Although not as large as the regular ones, this was enough food for one person. Our favourite was the bistek en salsa rojo as it featured tender pieces of flank steak that was spicy and sweet. Since it was simmered, the flavours penetrated the meat. Spicy from the green serrano chilis, the steak picado featured equally tender pieces of beef. The addition of bacon didn't hurt things either. Equally blessed with heat, the chicharron was texturally soft due to the pork rinds simmered in chile verde. For me, I really enjoyed the Mole Poblano where it sported chicken that was fairly mild with the nuttiness of the mole coming through. We got essentially the same selection for our regular-sized tacos and the picture is there for comparison.
I also got something different in the Pescado with grilled white fish, black beans, cabbage, avocado cilantro cream, chile arbol and pico de gallo. Predictably, this ate much lighter and brighter than the other tacos. The fish was nicely charred and flaky where the cabbage added freshness and crunch. I haven't even mentioned that the hand-made tortillas were really good! Soft and thin (without any gumminess) but maintaining a bite, these helped make the tacos extra good. Just for kicks, I added the Queso Tamale topped with a fried egg. I was indifferent about this tamale due to the dense texture. I prefer mine a bit fluffier (with more lard I suppose). Tastewise, it was on point with plenty of gooey cheese and tangy salsa verde. The runny egg yolk did help add some necessary moisture though. Now we didn't come here for the tamales, so if I had to talk about the tacos only, I would tell you to go try them. They are good.
Sometimes, it is so easy to just go with the standard choices when it comes to a quick lunch. Yes, that includes fast food joints, salad bars and of course, food courts. However, there are plenty of places to grab a quick and fairly inexpensive meal. One just has to look "beyond what they can see" (Lion King reference...). That brought Viv and I to Cantina Pana located on the strip of restaurants and businesses along Cornwall between Chestnut and Maple. This small lil' joint serves up tacos and bowls for the price you would pay eating at Subway.
Before we got to the aforementioned items, we just had to try their Chili Cheese Pana Tots. If you haven't noticed these days, tater tots are a thing. Hey, we weren't complaining with these ones since they were fried up golden brown and crunchy. What made it special was the ample topping of spiced beef chili, Monterey jack cheese and green onions. Yes, they ate like a meal with the robust meatiness and rich cheese. For $11.00, the Barbacoa Beef Brisket Bowl was pretty substantial on a bed of Mexican rice topped with cheese, lettuce, tomato, tarragon cabbage slaw, salsa, pickled onion and lime creme fraiche. The large serving of beef was tender with a meaty chew. Combined with the rest of the ingredients, especially the tangy tomatoes, there was a good mix of flavours. It felt sort of "healthyish".
Off to the tacos, we had the Orange Chili Pork and Crispy Coconut Cauliflower on the first plate. We found the pork to be tender and of course on the sweeter side. There was some spice too from the braise as well as the chipotle salsa. To cool it down, there was some creamy guacamole while the diced white onions and corn added crunch. The lime on the side helped add the necessary acidity as well. Interestingly, the only veggie option we chose was actually one of my favourites. I found the cauliflower to be the right texture in between firm and soft while the crunch of the deep fried was uniform. Underneath, there was a substantial amount of guacamole, crunchy and creamy tarragon cabbage slaw and tangy honey-dijon dressing. The key here was the wealth of flavours that made this meatless taco interesting.
For our other 2 tacos, we had the Crispy Fried Cod and the Buttermilk Fried Chicken. Both featured large pieces of protein and could easily be enough for person with smaller appetite. If one ate both, it would be enough for lunch. I found the cod to be moist and flaky with a crunchy tempura coating. It was dressed in mango-mint mojo and lime crema while accompanied by romaine lettuce and toasted coconut. This was light-tasting and certainly aromatic to a point, but the flavours could've been more impactful. Mind you, a few drops of hot sauce solved that problem. As for the chicken, it was super crunchy with moist juicy meat on the inside. The grape tomato salad was the key here as it added moisture and a burst of sweet tang that made the taco. A spicy Caesar dressing added creaminess and some heat, lots of flavours going on. Overall, we enjoyed the eats at Cantina Pana where the portions were large and the prices were fair.
Although the taco landscape of the GVRD has drastically improved over the past 10 years, there really aren't as many spots as I'd like to see. Interestingly, crossing the border over to Bellingham yields some pretty good tacos. I guess we really do have to run for the border? I digress. So when I looked at the lineup for the Taco Crawl (presented by Vanfoodster), it wasn't overly surprising to see some places "stretch" the definition of what a taco represents. No matter to me... Those who put too much effort and stress into being the "authenticity police" often lose out on good food. 
In reality, the South Indian Dosa Taco (at Dosa Hut) was not really a taco at all. Call it a mini-dosa instead and everything is fine in the world. I found the lentil crepe to be on point being super thin and light. It was perfectly crispy where it held the ingredients in while not becoming soggy. We much preferred the chicken over the vegetarian for obvious reasons, but the flavours were definitely more impactful. There was a flavourful combination of spices including the usual cumin and curry. The chicken was really moist and tender. From there we made our way to Las Tortas where we were served both the Mexican Zucchini and Pulled Pork Taco. I found the pulled pork to be a bit dry and on the milder side. However, with the addition of the sauces, pickled onions and lime, things got more lively.
Again, the offering at TMix across the street loosely interpreted the definition of a taco. In reality, it was a Bubble Waffle with a scoop of house-made ice cream on top. We ended up with the Mango for one an Earl Grey for the other. Very eggy and soft, the waffle lacked the crispiness and chewiness we often look for in a traditional Taiwanese bubble waffle. However, with that being said, this one had its own charm being soft and fluffy. The real star of the show was the ice cream as the flavours were impactful. However, the ice cream itself could've been creamier. We headed into Downtown next and hit up Patron Tacos & Cantina where we got one each of the Cochinita (Pork Butt) and Nopales (Cactus) Taco. I really liked the cactus as it wasn't slimy and exhibited a nice texture (not mushy). The pork was okay, but not particularly flavourful. It was tender though.
The best taco we ate all night was from La Catrina. It was the Res en Cascabel or braised beef cooked in cascabel chili sauce. The meat filling could've done without any other condiment and it was flavourful and lightly spicy (albeit a bit saucy). The Papas Mexicanas (Potato) taco was more mild and had quite a bit of onion in it. It was soft though. It turned out that we saved the best for last, even though we didn't intentionally plan to do so. As mentioned, I don't really care about what is a taco, but for those who really wanted all 5 stops to be about authentic tacos, this might've thrown them for a loop.
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