Silicium Llena Of That

If you thought your best chance of finding a great street taco was when the sun goes down , think again my friends. Many of LA's finest taco trucks operate both day and night. There is the two headed monster of La Estrella and El Pique that park side by each in Highland Park. There is the 50 cent taco special at El Capitan, the roasting al pastor spit at The Surfer Taco and lets not forget the senoras of La Golondrina that serve up enchiladas straight from the lonchera.

Now we can add another to the growing list of lunchtime taco truck eats (that's if you eat lunch at 2pm like your humble taco correspondent.)



Taqueria La Que Si Llena parks in front of the Superior Warehouse market at the corner of Cesar E. Chavez Ave. and Rowan Ave serving up solamente tacos,burritos y tortas.

It was about 1:30 in the afternoon when I strolled up to the window of the truck.

"un taco pastor, y un taco carnitas por favor"

"no carnitas hoy "

They were out of carnitas so I got adventurous.

"dame un taco de lengua por favor"

"un de lengua?"

I know she expected me to say asada. I expected me to say asada. But I said lengua. And I said it like I was a seasoned lengua eater.



The tacos came wrapped in thin paper. Two large fresh corn tortillas packed with meat, onions, cilantro and a light salsa de chile arbol.They were the size of small burritos and only $1.25 each.



I opened the lengua first. Thick cuts of beef tongue spilled out on to the plate, a beefy aroma filled my nostrils and after a heavy squirt of lime I dug in. The beefy strips of lengua dominate the subtle salsa and lime and it's a bit overwhelming but also very satisfying.

My taste buds had to adjust to the saucy al pastor and once they did I couldn't get enough. The fresh corn tortillas soaked up the achiote stain from the pork and the salsa and lime provided the perfect balance.



Cesar Chavez Ave is somewhat of a taco paradise . Whether you seek the fiery red salsa roja of King Taco, or the crisp battered fish tacos from El Siete Mares or the authentic dishes from La Parilla you will find it on this avenue where LA and Mexico collide.



Taqueria La Que Si Llena
3600 Cesar E. Chavez Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90063
Tacos $1.25
Something of different: Breakfast for the dinner
a good book

Valley taco run: I finally eat the lengua

The sign said tortillas hechos a mano but my tortillas were store bought, dry, and wilted. I ordered al pastor but they were out of al pastor so I ordered suadero, carnitas, and asada but got two carnitas, and one dreadful, fatty, tougher than wild monkey in borneo cut of carne asada.


carnitas, carnitas, asada

There were too many niño's running to and fro, too many flies landing on my arm and trying to land on my tacos and too many cars in the parking lot for tacos this bad.
But Daniels tacos comes highly recommended. I have heard of the late night taco fiestas that stay open past 2am. The crowds that fill the parking lot, the taco wagon they wheel out at night with the al pastor spit over open flame with pineapple on top.



Walking back to my car I saw a taco wagon in the distance and the words tacos al vapor. It was like an oasis in the dessert. So far tacos al vapor had escaped me on this hunt. The authentic slow cooked meat only came to me in dreams and in emails from fellow taco hunters wanting to know where the elusive tacos al vapor could be found.

Tacos al vapor are steamed tacos. Meat,typically cabeza and lengua are pressure cooked for hours . The slow cooking process makes the meat incredibly tender and moist. Often as was the case here, the corn tortillas are steamed also.



My tacos (cabeza and lengua) came con todo, with onions and cilantro. The taquero placed two squirt bottles of salsa next to my plate and I doused verde on the cabeza and roja on the lengua and dug in.

The cabeza was excellent. The beefyness was toned down allowing the more subtle flavors of the meat to come out. A squirt of lemon(i prefer lime) and some salsa provided the perfect balance.

lengua taco

The lengua I wasn't so sure of but after a few bites I adjusted to the slightly gamey flavor and with some extra salsa roja and lemon got through it. It was my first lengua taco since starting this taco hunt. I need to order the lengua more often



Five tacos in and I was starting to hit my limit but I promised a certain taquero after trying his burrito I would return for the tacos. It had been a couple weeks since I was at Taqueria Emanual in Van Nuys. I walked up to the taquero looked him in the eye and threw him a curveball " burrito de carnitas con todo"

He paused at first, making note of my homemade I love tacos t shirt but I nodded in affirmation.

"I will try your tacos next time my friend"

And that was that, my new friend went about preparing my burrito.

Over the next 10 minutes I was to be transported to burrito heaven, with each bite a mouthful of creamy refried frijoles, soft rice, salsa roja and juicy, salty carnitas. A masterful wrap, the perfect amount of rice to beans to meat ratio and quite possibly the best burrito I've ever had.


carnitas, pastor, asada

So it was on this day I returned to keep my promise. I ordered the trifecta:carnitas, al pastor, asada and sat outside with plate in hand devouring my tacos. The carnitas was just as I remembered it, full of flavor and juice. The al pastor was sweet and charred, the carne asada nice and tender with the spice from the chile salsa stinging my tongue and the coca cola adding that refreshing finish.

I got back into my car and got on the 405 heading south when I heard a strange sound coming from my stomach. (A sound I had never heard before then again I had never downed 8 tacos and three sodas in such a short span of time). It sounded like a mutiny, as if my body was trying to stage a coup to end my taco extravagance. I could here the little pansavistas uniting with their anti-taco chants. I had become too decadent, pushed the limit too far, too many jalepenos, too much chile, too many tacos. But then all was quiet and a feeling of conquest came over me . My immune system was triumphant. The years of vodka swirling, jalapeño popping, and outlaw truck eating had paid off and the pansavista uprising was silenced.

Daniels Tacos
Sun Valley
7956 Vineland Ave
Sun Valley, CA 91352
Tacos $1.25


Taqueria Zapotlanejo (tacos al vapor)
corner of Vineland and Strathern(in front of autozone)
Tacos $1


Taqueria Emanuel
6350 Van Nuys Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Tacos $1.25

Taco of valley run: I eat finally the lengua

The sign said tortillas hechos a mano but my tortillas were store bought, dry, and wilted. I ordered al pastor but they were out of al pastor so I ordered suadero, carnitas, and asada but got two carnitas, and one dreadful, fatty, tougher than wild monkey in borneo cut of carne asada.


carnitas, carnitas, asada

There were too many niño's running to and fro, too many flies landing on my arm and trying to land on my tacos and too many cars in the parking lot for tacos this bad.
But Daniels tacos comes highly recommended. I have heard of the late night taco fiestas that stay open past 2am. The crowds that fill the parking lot, the taco wagon they wheel out at night with the al pastor spit over open flame with pineapple on top.



Walking back to my car I saw a taco wagon in the distance and the words tacos al vapor. It was like an oasis in the dessert. So far tacos al vapor had escaped me on this hunt. The authentic slow cooked meat only came to me in dreams and in emails from fellow taco hunters wanting to know where the elusive tacos al vapor could be found.

Tacos al vapor are steamed tacos. Meat,typically cabeza and lengua are pressure cooked for hours . The slow cooking process makes the meat incredibly tender and moist. Often as was the case here, the corn tortillas are steamed also.



My tacos (cabeza and lengua) came con todo, with onions and cilantro. The taquero placed two squirt bottles of salsa next to my plate and I doused verde on the cabeza and roja on the lengua and dug in.

The cabeza was excellent. The beefyness was toned down allowing the more subtle flavors of the meat to come out. A squirt of lemon(i prefer lime) and some salsa provided the perfect balance.

lengua taco

The lengua I wasn't so sure of but after a few bites I adjusted to the slightly gamey flavor and with some extra salsa roja and lemon got through it. It was my first lengua taco since starting this taco hunt. I need to order the lengua more often



Five tacos in and I was starting to hit my limit but I promised a certain taquero after trying his burrito I would return for the tacos. It had been a couple weeks since I was at Taqueria Emanual in Van Nuys. I walked up to the taquero looked him in the eye and threw him a curveball " burrito de carnitas con todo"

He paused at first, making note of my homemade I love tacos t shirt but I nodded in affirmation.

"I will try your tacos next time my friend"

And that was that, my new friend went about preparing my burrito.

Over the next 10 minutes I was to be transported to burrito heaven, with each bite a mouthful of creamy refried frijoles, soft rice, salsa roja and juicy, salty carnitas. A masterful wrap, the perfect amount of rice to beans to meat ratio and quite possibly the best burrito I've ever had.


carnitas, pastor, asada

So it was on this day I returned to keep my promise. I ordered the trifecta:carnitas, al pastor, asada and sat outside with plate in hand devouring my tacos. The carnitas was just as I remembered it, full of flavor and juice. The al pastor was sweet and charred, the carne asada nice and tender with the spice from the chile salsa stinging my tongue and the coca cola adding that refreshing finish.

I got back into my car and got on the 405 heading south when I heard a strange sound coming from my stomach. (A sound I had never heard before then again I had never downed 8 tacos and three sodas in such a short span of time). It sounded like a mutiny, as if my body was trying to stage a coup to end my taco extravagance. I could here the little pansavistas uniting with their anti-taco chants. I had become too decadent, pushed the limit too far, too many jalepenos, too much chile, too many tacos. But then all was quiet and a feeling of conquest came over me . My immune system was triumphant. The years of vodka swirling, jalapeño popping, and outlaw truck eating had paid off and the pansavista uprising was silenced.

Daniels Tacos
Sun Valley
7956 Vineland Ave
Sun Valley, CA 91352
Tacos $1.25


Taqueria Zapotlanejo (tacos al vapor)
corner of Vineland and Strathern(in front of autozone)
Tacos $1


Taqueria Emanuel
6350 Van Nuys Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Tacos $1.25

The taco of valley function: I eat finally the lengua

The sign said tortillas hechos a mano but my tortillas were store bought, dry, and wilted. I ordered al pastor but they were out of al pastor so I ordered suadero, carnitas, and asada but got two carnitas, and one dreadful, fatty, tougher than wild monkey in borneo cut of carne asada.


carnitas, carnitas, asada

There were too many niño's running to and fro, too many flies landing on my arm and trying to land on my tacos and too many cars in the parking lot for tacos this bad.
But Daniels tacos comes highly recommended. I have heard of the late night taco fiestas that stay open past 2am. The crowds that fill the parking lot, the taco wagon they wheel out at night with the al pastor spit over open flame with pineapple on top.



Walking back to my car I saw a taco wagon in the distance and the words tacos al vapor. It was like an oasis in the dessert. So far tacos al vapor had escaped me on this hunt. The authentic slow cooked meat only came to me in dreams and in emails from fellow taco hunters wanting to know where the elusive tacos al vapor could be found.

Tacos al vapor are steamed tacos. Meat,typically cabeza and lengua are pressure cooked for hours . The slow cooking process makes the meat incredibly tender and moist. Often as was the case here, the corn tortillas are steamed also.



My tacos (cabeza and lengua) came con todo, with onions and cilantro. The taquero placed two squirt bottles of salsa next to my plate and I doused verde on the cabeza and roja on the lengua and dug in.

The cabeza was excellent. The beefyness was toned down allowing the more subtle flavors of the meat to come out. A squirt of lemon(i prefer lime) and some salsa provided the perfect balance.

lengua taco

The lengua I wasn't so sure of but after a few bites I adjusted to the slightly gamey flavor and with some extra salsa roja and lemon got through it. It was my first lengua taco since starting this taco hunt. I need to order the lengua more often



Five tacos in and I was starting to hit my limit but I promised a certain taquero after trying his burrito I would return for the tacos. It had been a couple weeks since I was at Taqueria Emanual in Van Nuys. I walked up to the taquero looked him in the eye and threw him a curveball " burrito de carnitas con todo"

He paused at first, making note of my homemade I love tacos t shirt but I nodded in affirmation.

"I will try your tacos next time my friend"

And that was that, my new friend went about preparing my burrito.

Over the next 10 minutes I was to be transported to burrito heaven, with each bite a mouthful of creamy refried frijoles, soft rice, salsa roja and juicy, salty carnitas. A masterful wrap, the perfect amount of rice to beans to meat ratio and quite possibly the best burrito I've ever had.


carnitas, pastor, asada

So it was on this day I returned to keep my promise. I ordered the trifecta:carnitas, al pastor, asada and sat outside with plate in hand devouring my tacos. The carnitas was just as I remembered it, full of flavor and juice. The al pastor was sweet and charred, the carne asada nice and tender with the spice from the chile salsa stinging my tongue and the coca cola adding that refreshing finish.

I got back into my car and got on the 405 heading south when I heard a strange sound coming from my stomach. (A sound I had never heard before then again I had never downed 8 tacos and three sodas in such a short span of time). It sounded like a mutiny, as if my body was trying to stage a coup to end my taco extravagance. I could here the little pansavistas uniting with their anti-taco chants. I had become too decadent, pushed the limit too far, too many jalepenos, too much chile, too many tacos. But then all was quiet and a feeling of conquest came over me . My immune system was triumphant. The years of vodka swirling, jalapeño popping, and outlaw truck eating had paid off and the pansavista uprising was silenced.

Daniels Tacos
Sun Valley
7956 Vineland Ave
Sun Valley, CA 91352
Tacos $1.25


Taqueria Zapotlanejo (tacos al vapor)
corner of Vineland and Strathern(in front of autozone)
Tacos $1


Taqueria Emanuel
6350 Van Nuys Blvd.
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Tacos $1.25

Food of these annoying young people ' ones
my have the ugly bird very

Superb Tacos Michoacan

Have you ever been driving around with some friends when one of you says "hey..where can we get 20 tacos for 10 bucks?" Well if you have the answer to that question would be Super Tacos Michoacan, a taco stand at the corner of Vineland and Chandler in North Hollywood.



I joked with the girl behind the counter that if I could eat 20 tacos all by myself if they would be free. "Like that movie with John Candy" I said.

She had no idea what I was talking about and neither did I frankly.

"You can eat 20 tacos?" she laughed "Not you,not 20 tacos"

I guess I don't look like a twenty taco eating guy. I went with the four taco and drink special for $4.99 (al pastor, carne asada, carnitas, birria)



They have a nice salsa bar with verde and roja and grilled jalapeno peppers. When my tacos were ready I ladled some salsa roja over them and plopped one of the grilled jalapenos on my plate. I have a rule that if a taquero places a grilled jalapeno on my plate I must eat it (I'm actually obsessive compulsive about it..if I don't eat it it alters the taco universe). When I am the one putting the jalapeno on my plate I don't always stick to the ritual. Somehow when the taquero does it I feel that it is dishonorable not to eat it. Especially after they've gone to the trouble of grilling it.

These beauties all went down easy except for the birria, which was a little gamey. The carnitas and al pastor were excellent. The salted pork of the carnitas went well with the spicy roja as did the sweetness of the al pastor.After one bite of the asada taco I got a little adventurous and cut the stem from the jalepeno and wrapped it inside the asada taco. The flavor and heat from the grilled pepper paired perfectly with the juicy flank steak and corn tortillas. Sabroso!

Now if only I can drag some of my compañeros to Noho.



Super Tacos Michoacan
5342 Vineland Ave
North Hollywood

Technorati Tags:Tacos,North hollywood,
New Italian in park and more echo...
Raita Aubergine