First Bite: Taco Vengo!

Ever since my office moved to Fort, I hardly get to visit Kapitolyo, my favorite foodie haven. But thanks to the long weekend, I got to visit this lovely area again and managed to visit not just one but three stops. Our first stop was the raved taco place named Taco Vengo!

Hello, Taco Vengo!

I have been looking forward to visit this place after reading all those positive reviews and seeing mouthwatering photos of tacos. And the place being Instagram-worthy makes it even more irresistible. 

The place is part of the small compound where Nav and Longganisa Sorpresa are located. Though the restaurant does not have frontage, you could easily spot it thanks to its signage alongside the more established food stops. 

Taco Vengo!'s menu is not that extensive but since I'm a newbie, I asked for recommendations and I was told that their best seller is the Shrimp Taco (PHP110 for 1 taco; PHP210 for 2 tacos). I ordered two of that and one Steak Taco (PHP110) and Cheese Quesadillas (PHP120). I was tempted to make my steak taco into a rice bowl but the server said that their fillings are best served with soft tacos. The place has the word "taco" in its name after all. I also got a glass of house blend iced tea while my sister went with a can of soda. 

First served was the saddest looking quesadilla I have ever seen. It was so flat and it looked like it was just a piece of folded thick tortilla. 

And it tasted just like pita. The cheese filling was too mild and there was a very, very faint taste of cheese. The sour cream helped give a bit more flavor though. 

My iced tea arrived next and it tasted...weird. It had a strong herb-y taste which I didn't like at all.

Next served were the shrimp and steak taco. 

They only served one shrimp taco instead of two and I didn't bother to correct it anyway thinking that the server just got the quantity wrong. But after tasting it, I sort of regretted not calling the server's attention. 

 The shrimp (or tempura) taco deserves to be named as Taco Vengo!'s best seller. It was a delightful mix of textures and flavors. I loved how the softness of the taco created a wonderful contrast with the crunchy shredded vegetables, flakes and tempura (which seemed to be more of camaron rebusado). It was salty with a tinge of sweetness from the veggies. Adding a bit of lemon juice gave the dish a nice zest, a wonderful addition to most seafood. 

The steak taco, which has chipotle, is not mild at all. It was spicy! But it was the spicy yet bland type so I looked for sauce to pair it with and I spotted a bottle of sauce that claims to go well with everything. I accidentally poured more than I wanted and instead of trying to pat my steak dry of the sauce, I just let it be and took another bite. It was way better but I turned red because it made my taco spicier. At least it tasted a lot better.

To kill the spice, I finished the quesadillas and sour cream in less than 1 minute.

After finishing our meals, I asked for the bill and I was actually billed for two shrimp tacos. To prove that I didn’t get the second one, I showed a photo of our orders. The server said that the second taco is being prepared (riiiiiight) but since my sister and I were ready to move to our next stop, I asked the server to just cancel it and deduct it from my bill. The server complied without any hesitation.

Not sure if I’ll head back here as the only one I liked was the shrimp taco. I heard though that the nachos are great. Perhaps I’ll give it a second chance.

Taco Vengo! is located at United St., Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City