Reykjavík Grapevine - 17.07.2015, Qupperneq 66

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BanThai
N E W A W A R D
B E S T T H A I F O O D 2 0 1 5
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A L S O B E S T 2 0 0 9, 2 0 1 0, 2 0 1 1, 2 0 1 2, 2 0 1 3, 2 0 1 4
AUSTURSTRÆTI
AUSTURSTRÆTI
Austurvöllur
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VALLARSTRÆTI
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KIRKJUSTRÆTI
Opening hours
Sunday - Thursday 11:00 - 02:00
Friday - Saturday 11:00 - 06:00 - FIND US ON FACEBOOK
dirtyburgerandribs.is
FOOD
FOR YOUR MIND BODY AND SOUL
I can still remember the buzz that sur-
rounded Tacobarinn at the time of its
grand opening last February. Despite obvi-
ous demand, there had been a lack of res-
taurants in Reykjavík offering something
so basic and universally accepted and ad-
mired as the taco. Not only that, but Taco-
barinn had even built a decent reputation
before opening as the head chef was re-
sponsible for the popular “Taco Tuesdays”
nights at the beloved hipster destination of
Coocoo’s Nest.
Naturally I braved the cold winter
winds in search of something sunny, spicy
and uplifting shortly after the restaurant
opened. And at the time, it was sadly a let-
down. The tacos themselves were mealy
and of a very strange texture, disintegrat-
ing at the slightest touch. The filling was
good but the base just wasn’t working.
Therefore, I leapt at the chance to review
Tacobarinn, now four months later, hop-
ing with all my heart this problem had
been fixed. Short answer is, sadly, no.
Tacobarinn has a very straightforward
menu, as it should, with meat (690 ISK),
seafood (690 ISK) and veggie (660 ISK)
tacos. Side dishes include Taqueria spicy
pickled vegetables (800 ISK) and chilli-
garlic roasted peanuts (500 ISK). The
pickled vegetables are actually quite tasty
and carry a surprising amount of heat. My
companion and I started off by ordering a
Margarita Mercedes (2,100 ISK)—when in
Rome and all that. And Tacobarinn does
make good margaritas. Very good even.
As for the food, we both ordered the
three-taco combo for 1,900 ISK, which
we thought was a pretty fair offer. This
evening the options were slow-cooked
pork, fried cod, and sweet potato tacos.
The slow-cooked pork was tasty but a
bit chewy for something that had been
cooked slowly. However, the vegetables
with the pork were crispy and fresh and
the homemade hot sauce, crucial for
anything at Tacobarinn, gave the whole
thing a buzz. The fried cod was very well
cooked, and had a very nice touch of fresh
coriander, which can of course be offen-
sive to some people. The sweet potato
was probably the standout of the three,
perfectly cooked and playing nicely off the
accompanying onions and kale.
But these are only the interior of the
taco—the taco itself is the base of the op-
eration. As previously stated, it’s mealy. I
would imagine if it were lighter and crisp-
ier, it would take the meal to another level.
The current recipe is just not working; I
can’t imagine it’s supposed to be this way.
Which is very sad as there is definitely a
market for good tacos. The restaurant it-
self has everything else: good service, nice
drinks and fair prices.
One more thing: a place that offers ta-
cos should also have on hand at least one
type of hot sauce that the staff would ba-
sically warn you about because of its dan-
gerously over the top heat.
So Close, Yet So Far
BJÖRN TEITSSON
ART BICNICK
What We Think:
Great location, nice drinks,
tortillas needs work.
Flavour:
American, South American.
Ambiance:
Good bistro vibe, bright and
spacious.
Service:
Very polite and laid back.
Price for 2 (no drinks):
3,800-4,600
Tacobarinn
Hverfisgata 20, 101 Reykjavík
22
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2015