Tag: habanero

Food Truck Review – TacoNMaye (Georgetown, TX, Cedar Park, TX – Austin, TX Area)

Oh how I love food trucks! My very first review was on Cedar Pork – a lovely BBQ joint for carnivores that served up this heat-seeking vegetarian with some deliciously spicy breakfast tacos. I discovered a new one this morning – this one comes onsite Thursday – Sunday during breakfast and lunch hours at Cedar Park’s Red Horn Coffee and Brewing and yes, it does serve great breakfast tacos! (Doh! Another breakfast taco review!).

Breakfast tacos are a favorite of mine (well, duh!), but they are not a commodity by any means. Each place cooks and serves them differently. There is so much variety, it is impossible to make blanket statements. And while there may be a wrong way to cook them, there is no right way in how a breakfast taco comes out.

It’s all about:

  • How the eggs are cooked (if there are any)
  • How the beans are cooked (if there are any)
  • How the potatoes are cooked (if there are any)
  • How the tortillas are heated
  • What kind of tortillas are used – flour, corn, wheat or some fusion
  • What other ingredients are added (onions – grilled or plain, tortilla strips – grilled or plain, Jalapeno peppers, type of cheese, etc.)
  • And last, but certainly not least, the spicy salsas and sauces that come with it!

So that said, a breakfast taco is like a snowflake in that no two are ever alike. And with me, Heataholic, I just cannot get enough breakfast tacos – no matter how great the ones I am fortunate enough to try, I just like to keep trying more of them!

Onto TacoNMaye...Literally translated, it means “delightful or badass tacos.” TacoNMaye is a Mexican food truck, started in 2016 by a chef Carlos from Coahuila, Mexico. Don’t ask me how to pronounce it (is it “Taco-N-May”, “ta-CON-may” or something completely different) – 18 years and counting in the wonderful state of Texas, yet sadly, the only Spanish words I can muster are “Hola”, “Gracias”, “Por Favor” and numbers from 1 to 10! Slacker, I am, but I am so grateful to my Spanish-speaking friends for providing me the backup, so it’s one less thing on my plate! TacoNMaye is based in neighboring suburb, Georgetown, TX, but their truck comes to the Red Horn Coffee and Brewing Company in Cedar Park, TX.

Note: Red Horn is an alcohol-serving bar (what other kinds are there?), and as of the date of this post, bars in Texas are still officially closed due to COVID-19, but there are loopholes by which many can operate, such as if a food establishment is right by it, i.e., a food truck. Don’t ask me all the rules and regulations – I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on TV, and half the time, even I can’t decipher what the rules are – I just play it safe! Net-net: The TacoNMaye food truck comes Thursdays to Sundays typically during 8-2 PM, with more limited hours on the weekend, but double check the hours with Red Horn as these can vary and change, and once the restrictions are lifted, it may not come there, but you can always go Georgetown to enjoy.

TacoNMaye’s logo is that of a very happy man in a sombrero jumping with joy! One taste and it is easy to see why! For a vegetarian spice addict like me, TacoNMaye offers Potato, Egg and Cheese breakfast tacos which are so overflowing that the tortillas can barely contain them! So many of the core three ingredients, but let’s not forget those highly delectable grilled onions and tortilla strips. But relax, lunch-lovers! They also offer (for vegetarians) grilled veggie tacos, chips and salsa, and chips and queso blanco.

And now…the SPICE! There are four kinds of salsa they have. Two are average in heat capacity, while the other two are an adventure for your mouth! All four are made in-house, so you know they are fresh. The regular (red) and verde (green) salsas both have good flavor, but the other two are the true treasures (alliteration!) for heat-seekers far and wide.

First, the orange sauce – given its bright orange color, one can only assume this has a strong Habanero base. A quick sample taste and this is confirmed. There is likely some sea salt, vinegar and garlic mixed in, among other things. Then, there is the cream, almost-beige-colored sauce. It, too, has a Habanero taste and kick, so given this taste and the color, my gut feel is that it is the other bright orange sauce, with possibly sour cream or mayonnaise mixed in (it has a creamy texture too). I just need to verify if I’m right on this.

Both these salsas go great and provide a spicy kick with their Potato, Egg and Cheese tacos and illustrate again why some of the best food can be found in small, unheard-of places, like food trucks!

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Orange Habanero Sauce
  • Light orange, creamy Habanero Sauce

Personal Faves ((since this was my first time, I will likely add to these after repeat trips):

  • Potato, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Taco
Potato, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Tacos – so much overflowing goodness. I love those grilled onions!
Just looking at this (especially in mid-September) makes me think about football! Like an offensive line, going Left-to-Right, you’ve got the Orange Habanero sauce as your Left Tackle, the two Verde Salsas as your Offensive Guards, the regular red salsa as your Center and your creamy Habanero sauce as your Right Tackle. The only question remains is – Where’s the Tight End? Hmm….

Spice on, my friends!

Restaurant Review – Rio Grande Tex Mex Restaurant (Hutto, TX – Austin, TX Area)

Having recently completed 18 years and counting in the great state of Texas – just in Austin – I have still barely scratched the surface of so many great Tex-Mex restaurants. There are just so many and as I’ve mentioned in some of my previous posts, some come and stay, while others go. And make no mistake, even the restaurants (not just Tex-Mex) that I’ve seen depart in recent years – it’s not that their food or service was bad. There were other factors – some weren’t in the best areas, others didn’t advertise or market themselves effectively (I still remember this fantastic Italian restaurant my wife and I would go to before we had kids that shut its doors only because it was so out of the way and too many folks just didn’t know about it or feel the need to make the drive – the restaurant was called Ciola’s), and still others, had great food, service and traffic, but just couldn’t manage their business, specifically, cash flow, effectively to prepare for unexpected tough times, be it the 2008 crash or the recent pandemic.

No matter what the reason, it’s sad when good restaurants close. But the opposite is true when a restaurant is open – it’s two feelings combined into one – on one hand, you’re happy because you can tell yourself “Woo hoo! There’s a new <insert cuisine type> restaurant nearby! I don’t have to drive so far to get <insert cuisine type> food!”. Of course, that happiness also comes with a healthy dose of skepticism. Skepticism only because you don’t know what the ultimate quality of that restaurant will be. Even if it’s a chain restaurant (large or small) you’ve had a great experience with, there is no guarantee this one would meet the standards of its predecessors. And as a rule of thumb, it’s usually not the best idea to go to a restaurant the first two or three weeks after it first opens – it’s always better to let them get their bearings straight, get settled and learn from their mistakes to get a good rhythm of their operations (and food) before trying. This way, you as the customer won’t have an unfavorable experience due to initial setup headaches and learning curves from a place that you, otherwise, would have loved.

That brings us to Rio Grande Tex Mex Restaurant in Hutto, Texas – one of the more far out suburbs/exurbs in the Austin, Texas metropolitan area. Located north of Austin, Hutto is still a new suburb and still has a lot more small-town features than big-city suburban. Located near the Dell Diamond where Austin’s minor league baseball team, the Round Rock Express play, it was the perfect place for a hungry family of four to go when our baseball game was cancelled at the last minute due to COVID. Using Google maps, we found Rio Grande when we looked at options. We all saw it had opened hardly two days before, but had good reviews (from its other location), so despite knowing the risks, we all agreed we would try it. Thankfully, it turned out to be a great decision – fantastic food, good spice and a great venue – needless to say, we’ll be heading back – maybe after another baseball game, this time one that won’t be cancelled! 🙂

Appetizers – you start with the usual chips and salsa – duh! No Tex-Mex restaurant can call itself such if it doesn’t have this basic staple! The core salsa was moderate. I asked for a side of hot sauce off the menu, and that was just a tad (although not significantly more) spicier. But, the Poblano Queso (sans the bacon) gave the much needed spice and had the desired flavor – the roasted poblano peppers was all that was needed to spice things up! This could have been a meal in and of itself with the tortillas provided. I saw the Shrimp Diablos, but given I’m a vegetarian, and wife and kids are allergic to seafood, that was verboten for all of us. Next time, I may try it by having them cook something else using the mix they use for that or at least bring me a side of it.

That whet our appetites for the main course. With so many options, I went for the Stuffed Avocado. Shaped like a ball, stuffed with cheese (definitely Monterey Jack and if my taste buds weren’t mistaken, Queso Asadero) and deep fried, it’s like an explosion of melted cheese and flavor once you “pop” the balloon! Served with an enchilada (I chose cheese, naturally), and your choice of sauce, I went with the Habanero (since I was told it was the spiciest of all). I also ordered, as a side, the Jalapeno Toreados (fire-roasted, whole Jalapeno peppers – 3 per order). Suffice to say, no regrets! The Habanero sauce didn’t set my mouth on fire but did give a fair kick, especially in conjunction with the roasted peppers. And since the beans have a meat base in them, I just got two times the rice.

We were so full, we didn’t have room to order dessert – next time for sure! 🙂

Details:

Spicy Flavors (since this was my first time, I will likely add to these after repeat trips):

  • Habanero enchilada sauce
  • Jalapeno Toreados
  • Poblano Queso (without the bacon)

Personal Faves (since this was my first time, I will likely add to these after repeat trips):

  • Poblano Queso (without the bacon)
  • Stuffed Avocado with cheese
  • Jalapeno Toreados

Starting at the top, 1) Core salsa that comes with every basket of chips, 2) Spicy, orange habanero sauce with cheese enchilada, 3) Jalapeno toreados, 4) the Stuffed Avocado “balloon” is “popped”!

Spice on, my friends!

Salsa Review – Mateo’s Gourmet Salsa

Dear readers, just like my last post where I labeled a restaurant review with the prefix “Restaurant Review -“, I’ll be labeling more of my reviews accordingly. And in today’s post, judging by the title, you guessed it! I’m reviewing a salsa!

Another Made in Texas brand – this one from the far-out suburb of Dallas – Frisco. So far out, that it has its own minor league baseball team! 🙂

As always, I purchased the spiciest version of the salsa – in this case “Hot”. Mateo’s prides itself on being “uniquely different”. Well, that it is, in some ways.

The salsa itself has good flavor and the ingredients taste fresh. Garlic is certainly a staple in this one, so much so it is the third ingredient in the mix. It’s not an overriding flavor but its presence is well noticed. The spice itself, on the other hand, not so much. I hardly found it to be spicy and while the flavor is zesty, it’s not memorable by any means.

Net, net – I’ll use up my jar, since I’m not one to waste food, but likely won’t re-purchase as I’m always seeking something spicier (I am Heataholic, after all!).

Good:

  • Good flavor
  • Fresh-tasting ingredients

Not-so-Good:

  • Not at all spicy (even the “Hot” version)
  • Too much garlic
“Not responsible for obsession.”
Notice the garlic chunks.
Dehydrated garlic is the third ingredient and your taste buds can tell! Maybe if Habanero peppers were closer to the top, it’d be spicier!

Spice on, my friends!

Restaurant Review – Bida Manda – Raleigh, NC (A Day of First’s)

Note: As of this writing, the restaurant I am reviewing – Bida Manda in Raleigh, NC, has shut its doors (temporarily) as a result of COVID-19. I am unsure of its future status. Their website has stated they are not open for curbside or online ordering, but they have also not mentioned they would be shutting their doors permanently, so what happens going forward is anyone’s guess. I absolutely love this venue as it is a spice lover’s paradise, as you will read below, and pray and hope this closure is only temporary.

Dear readers – today is a day of first’s:

  • It’s the first of what I shall call a “restaurant review” – no it’s not my first restaurant review – I’ve done many already! But starting today, with this post, I will start prefixing these reviews with the phrase (Oh, how creative I am, so wait for it…!) “Restaurant Review”. I may include a funny catchphrase on the review title, but everything shall be prefixed as such so you’ll know what you’re getting, i.e., a review of a restaurant from a Heataholic’s perspective with specific recommendations. I’ll be doing similar prefixing with reviews of sauces, powders, recipes, festivals, etc.
  • It’s the first place that I’m also reviewing outside my current residence – the Austin, Texas metropolitan area. As I’d mentioned, this is a restaurant in Raleigh, NC – a place I’d travel to frequently for work.
  • It’s also the first Laotian restaurant I’m reviewing – and for that matter, it’s the first and only Laotian restaurant I have ever visited. After eating there, on one hand, I’d love to go to more, but on the other hand, I’d be worried that other ones wouldn’t stack up as well.

So let’s dive right in…

Raleigh, NC is a foodie’s paradise. Whether you’re a spice-obsessed heataholic like me or just someone who loves trying different varieties of food, the Tar Heel state’s capital city provides everyone something they can enjoy, and in most cases, it’s myriad options versus a single thing. These myriad options include options you probably wouldn’t find or would have to really go off the beaten path in most other cities, including large ones. Downtown Raleigh, especially, is a haven as it’s clean, safe (even mostly at night from my experiences) and most of these great places are a hop, skip and jump away from one another.

Enter Bida Manda. The first and only Laotian restaurant I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating at. Quick and dirty geography lesson – for those who don’t know, Laos is a small Southeast Asian country sandwiched between China, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand. I went to Bida Manda the first week at my client in Raleigh and was blown away by the excellent choices there. Yes, much of what you find there, at least on the surface, are things you’ve probably seen at many Thai and other Asian restaurants (with cuisines from the countries surrounding it), but Bida Manda had a unique flavor to it – one that I could never quite articulate and put my finger on, but just tasted oh so good!

I started off with the Crispy Rice Lettuce Wrap, but I decided to try some of the Lao Spicy Roasted Habanero and Peanut sauce I saw at the bottom of the appetizers menu that are typically served with wings. It was heavenly love at first site! Good fire that I put out with a tall glass of ice water!

Moving on to the main course, given it was October and the fall leaves were all around, I had to have Pumpkin Curry – I had them make it extra spicy and ordered extra Roasted Habanero and Peanut sauce. They even brought out spicy powders and oil. In no time at all, that yellow colored Pumpkin Curry changed to a nice shade of red, and boy was it delicious! My non-vegetarian co-worker was eating the Crispy Pork Belly Soup and his eyes just popped out when he saw how much fire I was adding.

The meal ended with the Duo Plate – two of their own macaroons, and that calmed the spice so I wouldn’t be spending the rest of the day at the client hyperventilating!

All in all, the best (okay, only) Laotian food I’ve ever had, but simply amazing and up till March 2018 when my project in Raleigh ended, I went there at least once a week. It has never disappointed!

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Spicy Roasted Habanero and Peanut Sauce
  • Ask them to make your food spicy and they will not only do so but will bring out for you their own spicy powders and oil
  • Sweet Chili Sauce – I think this is more sweet than spicy but good flavor nonetheless

Personal Faves:

  • Pumpkin Curry
  • Crispy Rice Lettuce Wraps
  • Sao Noy’s Crispy Spring Rolls (Vegetable)
  • Summer Rolls (Vegetable)
  • Manda’s Herb Salad (on days I like to reduce the carbs)
  • Vegetarian Saffron Crepe

Spice on, my friends!

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