TA-KO: London’s Best New Taco Restaurant
As published on Luxuriate Life
The making of a good taco boils down to one simple ingredient - time. It’s an element most Londoners lack. Unlike other cuisines, Mexican food has been demoted to fast food eateries and flashy, overpriced West London joints; they can be made quickly, cheaply and look pretty when posted online.
This gastro-hate crime isn’t anyone’s fault: most restaurants simply do not have the capacity to slowly braise meat for a birria, or hand roll corn tortillas. That’s why TA-KO, Stoke Newington’s latest Taqueria, is staggeringly impressive, defying all odds by serving up a menu which has been thought about to an inch of its life.
There’s an honest charm behind the doors of TA-KO. Friends Mike, Niall and Stuart, the team behind the well-loved cocktail joint Victory Mansion, have cut no corners to ensure their fusion join is about as far away from a gimmick possible. This might not be your traditional taqueria, but there are no pretences made that some lovely, middle aged woman is sat out the back, stirring a pot for 7 hours. TA-KO brings something new to London’s food scene, but they cut no corners in the delivery.
The Cocktails
Private members clubs and Michelin-studded establishments of West London – make note. TA-KO have reached new levels of complexity with their cocktails. TA-KO takes the negroni, margarita, old fashioned, whiskey sour and paloma, and gives diners an array of variation, twinkling with imagination. The Banana Boulevardier Negroni is a subtle take on a classic negroni, pairing Campari with homemade banana liqueur for a thick, layered drink, rich without being too sweet.
The flavour profile of each drink has been nailed. This is no mean feat. Mandarin & Lemongrass Margarita combines fresh aromatics with classic citrus, whereas Sesame Rye Old Fashioned is darker and malty. Apricot & Smoke Margarita mixes mezcal with apricot brandy. Think hazy, warm evenings, nestled under apricot trees. Ideal for sipping alfresco style on their outside terrace.
The Appetizers
TA-KO understands the food it serves. Before anything is placed before us, three sauces are presented: Blackberry Siracha, Nahm Jim (a zingy type of fish sauce), and Sesame Chilli Crisp. A nonverbal invitation is made: the diner should eat how they please, dunking and dipping whenever necessary.
For appetizers, Ceviche Tostadas come loaded with seabass ceviche and tiny cubes of watermelon pickled with fresh lime. Two variations of crispy rice – Spicy Shiitake and Kare Kare also grace our table. The latter was particularly good. An indulgent mix of oxtail and beef short rib paired with a surprising addition of almond butter. Nutty, luxurious, and just about enough to see me through to the main event.
The Tacos
Carnivores, I implore you; do not flick over the vegetarian choices. TA-KO’s Cauliflower may have been one of the best things I have tasted of 2024 so far. Light, crispy, buttery and served with a black bean and tamarind ragu, sumptuous and smoky.
The Seabass came torched, licked with charcoal flames, atop a mandarin sambal and pickles to sooth the heat. Serve these to me on a beach and I’m in literal heaven. The Pork was unforgettable, melting into a zappy kimchi packed with personality.
Every element on TA-KO’s menu has purpose. Even the sides, so often the maltreated victims of an afterthought, stood their ground as diners fought to snap up the last daringly outrageous ‘MSG’ fry (TA-KO make their own MSG), or swapped bites of tacos for bites of Cucumber Salad, creamy with a coconut tahini dressing.
Behind TA-KO
Sustainability is a big buzzword in hospitality. A QR code may scream it at you as your phone quivers with fear over it. It may colonise your meal you involuntarily chow down carrot tops for the price of an impressive profit margin. TA-KO approaches things differently. Like the flat prosecco they recharge for spritzes, sustainability is gently infused in, used not for green cred, but embedded within the heart of the restaurant.
As Mark led me down into the private dining room, which can seat up to 16, large barrels and neatly stacked bottles line the walls on the left, with the open kitchen operating on the right. There, leftover white wine is fortified for negronis, then sold on to other restaurants looking to follow TA-KO’s lead. Ottolenghi is one of them.
Looking at the kitchen, dining table, and miniature factory, I am struck by how symbiotic it all is; TA-KO don’t faff around with fancy candles or outrageous lamp shades. All their energy goes into the ingredients.
It’s why their Pickled Jalapeno Margarita, infused with leftover jalapenos, or their Sesame Rye Old Fashioned, made with a syrup from spare toasted sushi rice, taste different to any cocktail I’ve tried before. The complexity comes – not from a firecracker and dry ice – but the time taken with the recipes. Each syrup has to be infused for 24 hours before it can be added.
TA-KO is slap bang in the middle of London’s alternative, artsy hub. Yet it doesn’t try to replicate the unapologetically gimmicky establishments of Dalston. No neon signs or basement DJ here. In fact, it’s relatively simple; the details are found in the light crunch of pickles, depth of marinades, and flourish of garnishes.
Mike, Niall and Stuart, alongside chef Jesse Cecchetto, have clearly poured their heart into TA-KO; their passion flavours every dish.
TA-KO is one of those hidden gems, soon to line your foodie Instagram. And, unlike others before, it will be worth the hype. Make sure you’re there before the queues start.
