Midtown Lunch

I’ve been slowly making my way through the entire Luck Mgmt empire (aka Bian Dang’s fellow trucks), and Domo Taco was long overdue (I know, Fun Buns, I’m coming for you…). When I saw they were parked at 52nd/6th, I headed over and reluctantly waited in line… except there was no line, it was just people who had already ordered standing around in the way. People, let this be a public service announcement: once you’ve placed your order, step to one side and don’t block people trying to order. I promise you no one will steal your food if you let other people order, plus: if your crowding around the truck discourages people from ordering, your favorite truck may just not get enough customers and then close and then you have screwed yourself out of great lunch.

Anyway.

The sign on their tip jar alone should make you want to visit: every time you tip, someone punches Justin Bieber in the face. When I dropped my tip in, I asked the guy for video, and he said that… oh, who was it?  Some celebrity already punched Bieber in the face. What! Must Google.

The menu is pretty straightforward, as it is on all the trucks: 3 taco combo is $8, your choice of proteins. You can also get the proteins as a ‘bowl’ (over rice), or quesadilla, burrito, … there’s a good number of choices here, along with the intriguing “Japanese nacho tots” side.

Per usual, my lunch buddy Dave got a rice bowl, topped here with… I don’t remember what his protein was, it was one of the same ones I had in my tacos. Part of why he gets invited though isn’t just so I can try more proteins, it’s to gauge how filling a particular lunch truck is for the money. He’s a big guy, and a big eater, and y’all seem to have bigger appetites. His assessment was that this was a hefty amount of food for the money, and he was (more than?) sated when he finished.

To be completely honest, when the Domo Taco truck first appeared on the scene years and years ago, I wandered by and sampled their Nacho Tots when they were parked at the Seaport. The idea excited me to no end, but the execution was flawed and I was disappointed and handed off the remains to a friend (the tots were soft, the bonito flakes were way too abundant for no reason, and the overall taste was blah). I was a bit apprehensive to give them another try, but I figured if the item was still on the menu after this many years despite its mediocre initial iteration, maybe they’d finessed it to a better end product?

I am really happy to report that yes, yes they have! The tots themselves were properly fried and crisp, delightful little pillows of minced potato on the inside with a great crust on the outside. Topped heavy-handedly with the sauces – nacho cheese, salsa roja, okinomi sauce, and Japanese mayo – all flavors I recognize and enjoy – I thought this was a unique snack that actually, at its size, was easily shared between us and probably could sub in for lunch for me sometimes. In my pic I only see a piece or two of bonito flakes, and no nori of which to speak, but I didn’t miss either honestly. I should add that Dave didn’t seem to care for the sauces as much as I did – but that I attribute this mostly to his less than comfortable familiarity with the Asian sauces as I am. Or maybe the mixture just didn’t do it for him, as I could see some people not being too thrilled with the combination of kind of Mexican/Latin-ish flavors from the salsa roja mixed with sweet mayo and liquid cheese. Heck, some people wouldn’t like liquid cheese (those people are not me).

Onwards to the tacos – yes, I still ate tacos and 3/4 of that tot-strosity (which, at $4, is a total bargain) – fish, pork and steak for me.

First up, my fish taco! The fish was super crunchy and flaky, and not fishy at all. It held up well to being topped with sauce and crunchy slaw, and remained crisp throughout the minute or two it took me to eat it. However… the fish itself wasn’t seasoned or particularly flavorful. I understand they used a white fish – normal for a fish taco – but it relied heavily on the toppings and really, only the texture set this taco apart as the fish taco. Honestly — if this was the only taco I got from them — I’d have liked it just fine. However…

…my next taco, the 5 spice pork shoulder, was full of shredded pork bits that were bursting with its own flavor and juices, and though it lacked the crunch that the fried fish offered, it more than made up for it with incredible flavor.

Last but certainly not least, the steak was also extremely tender, flavorful and another lovely taco. I really enjoyed the chunks of steak with the crunchy slaw and the mixture of sauces they use – everything just worked well together.

Overall, as you can probably tell, I was thoroughly pleased with my tacos. I might opt out of fish next time and stick with a land animal (I don’t care for shrimp in general), but the tacos were very tasty and I was super duper full at the end of my meal (plus the nacho tots I’d eaten). My 3 taco combo clocked in at $8 and I would have been full already at that point, while Dave’s bowl was also $8 and basically was what I got but with a hefty serving of rice instead of in tacos. Completely reasonable prices for the amount of food you get!

THE + (what people who like this will say)

• Huge portions for small prices
• Love Asian fusion, am not tired of “Asian-style tacos” yet
• The flavors here are exactly how I like things seasoned

THE – (what people who don’t like this place will say)

• I’m not into this “fusion” stuff, give me real tacos OR Asian food, but not both
• I don’t like Asian-flavors of things, too much sesame oil in everything
• They put too much sauce on everything/I don’t like mayo/Japanese mayo

Domo Taco – they were parked on 52nd and 6th when I visited.
Check their Twitter for their location, changes daily!