I finally made it down to Revolutionario, a smallish restaurant that specializes in North African and Mexican mash-ups. I arrived a little after they opened, and there was already a party of three ordering lunch. It was a little dingy in there, and smoke from the rotisserie chicken outside permeated the entire room. Everyone, including the staff and customers, was coughing incessantly. While I was ordering, a woman who I assumed is co-owner Susan Ji Young Park, was admonishing one of her staff members for not turning on some device. The incident made me feel a little uncomfortable. Afterwards, Ms. Park’s son, who was probably a teenager, took over on front of house duties. He was very warm and offered me little containers for their condiments when he saw me garnishing the tacos.
I ended up ordering four tacos, dessert, and a mint tea. The tacos were absolutely glorious - with each one being better than the last. The mushroom, kale, and feta taco was similar to what I eat on a daily basis - very simple and comforting. The chickpea tagine taco was wonderfully earthy and got even better when I reached the sweet potatoes at the center. Make no mistake, the fish tagine taco will never win any beauty contests, but the fish was perfectly cooked in a rich, spicy stew. The black eyed pea falafel were my favorite. They were crisp, yet flakey and nicely offset by the pickled turnips and carrots that I added to the taco. The mint tea was too sweet for me, but that was my fault because Moroccan mint tea is traditionally sugary. The cashew samsa and almond cigar tasted of old oil, but the orange marmalade that accompanied the samsa was nicely tart and lifted the dessert.
Overall, it was a mixed bag, but the tacos are absolutely to die for. I would go back to Revolutionario in a heartbeat for their vegetable dishes. Many thanks to the FTC’ers for recommending this restaurant.
Failed miserably trying a new cacio e pepe recipe at home, so I ventured out for comforting redemption in the loving arms of In-N-Out. Happy to report that the double-double is still delicious.
Also (on a separate occasion), went and tried the chilaquiles and sampler platter at Anaya. Hot damn, so tasty. Their horchata is one of the best I’ve had, as well. Service was super friendly.
Glad you liked the tacos at Revolutionario. Bummer about the Rotisserie Chicken’s outside grill’s smoke flowing into the restaurant. When we went last month, they had fans / vents running and the main dining room didn’t have any heavy smoke flowing in.
I’ve never had that almond cigar before (they were always pre-prepared in large batches when I went, so I always was hesitant to order any (thinking they might be not fresh).
I love their Chickpea Tagine, Kale and Sweet Potato Tacos though! Can you eat lamb or beef? If you can, their Roasted Lamb (weekends 4 p.m. and on) and Beef Brisket Barbacoa Tacos are pretty spectacular.
Good thinking about the bins of desserts, @Chowseeker1999! It hadn’t occurred to me that the pastries were made long ago. The acrid taste of old oil was pretty unbearable…
Unfortunately, I don’t eat red meat or poultry any more, but I’m sure they do a spectacular job with meat. I know my husband will enjoy these on one of our future trips to Revolutionario. Thanks for the tip!
I finally dropped by Banh Mi Venice, a Vietnamese sandwich purveyor pretty much across the street from Whole Foods on Rose and Lincoln. Since it’s on the Westside, I dismissed it as a gentrified banh mi shop that catered to Westside tastes and avoided it for the past couple of years.
I ordered the Go Fish Mi, a sandwich with ling cod. Instead of the traditional daikon and carrot topping, it had spring onions, garlic, raw bean sprouts, and yogurt. I couldn’t detect the yogurt. But the raw bean sprouts were a nice touch and added a crunchy component to the sandwich. Because the bread was slightly hollowed out, the sandwich wasn’t overly filling.
Apparently the ling cod was a riff on cha ca la Vong, a pungent fish dish from Hanoi that’s redolent of turmeric, dill, chiles, shrimp paste, and fish sauce. While I’ve never had the original dish, I loved this funky iteration.
At $13, it’s never going to be a bargain that you’d find at one of the tried and true San Gabriel banh mi shops, but it’s a tasty, slightly upscale take on the sandwich. I’ll definitely be back when I’m craving banh mi, but don’t feel like making a trek.
We’ve tried most of their Banh Mi and have enjoyed most. It is a price leap v. Banh Mi in SGV/OC. But the quality is very high all in all, it i$ Venice, and these are more local interpretations of Banh Mi IMHO. That corner used to be pretty tattered, and kinda still is, but each new tenant is slowly making it a little more easy on the senses.
It’s nice to know that their other banh mi are pretty good too. Thanks for the info, @bulavinaka. I’m used to paying that price range for good quality sandwiches, so there’s not really any sticker shock, but it might deter others who are used to very affordable banh mi.
Also thanks for reminding me about the Vietnamese food in OC. I rarely get out there these days, but I’ll keep it in mind.
It’s true that the mini mall on Rose/Lincoln is slowly improving, although there’s still a check cashing joint. Have you been to Kriser’s Natural Pet in that mall? I seriously contemplated spending too much on a plush sleeping bag for my cat and a fancy dog sweater. If this isn’t the stereotype of Venice, I don’t know what is…
That pet supply store is kinda plush. Been there once a while back. I’m sure they’re looking to attract the newer residents. Don’t know how well they’re doing as it seems low on traffic whenever I drive by there.
