Culver City's New Fantastic Mushroom Tacos & Carne Asada Tacos - Loqui

[Bigmouth]

@aaqjr

I’ll have to try Loqui but beans and cheese seem like filler on a carne asada taco and carne asada should never have a braised texture… I am a bit concerned.

Yes, I’m not usually a fan of beans on my tacos either (cheese is a case-by-case thing) but it really works here imo. I was doing a bit of research and it turns out these tacos are from Rosarito, Mexico, where they are known as “Tacos Perrones.” You can see pictures of them here:

I was a little disappointed by the texture but cut them some slack because the flavor was so great. As I say, I think what happened is the steak sat for a bit in the holding tray stewing in its own juices. My suspicion is they’re getting overwhelmed by the line at lunch and still working out the kinks.

[aaqjr]

Got it, well I will def give them a shot. I do love great beans!

[Srsly]

@Bigmouth

I think mine had been sitting in the steam tray for a while stewing in their own juices. … The asada tasted almost braised like suadero.

This was also my experience at dinner the other night, which I found very odd and pretty disappointing. I couldn’t taste any smoke or char and there was no crispness; I got basically a Jewish brisket taco. It was fine, but not what I was looking for.

The tortillas were great, though, and the chicken was actually quite good - it had the smoke and grilled flavor that I wanted from the asada. I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to make it there again anytime soon, and I do think it was too expensive for what it was, but there aren’t many options in the area that scratch the same itch.

[Bob_Brooks]

I agree about the Carne Asada taco. Absolutely delicious. The Eater listed the address incorrectly. They’re actually one building over to the east; 8840 Washington Blvd.

[Bigmouth]

@Srsly

This was also my experience at dinner the other night, which I found very odd and pretty disappointing. I couldn’t taste any smoke or char and there was no crispness; I got basically a Jewish brisket taco. It was fine, but not what I was looking for.

Yeah, I cut them some slack because the smokey flavor was there even if the texture wasn’t. But it sounds like there are some serious consistency issues, probably because they’re cooking the carne asada in large batches. Hope they get it together because I can really see the promise in this place. I’ll have to give the chicken a try next time.

[theoffalo]

Tried the carne asada taco today after picking up my sandwich at The Cannibal. I enjoyed it, but didn’t really get much of the smoky grilled taste.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFhsCN-A-p1/

[J_L]

@theoffalo

didn’t really get much of the smoky grilled taste

You may have run into @kevin at PlatformLA! He was at Loqui, where he said the same of the stuff there…

Maybe PlatformLA is a completely “smoke-free” public place.

[Chowseeker1999]

Thanks @theoffalo. Good report back. Nice pic. It seems like they haven’t gotten their smokiness back from opening week then, which is a bummer. I wonder if it’s one of those “open and leave it for the 2nd unit to handle” situations? I’ll try and stop by another time and see if it improves.

[Dommy]

@theoffalo

didn’t really get much of the smoky grilled taste.

Yep, same here. Went late last week. And I liked the taco, but felt the meats, both the Beef and Chicken were a little bland. Or whatever little flavor they had was overwhelmed by all the other fillings. I liked their salsas, their Salsa seca was EXCELLENT. However, the whole thing could have used a squeeze of lime to help everything come together. For that reason, my favorite by far was the Mushroom Cheese. It hit all of the notes. Gooey cheese. great mushrooms. Tasted AMAZING with the salsa seca. Loved it.

–Dommy!

[Bigmouth]

@Chowseeker1999

It seems like they haven’t gotten their smokiness back from opening week then, which is a bummer.

Actually, the carne asada I had was nice and smoky. My issue was with texture, not flavor. I also was pleased with both the flavor and texture of the chicken I tried a week ago. It does sound like they have consistency issues, though.

[Dommy]

@Bigmouth

I also was pleased with both the flavor and texture of the chicken

I liked the quality and texture of the chicken… but wished it had more flavor. The Whole Foods Nacho bar in Playa Vista has a similar style chicken, but at least the WF one has more flavor…

–Dommy!

[Chowseeker1999]

Update 3:

Decided to go back and try Loqui again after all of the great follow-ups from everyone. Wanted to see if they were more like the opening week, or later visits.

Agua Fresca (Limonada):

This was pretty refreshing, citrusy and not too sweet.

Pork Tostada:

This was a daily special, sort of like a Cochinita Pibil. The Pork Shoulder was really tender and juicy. The flavor profile was definitely like Cochinita Pibil, but not as complex unfortunately. It was mainly salty-savory, not that interesting.

Mushroom Taco:

So the 3rd visit Mushroom Taco was much better than the 2nd visit. It was delicious and reminiscent of my 1st visit, really umami and crave-worthy!

But thanks to @Dommy’s rec for their Salsa Seca, which is a new Dry Salsa they have up front. You can add it to any Taco and it’s not that spicy. It just adds this delicious nutty, fragrant note to each bite!

So for the 4th visit, wow, the Mushroom Tacos were even better! And the Flour Tortilla was solid.

Carne Asada Taco:

3rd and 4th visits yielded the same thing for the Carne Asada: The Carne Asada (Tri Tip) was tender, juicy, but it had almost no smokiness. The back of the house cooking the Tortillas were also new staff (different from opening week when I first went).

On the positive side both the Carne Asada and Mushroom Tacos’ portions are dramatically increased. I’d say about 25% - 33% more portion than their opening week (at the same price) so it’s feeling more fairly priced.

I also ended up trying Sonoritas as a comparison.

Sonoritas

Started with their Aguas Frescas (Cucumber, Lime, Pineapple):

It was too sweet.

Liked their free Chips & Salsa (3 types of Salsa):

Carne Asada Taco (Angus Beef Carne Asada, Guacamole, Pickled Red Onion, Flour Tortilla):

They claim to use Mesquite Charcoal as well (and I could see the grill). However, I got almost no smokiness from Sonoritas, and their Carne Asada was full of gristle and chewy. It was the most gristly Carne Asada I had (from the dozen or so places I tried the past year).

And as @Bigmouth said, Sonoritas’ Flour Tortillas were definitely a notch below Loqui’s (very noticeable). They just felt bland and kind of “there”.

Rib Eye Taco:

However, Sonoritas’ Rib Eye Taco was much better than their regular Carne Asada. Thanks to @aaqjr for the rec! It was indeed tender, and juicy and slightly smoky (more than the Carne Asada), but still very minimal compared to La Carreta.

I’d say if I was in the area, I’d be glad to pick up the Rib Eye Taco from Sonoritas if I was craving it.

At this point (4 visits), and hearing back from @theoffalo @Bigmouth @Dommy and many others, it’s clear that Loqui can’t seem to be consistent about maintaining that great Mesquite smokiness I got from their opening week (1st visit). The Carne Asada is still tender and their taco is tasty, but without the Mesquite backdrop, it results in a pricey “Beef Taco.” Their Mushroom Taco seems to be on the rebound however, and I thought it was about as tasty as my 1st visit, especially with the Salsa Seca tip from @Dommy elevating it even more.

So for great Carne Asada Tacos, I’m going with my first choice of La Carreta, and then… nothing else LOL. But I think their Mushroom Tacos are standout.

Loqui
8850 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232
(no phone installed yet)

LOQUI

[Bigmouth]

@Chowseeker1999, your reports are an inspiration! Seriously, they inspire me to step up my own posting game.

@Dommy

I liked the quality and texture of the chicken… but wished it had more flavor. The Whole Foods Nacho bar in Playa Vista has a similar style chicken, but at least the WF one has more flavor…

It’s so funny that you mention Whole Foods. A buddy of mine was just dapping their taqueria fare (though at the Venice location). I was skeptical, but it sounds like maybe it’s worth a try. Is the Whole Foods chicken adobo marinated?

That was actually what impressed me about the chicken at Loqui. It was a bright red from the chiles, etc. I thought it was one of the more flavorful white-meat chicken preparations I’ve had at a taqueria in Los Angeles.

I’m going to have to try the chicken there again. I actually held off reporting the first time because I wanted to make sure it wasn’t a fluke. In fact, I was on my way to revisit Loqui when I got side-tracked by opening day at The Cannibal!

[Dommy]

@Bigmouth

Is the Whole Foods chicken adobo marinated?

I am not sure what it’s marinated in, but it is seasoned nicely. Nothing dramatic though. I don’t recall the chicken taco we had being red, it was more on the pale side, but it was night time and the restaurant is dark. Or as I mentioned, the taco itself has too much going on. With the WF nachos, I basically do a TON of chicken, a sprinkle of beans, shredded cheese, dollop of guac and pico del gallo. Bring it all together with Green El Yucateco (My own stash). Maybe I should bring El Yucateco to Loqui. LOL!!

–Dommy! .

[westsidegal]

my understanding is that each whole foods location is “permitted” to do their own thing re: ready-to-eat food offerings. (for example, the WF playa vista offers oysters every day at the wine bar, the WF el segundo NEVER offers them)

[beefnoguy]

@Chowseeker1999 thank you incredibly so much for mentioning Loqui and their mushroom tacos!

We had a late dinner reservation at Yazawa Tuesday night, and were a bit hungry. Looked up what I bookmarked and Loqui was on the way, and dropped it for one mushroom taco (corn tortilla). Freaking excellent and addictive!!! Couldn’t leave without another and also got the flour tortilla version…equally decadent. Cannot believe how mindblowingly tasty it was!

Didn’t realize they used to be a pop up in San Francisco (Mission District somewhere) before moving to and settling into a brick and mortar in Culver City.

[Bigmouth]

Took the train to Culver City the other day to test my positive recollection of the pollo at Loqui. As before, the chicken was tender and delicious. Maybe not as smokey as I remembered, but plenty flavorful from the adobo nonetheless. These pictures don’t quite do the red color justice but they give some idea what I mean:

One big difference I noticed between the chicken and beef was the latter gets cut before being placed in the holding tray. The chicken, by contrast, is held as a whole breast, then cut just before serving. I think this helps preserve the texture of the meat. They really should do the same thing with the carne asada imo.

[MR.YUMYUM]

I’ve been here 3 times, and imo, it’s the best flour tortilla I’ve ever had. I also enjoy how they stuff these tacos with all the extra’s, although I realize that might not fly with other people’s preference if you like your taco’s basic to focus on the meat. This place would imo (other than the high price) have the BEST tacos if and that’s a big IF their protein (chicken and carne asada) would be more consistent, as other’s have already complained about. The chicken has been dry and forgettable and the carne asada too chewy and tasted like shredded beef on one occasion. Not only is the texture sometimes off, but I wasn’t able to detect any smoke flavor and unfortunately didn’t even taste the red sauce on the chicken or any seasoning on the carne asada. I know they’re using high quality protein for their sources of chicken and carne asada, but this place frustrates me to no end! So CLOSE to be phenomenal but yeah leaving me very unsatisfied and wanting more. I shouldn’t have to want to bring my own lime or El Yucateco habenaro hot sauce to this establishment to make up for under seasoned and flavorless, overly chewy carne asada with no smoky flavor. However, as someone mentioned on this thread, a touch of lime would bring this all together, even some hot sauce, anything acidic or vinigary to add some tang.

Why can’t they grill their carne asada like Mexicali Taco’s in Chinatown? ARgh… this place makes me angry due to the price points, the inconsistency, and the oh so close to perfect flour tortilla tacos!

[Bigmouth]

@MR.YUMYUM

The chicken has been dry and forgettable

Wow, really? Forgettable is in the eye of the beholder, but I’ve tried the chicken a bunch of times, and never once has it been dry. If anything, my experience is they have a problem with meat being overly moist to the point of seeming steamed.

Also, for anyone who’s interested, they’re serving pork instead of carne asada these days.

Side note: I do not get the love for Mexicali Taco. Tried it twice, and both times, the tortillas were cold and the asada bland (better texture, though). Is there something else I should be ordering?

[Chowseeker1999]

Hi @Bigmouth,

I agree.

I think Mexicali used to be much better when they were just a startup taco stand on the street corner of 2nd? Street.

I wrote my thoughts on them in the Taco thread a few months back. Same feeling as you.