The menu reads like something you’d find at a buffet for the traveling caretakers of U.N. dignitaries.
They have taquitos, tamales, tabbouleh, saltado, bok choy soup, pozole, ghormeh sabzi, and cholay, as well as boba. 'Natch.
We tried the baked plantain that was stuffed with black beans and garnished with cream (that tasted like creme fraiche), sort of a vegetarian canoas. This was very interesting, as the black beans (which were a bit salty) blended well with the sweet caramelized flesh of the plantains.
The saltado we ordered with chicken breast was pretty good. And, really, truth be told I’m just a sucker anytime I can order a dish with stir-fried french fries.
Star of the night? The white sweet corn tamales. Good stuff, creamy smooth and not too sweet. Served nice and warm too.
Washed everything down with a banana date almond milkshake. No boba for me. Watching my figure for swimsuit season.
Un Solo Sol
1818 E 1st Street
Boyle Heights
(Down the block from the Mariachi Plaza)
I REALLY REALLY wanted to love Un Solo Sol. Sadly it suffers from the same thing that La Monarca baked goods does. It’s going through the motions but it’s lacking soul. There is something about the flavors and technique that doesn’t come together.
This is the last thing I had there veggie tacos… Looks great. It has a wedge of lime, salsa. I adore veggie tacos of all types. In the end, these were just okay.
I think the chef cares and the food is prepared well. But it’s missing that element of flavor that ties everything together. As if the mission was just to create veggie tacos and not really take into account on how the vegetables are going to work together and then how the condiments are going to play. As if they made the menu checking off a list.
Veggies
Tortilla
Salsa
Lime
Technically that sounds good and SHOULD work, but there is always a lot potential for it to wrong somewhere (And in my case, it did)…
