Tiny suburban eatery La Popular Taqueria shows us the right way to eat one of the world’s most popular street foods.
A cheeky little graphic on the wall beside us shows the right – and wrong – way to eat a taco. Each step is illustrated by a cartoon character, the key point being that the taco should be held horizontally, not vertically, to avoid any contents spilling from the bottom.
It’s advice worth heeding when the filling is as delectable as the braised pork at La Popular Taqueria in Port Adelaide. Owner and chef Daniella Guevara Monoz soaks meat from the neck and shoulder in a marinade based on the distinctive brick-red spice paste achiote, before it is wrapped in banana leaves and roasted slowly in the oven. The result is pulled pork so luscious and sweet that, compared with what is served up in most places, it’s like lobster versus fish fingers. A small bowl of the meat is brought to the table with house-pickled onions and a stack of hand-pressed corn tortillas wrapped in a cloth bundle.