It’s lunch time again at Farsyde Tattoo and after the going away partying we partook in for our friend Logan’s farewell last night, there was a definite consensus for some grub with substantial booze soaking up properties. Where I come from it goes without saying that we’d already be on our way to the local taqueria. Where I AM, however, that’s not always an easy (or edible*) option. Fortunately for us, though, an old local favorite has recently re-opened up right here on the south side. I’m talking about Da Crack- literally a little crack in the wall taqueria located between a local mini market and an outdoor adventure retailer. There’s no seating area, just a walk up window where you place and receive your order.
Like the establishment, the menu is super simple—Pick your meat and then build your taco or burrito from a limited list of extras. The boys all ordered pork burritos with everything, while I kept it girly with a veggie taco, no tomatoes, add olives and jalapenos. I went for the hot sauce over the mild.
I absolutely LOVE that black olives are a common ingredient in Mexawaiian food! While a canned olive is far from being a genuine Mexican ingredient, I’ve always utilized them in my own Mexican dishes. They add a definite flavor dynamic which can often be lacking in vegetarian tacos, burritos, enchiladas and the like.
I knew we were in for a treat the moment Yama walked into the shop with the cardboard box full of our orders—it smelled amazing! It smelled like Mexican food! Real Mexican food! Sure enough, the burritos were absolutely massive and my single taco weighed the equivalent of a 2 month old kitten. Full of beans, brown rice, cabbage, onions, cheese, olives, jalapenos and hot salsa, none of the ingredients were overpowering—not even the fairly tomato-y salsa. I added a package each of parmesan cheese and Taco Bell fire sauce to complete the deliciousness, cuz that’s how I roll.
When making my own Mexican food here in Hawaii, I’ve found that the tortilla selection kinda sucks. The corn tortillas split when you make eye contact with them and the flour ones aren’t much better on the dryness scale. Da Crack may or may not make their own tortillas, but they were by far the best I’ve had since my arrival here. They are of the nice, rich flour variety—clearly made with a healthy dose of lard for extra elasticity. Yum!
Everyone was very happy with their orders, including Arthur who also has recently come from the land of taquerias on every corner. Da Crack was super satisfying, well made and delectably simple.
I’ll definitely be heading back for more Crack!
...Da-Crack...
(808) 742-9505
2827 Poipu Rd.
Poipu, Kauai, HI
*A couple months ago I was over in Lihue running some errands and decided to hit up the local Mexican food spot for lunch. Now, I had been warned before moving here that I needed to “eat as much Mexican food as possible,” as I would be hard pressed to find anything authentic on the island. While I did indeed take this warning to heart, I also can’t really suppress my Mexican food urges for too long before I start getting’ loco. Upon walking into La Bamba I was encouraged by the frescos and down casita feel of the décor while my taste buds began to Macarena at the sight of other patrons enjoying large plates full of delicioso looking arroz, frijoles y enchiladas. After an excited perusal of the menu I decided on a potato burrito—not exactly the most authentic of choices, but hey… I like carbs. Callate, buey.
When my meal arrived it looked great! It was served “mojado,” meaning it was drenched in enchilada sauce and had a little cheese sprinkled on top. There was also a bit of shredded lettuce on the plate along with a side of sour cream. Time to dig in!
Looking back on that day, I’m not entirely sure what it was that I was expecting when I cut into that plump, inviting flour tortilla, but I can tell you was certainly not what I found. Staring back at me from the two halves of burrito was nothing more than a giant mass of mashed potatoes. That’s it. Just mashed potatoes. I rooted around inside the order with my fork but came back with nothing more than starchy fluff.
I am still flabbergasted by the experience. In the words of Chaz Michael Michaels, “It was mind bottling.”
I definitely won’t write La Bamba off because of this—in fact it almost makes me more curious. Until my next trip, though, I think I’ll continue exploring all my other burrito options the island over!
