Are you in need of some serious taco time? Well I know just the place.
Tucked away on Quay Street between St Mary Street and Westgate Street resides La Pantera, a self-proclaimed mezcal and street food back street cantina, offering up some seriously tasty tacos with some not so serious lashings of tequila .
This little corner of Cardiff’s city centre seems to house some of the city’s trendiest food and drink spots (the craft beer bar Tiny Rebel being just a few doors down), so of course there’s a neon panther sign poised in the window (that and the name pantera). While their Instagram feed is full of Mexican wrestling mask clad staff downing mezcal and stuffing tacos, the most unorthodox aspect of La Pantera is their fusion of cuisines. At this taco haven they seem to view the humble flour (or corn upon request) tortilla as a vessel for well, just about anything. You name it and they’ve probably put it in a taco. Moules frites? Tacoed. Onion bhaji? Tacoed. Big Mac? Tacoed.
I have Instagram to thank for introducing me to La Pantera and its takeaway goodies, lifting me from my lockdown foodie slumber to once again enjoy the delights of eating out (or rather taking away and eating in a park). For 8 weeks during lockdown they partook in the takeaway trend with a new even more tantalising menu each week. While I missed out on the Big Tac (a.k.a. a Big Mac in a taco) I have managed to try 4 of their creations and witnessed 1 other being eaten (not as weird as it sounds).
My first trip to the cantina was on one quintessentially sunny cloudy Welsh summer’s day accompanied by a friend and a hangover. We rocked up and ordered the fish finger taco and the Korean BBQ jackfruit taco. Just like The Lazy Leek, they were very good with my friend’s allergies, (yes, it’s the friend with the allergies, @elan_mai if you’re nasty) enveloping the sticky jackfruit in a blue corn tortilla rather than a flour one, both equally delicious. Hence why I only witnessed this taco being eaten, as I didn’t want to get my contaminated chops around it.
While I didn’t get to taste their vegan offering I did get my first taste of La Pantera’s tacos that fortuitous day in the form of their fish finger taco; a piece of battered fish on a bed of red cabbage topped with shoestring fries, minted mushy peas and tartare sauce sprinkled with pea shoots, diced red chilli and red onion all lovingly encased in a flour tortilla blanket. It is definitely a cliché but no understatement to say that the first bite of that salty delicate fish taco with punchy mint and pickle flavour set off by a slight hint of heat from the unexpected chilli, was heaven. To a struggling foggy headed woman sitting on the grass backdropped by Cardiff Castle and an intermittent sun there could have been no better taste to wake up the buds.
With such an outstanding opening review the tacos had to be put through the ultimate taste test. It was time for the tacs to be tasted by… the Lawlers, a.k.a. Gale and Scott, a.k.a. mum and dad. On the menu this time was buttermilk fried chicken (possibly one of my favourite foods ever), moules frites (sounds kind of disgusting right? wrong) and onion bhaji.
The rain was falling and the pathetic fallacy real, all looked ominous on judgement day. However, we managed to get the tacos home just in time, lined them up on the table and commenced consumption. First, the onion bhaji taco with saag aloo, vegan raita, lime pickle crowned with a crispy poppadom . With such vibrant colours I was expecting vibrant flavours and boy did I get them. In fact, I had the shock of my life when that lime pickle hit my tongue and exploded with fiery as well as citrusy flavours, truly giving a new meaning to the word zing. While the lime pickle was simultaneously strong, spicy and sharp it was necessary in this otherwise warm, hearty and earthy gram flour and potato taco offering. Taco numero uno approved.
Second and the most eagerly awaited taco of the luncheon, the buttermilk fried chicken taco with sriracha mayo, southern style slaw and pickles. A combination the Lawlers are very familiar with, fried chicken being a staple in our household, so if it’s on the menu rest assured it will be in our mouths soon enough. The moistest (ugh I know) taco of the bunch, oozing with coleslaw juice, the peppery fried chicken, sharp pickle and spicy sriracha made for a great couple of bites. Hands down Gale and Scott’s triumphant winner but was it mine? How could fried chicken ever be beaten through my gold and crispy tinted glasses?
A moules frites taco is how. The last taco to be sampled was this one, its description on the menu reading “Moules Frites, white wine, cream and samphire”. While bizarre sounding the Lawlers couldn’t pass on an opportunity for creamy winey mussels, having eaten a (literal) bucketful of them with chips on our last holiday to France. With two different liquids (white wine and cream) in its description you would have expected a soggy bottom but all we got was flavour, fresh mussels coated in a creamy white wine sauce topped with salty samphire and crispy little chips. Rich, classic and salty this has to be voted my favourite due to the sheer balls needed to serve this French classic in a taco.
For months La Pantera has only been open for takeaway, merely teasing our taste buds with their taco creations and mezcal slushies, but on Wednesday they re-opened up shop. Finally, our thirst for tequila will be quenched and our hunger for weird ass tacos satisfied all while sitting at an actual table in an actual restaurant once again. I can’t wait to go, see inside and be reunited with arguably the best tacos I’ve ever tasted and try some of their new side dishes.
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