KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — In the past year, Plaza Damansara has seen an influx of food trucks selling coffee, burgers, pasta and even ayam gepuk.
The latest to join that flourishing food truck scene is Pablo’$, labelled as the “top rated taco in Penang”.
It’s a name not common in the Klang Valley unless you frequented the bar BAC, where they did a collaboration last year.
Pablo’$ roots are entrenched in Penang, where it was started by three friends during the pandemic.
They have made a name for themselves for their tacos and pasta served from their eye-catching truck parked at the corner of Muntri Street and Leith Street.
About three weeks ago, they announced a shift in the direction of their business. In a notice posted on their Instagram @pablos.pg, they said it was, “Time to end our food truck era and move on to something more reliable.”
Currently they are working on new dishes and hope to re-open on December 3 with a new concept for Penang diners.
Meanwhile, KL-lites can get a taste of the tacos from Pablo’$ KL, as they have rolled out a new food truck in Damansara Heights, parked opposite Family Mart along Jalan Medan Setia 2.
According to Pablo’$ KL, it’s a separate entity from Pablo’$ Penang and owned by Colin Chye and Rishikumar Uthayakumar.
Taco lovers can also look forward to a Pablo’$ KL near them, as there are plans to open more places in the first quarter of 2025.
Expect a grab-and-go menu of seven tacos, which includes a meatless taco with cheese and cilantro. There’s also tacos with prawns, duck, beef, lamb and chicken.
One variant uses a flour tortilla with a base of crunchy purple cabbage, pico de gallo for a zingy flavour with chopped tomatoes and onions, cheddar and mozzarella cheese. There’s also their secret sauce in these tacos.
The Prawn$tar (RM20) highlights bouncy grilled Cajun shrimps as a topping that worked well with the creamy sauce. If you like it sweet and spicy, there’s also a Thai Prawn$tar, slathered with Thai chilli sauce.
It’s not often you see duck popping up in tacos, hence the Ya Rou (RM20) is an interesting medley of sliced smoked duck with a decadent duck fat sauce.
There’s also Beefin’ (RM23), where chunky, tender rib eye slices are slathered with a homemade teriyaki sauce using soy sauce, honey and garlic, making it a mighty powerful bite.
What I appreciated was how each taco is given a blow torch moment before it’s packed up for you. It adds a toasted element to the tortilla and their creamy secret sauce.
The stakes get higher with their Indian fusion birria style tacos. Think crunchy hard shells filled with minced chicken keema or lamb varuval, wrapped in oozy melted mozzarella and cheddar cheese.
It gets another dimension of flavour by dipping the whole ensemble in a sauce.
Not Birria (Lamb) was super packed with flavour. You get the crunch from the hard shell and the succulent lamb varuval, with another layer of spices from the sauce.
One can appreciate the thought put into designing this taco, as rather than serving a huge piece of meat that is difficult to eat, the lamb varuval is cut into chunks, letting you eat your taco as demurely as you can.
It’s RM26 for two tacos.
Pablo’$ KL, Food Truck opposite Family Mart, Jalan Medan Setia 2, Damansara Heights, Kuala Lumpur.
Open:7pm to 1am (Wednesday to Sunday).
Closed on Monday and Tuesday. Tel:016-7105995.
Instagram: @pablos.kl
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
