By Michael Rimer, Y12
Chapter 2: Tacos (not the one you’re thinking of)
Hey foodies! Welcome back to another edition of food reviewing. The Classics series identifies one specific dish and analyses its quality around different locations in Geneva. I would like to give a special thanks to the following year 12 students for enduring on the adventure that will be described shortly: William Silver, Sebastiaan Troost, Victor Carreras and Montague Jacobs.
Despite what you may have heard, tacos is not a burrito filled with garbage dump, but rather a culinary experience (not necessarily a good one). The most appropriate way to describe the dish is as “a kind of marketing bait-and-switch, drawing people with the promise of a Mexican culinary icon and then selling them something completely different.” Although the origin of tacos (formally known as French tacos) is debated, the earliest writings come from kebab shops in the outskirts of Lyon.
In essence, tacos consist of a flour tortilla wrapped or folded in a rectangular shape around a filling which usually includes, in a most simple composition: ground beef (orientale), French fries and fried onions. These three garnishes are topped off with two sauces: algérienne and fromagère. Sauce algérienne isa tomato based condiment with an equal amount of spice, mayonnaise and onion, which gets counterbalanced with sauce fromagère a heavier cream sauce made solely with melted cheese and pepper.
Today’s article will look at five tacos locations in Geneva; namely, Suprême Tacos, Sam’s Tacos, Tacos Plus, Tacos Tacos, and Léman Tacos. All locations can be delivered on either UberEats or Smood. I decided to analyse the same tacos, identified by the composition mentioned earlier. With the ideal tacos having a perfect meat to fry ratio, heavy on the sauce, topped with a cumin-turmeric mix. One with a combination of the powerful acidic-bitter components (from the onion) contrasted by the sweet milky cheese element. Moderately spicy, and most importantly a well pressed evenly cooked tortilla wrap.
The first dish on the hot-seat is Suprême Tacos. From the perfect street food smell to the composure of the wrap, Suprême had all the fundamentals. Unfortunately I was not convinced, the sauces although balanced, were limited. The fries–soggy, as if pulled out of a freezer. The onion frites, however, truly bring the best out of the tacos. All the errors carried forward seem to be forgiven. Overall, when in the mood for a consistently successful quick, cheap meal, Suprême is the way to go.
In contrast to Suprême, Sam’s Tacos did not skimp on the portions. Yet, upon tasting it I felt my stomach shrivel in fear. The taste was absolutely horrendous, and the smell worse. Somehow the meat was well cooked, yet it tasted sour. At bare minimum Sam’s Tacos could have had sauce algérienne (seeing that it’s store bought), but it couldn’t even deliver that. Please save yourself the pain, and do not eat here. Possibly more useful to use this tacos as a doorstop, then actually digest it.
Tacos Plus brought more light to the dark tunnel made in Sam’s kitchen. For the first time, I had found a tacos that used meat that was not ordinary packaged ground meat. It was rich in paprika, fenugreek and lots of turmeric. In addition, it was cooked medium-well in contrast to all the other locations which is solely overcooked. Even the meat to fries ratio ticked all the boxes. Nonetheless, it was lacking one key component, the grilled onions. Tacos Plus excluded this ingredient entirely, thus unbalancing the taste, rendering it overly spicy and creamy without that kick of bitterness.
Tacos Tacos, the most appetizing of the bunch, completely revolutionising the game. To start, the bread was thick (possibly even homemade), the sauce ratio was colourful and rich piquant. Quoting William “a tacos worth finishing.” The meat was charred and chewy, with little tang. Tacos Tacos competes and possibly beats Suprême.
Finally, Léman Tacos, a calamity to the food industry. I’m not sure how, but Léman Tacos was able to produce a soggy, sour, lumpy, wet yet dry piece of refuse. After completely digesting this atrocity I was surprised to not have gotten food poisoning. The dish consisted of cold potato lumps topped off with raw onion. The taste was rancid, containing fats and oils that were no longer fresh. Not even for a bad joke would I order from Léman Tacos. Truly inedible.
Against all odds Tacos stands its ground. It is not the frightful dish that you may have heard of, so long as you go to the right location. I am happy to say that after eating from 5 different locations in one sitting, I did not get sick and was relatively satisfied with the food. Granted, tacos are not a ‘luxe’ food, but it certainly fills you up and for cheap. Ranking wise, Suprême Tacos and Tacos Tacos are tied first, followed by Tacos Plus. In first place for something that I might find in a dumping ground for expired food: Sam’s Tacos. In utter last in taste and everything culinary Léman Tacos, possibly more useful to take the filings from Léman Tacos and use it as a manure replacement for fertilizer.
Suprême Tacos:
Sam’s Tacos
Tacos Plus:
Tacos Tacos:
Léman Tacos:
