Saturday, July 10, 2010

Spruce Taqueria

Thoughts from the Taco Man (written by the fun loving folks behind Spruce Taqeuria)


1. Sit beside someone you don't know, maybe over taco's you will become friends
2. If you liked your tacos give us a thumbs up
3. If you want to know our Secret Menu, follow us on twitter@sprucetaco
4. You are not allowed to eat your taco's with a fork and knife in public, what you do in private is your own business
5. You can bring your own beer, but you must offer one to the taco chef on duty
6. Contrary to popular belief we do not lace our guacamole with crack cocaine
7. If you want our special sauce on any of your items just ask, however we will never tell you the ingredients in the special sauce
8. We like tongue, so should you
9. You want hot, we can give you burning, screaming hot
10. Sharing taco's with someone means you love them

As you can see, I really enjoyed my experience at Spruce Taqueria. The taco-ria only opens for lunch on weekdays and operates out of a tiny shack atop a little hill in Phoenix Park, with an abundance of surrounding greenery, mosquitoes and chirping crickets.

Everything here is self service and casual. You line up to order, hang around and wait for the service staff to yell your order number. Seats are highly limited (there are only about 4-5 little tables) so go early to avoid disappointment.

Pls clean up after yourself

I wasn't in the mood for surprises so I opted for the safest sounding item on the menu- the fish taco set. It costs 9 bucks flat and comes with 2 tacos, chips, salsa and a drink.

A rundown of all the sets

It was love at first sight when my number was called and I was handed a piping hot fish taco set. The aroma of grilled snapper, creamy guacamole and piquant salsa was simply irresistible. I scurried to my seat and quickly snapped a picture before tucking in with fervor.

Fresh and unpretentious

Sadly, I didn't enjoy the set as much as I had so desperately wanted to. All the ingredients were fresh and flavorful but the "shiok" factor just wasn't there. Each taco came with 2 skins, which added an unnecessary dough-like aftertaste to every bite. The fish pieces, whilst tasty were smallish in portion and not as robustly seasoned as I would have liked. Next time, I will ask the cook to remove the extra layer of taco skin and ask for a bigger serving of fish.

Since I'm a big fan of guacamole, I decided to order an additional serving to go with my chips. A small serving (the size of a ping pong) costs SGD3 and was consumed in a matter of minutes. I wish they had been more generous.

To wash down all the carbos, a most unique Watermelon and Lime Aqua Fresca was my choice of beverage. Since the service staff were pretty swamped, my drink only got to me when the ice had melted. I didn't particularly like the sweet-sour combination (give me ice lemon tea anytime) but it was a reasonable thirst quencher nonetheless.

I'm no taco connoisseur but I like Spruce Taqueria for its laid back "close to nature" vibe, no frills setup and wholesome unpretentious food. Its inaccessible location also makes it an excellent spot for chillout weekday lunches.

And one last thing. The Taco Man was right. Tacos do taste better when shared.

Spruce Taqueria
320 Tanglin Road
Phoenix Park
Open 12-3pm weekdays only.

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