Mexican restaurant in Mangwon for beginners: verde enchilada, Taco Dot

What is Taco Dot in Mangwon like?

Taco Dot is a Mexican restaurant near Mangwon Market, and the writer calls it the new powerhouse of Mangwon eats (망원동 맛집 신흥 강자, "Sinheung" meaning rising). As someone who has been eating tacos longer than most, the writer can tell what style a place is just from the taco photos. And the skull-themed Mexican festival (Day of the Dead) painting on the outside of Taco Dot tells you this is no ordinary shop. They clearly understand Mexican culture.

Mangwon has plenty of great restaurants, yet lots of customers break through the competition to find Taco Dot. The interior is nice, and the owner is good-looking and works with real energy. Whether the owner is at the restaurant or not makes a world of difference, and a friendly owner matters even more.

What did we order at Taco Dot?

At Taco Dot, the writer skipped the platter and ordered four à la carte dishes plus a drink. At first the plan was a platter, but to properly test whether this place is really that good, the writer went all out on the dishes below.

• Pulled pork taco
• Okinawa taco rice
• Verde sauce enchilada
• Buffalo wings
• Coke Zero

Mangridan-gil restaurant pick: Taco Dot it is! (haha) Just look at the Tabasco sauce on the Taco Dot table. With jalapeños right there too, the fundamentals are so solid it drives me crazy... In this free market where the ones who can't cut it have been buried and gone somewhere else and only the real ones remain, the difference is all in the details.

How does the pulled pork taco at Taco Dot taste?

The pulled pork taco at Taco Dot has a proper shell and proper filling. It's the kind of taste you'd make a trip to come and eat.

It looks so delicious. I'd love to eat it Mexican-style under a hotter sun with a Corona beer. Just from the pulled pork taco, you can feel how good Taco Dot's fundamentals are.

What is in the Okinawa taco rice?

Taco Dot's Okinawa taco rice has lots of shrimp under the lettuce, with rice underneath. The urge to visit Okinawa gets properly satisfied right here.

Under the lettuce is a heap of shrimp, and under that is rice. It tastes great, and it's perfect for Korean palates that need rice with a meal!

Are buffalo wings at a taco place any good?

Taco Dot's buffalo wings were cooked well through with no red near the bone, and not overcooked either. Buffalo wings are a no-fail menu item, yet also one that fails a lot. You might ask what wings are doing at a taco place, but for a bodybuilder, protein intake is a must.

Best dish: verde sauce enchilada

The writer's best pick at Taco Dot, and today's thumbnail, is the verde sauce enchilada. As I remember, it was slightly basil-pesto based, and it tastes great. There's rice inside the wrap, so it's filling, and there's pork in there too.

The sauce, rice, wrap and vegetables blend well together, and you can feel the care put into it. Taco Dot is a no-fail restaurant, and I want to come back and try the other dishes.

Is Taco Dot good for Mexican food beginners?

Taco Dot doesn't have a strong spice character, so it's fine as an introduction to Mexican food. The food looks good, the prices are good, the taste is good, and it's "photogenic" too, so it's satisfying whether you go with a partner or friends. Recommended!