El Gran Bocado Taqueria is a gourmet style taco store, making street style Tacos with real corn tortillas, plus other Mexican dishes including tamales, enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos, and nachos. With their flagship store down in Gongti, they’ve decided to bring their tex-mex delights to Shunyi, delivering right to your doorstep.
Offering up to 11 different taco fillings, which include shredded beef, pastor (marinated and grilled pork loin), chorizo-con-papa (sautéed pork sausage with potato), chicken mole, and grilled vegetables. El Gran Bocado state they use real chilies, not chili powder, and that their tamales are made with real corn masa (dough). Prices for taco singles range from RMB 14-18, and for sets which include rice and beans RMB 42-52. With home-made salsa, guacamole, and chile arbol, you can dress your tacos and tamales in the way that you like.
I ordered the grilled chicken burritos RMB 58, the carnitas taco set RMB 50, which comes with rice and beans, some cheese quesadillas RMB 38, and guacamole. The burrito was big, packed with rice, beans, and tender spicy chicken breast. It had great flavor, the tortilla was soft, and the filling-to-wrap ratio spot-on. The quesadillas were nice and cheesy, but if you prefer a stronger tasting cheese then you won’t get that from these. The carnitas pork was shredded tender pork, and very lightly spiced, so would be a good choice for younger kids. The soft tacos holding the pork had good flavor, and the jalapeno, onion, and lettuce mix on top was fresh and tasty.
The side of rice was well cooked and nicely spiced, but I’m not sure about the addition of carrots, peppers would have added a better contrast in texture. The refried beans and guacamole were very good indeed, in fact one of the best guacamole’s I’ve tasted in Beijing. It was fresh, a good chunky consistency, and just the right level of chili heat versus lime kick. The accompanying portions of sour cream, salsa, and salsa verde were perfect for topping your tacos and dipping the crispy nachos.
Also on the menu are chips, salads, and soups. Drinks include a range of imported and local beers, plenty of soft drinks, wine, and margaritas. There’s no dessert on the menu, which is a shame as I’d read so much about the cinnamon cake roll that’s served down in Gongti.
El Gran Bocado
Pinnacle Store Delivery 137 1894 7900
beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.
Photos: Pascal (Flickr), Sally Wilson
