Casino Connection Nevada

Hot fusion

Taco shop mixes tradition with original flavors

by Caitlin McGarry

In a city filled with a variety of culinary choices, from small restaurants to large-scale chains and high-end eateries, Taco Yayo is one amongst a plethora of options. Outwardly non-descript, the taco shop is buried in a shopping center across the street from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. It seems dead in this neighborhood during the dog days of summer, and Taco Yayo is nearly empty, its wooden picnic-style tables waiting for nights when UNLV students fill the space for concerts and parties.

But Taco Yayo isn’t just for broke college kids looking for a decent happy hour, though coordinating evening activities with campus events has turned the taco shop into a hip hangout for the young and cheap. Taco Yayo’s uniquely original menu and large selection of beer and tequila are the main reasons why hungry and thirsty locals seek out the trendy restaurant.

If you walk into Taco Yayo expecting to order a few basic small flour tortillas filled to the brim with ground beef and shredded cheddar, then you might want to turn around and find the nearest Del Taco, because this is surely not your average Mexican restaurant. The menu at Taco Yayo offers fusion gourmet tacos, ranging from traditional carnitas to Chinese, Indian, Italian and vegetarian options.

Not many taco shops cater to herbivores, but Taco Yayo has tacos that will satisfy any veg-friendly diner. The tofu fuma taco contains slices of tofu coated with a barbeque marinade, as well as a variety of vegetables and a medium-sized squiggle of sour cream to round it out. The equally delicious tofu nuez serves up sautéed tofu and veggies, topped with Taco Yayo’s special (and spicy) nuez sauce.

Taco Yayo’s fusion specialties add to the restaurant’s worldly style. There is a Shanghai taco (wasabi-seared steak in Chinese-preserved black bean salsa with a light helping of cabbage slaw and a dose of wasabi crema), a Sicilian taco (chicken covered in a spicy basil pesto sauce and topped with red pepper balsamic cruda) and a Bombay taco (chicken sautéed in green curry coconut with mint and sweet and sour chutney sauce).

For taco fans who like to play it safe, Taco Yayo also supplies more classic options, like the carne asada taco (marinated steak with a cilantro onion relish) and the pollo taco (pulled chicken in mole with tomatillo serrano verde).

Taco Yayo offers specials for diners who want to try a variety of tacos. The taco combo comes with four tacos of your choosing, as well as two sides and a drink for $7.25. UNLV students can grab four classic tacos, two sides and a canned soda for $5 with a student ID.

The side dishes at this specialty taco shop are a little different from the average servings of beans and rice (though there are those as well). The camarones ceviche in particular is like something out of a gourmet Southwestern fusion restaurant. The chefs cure the shrimp in lemon juice for 24 hours and serve it up cold. The Aztecan quinoa salad is an interesting alternative to plain  salads, with quinoa grain and onions complementing each other perfectly.

With its contrast of almost-gourmet fusion food artistically placed on banana leaves and the graffiti-covered walls and tables, Taco Yayo offers something a little out of the ordinary. And don’t forget to take a shot of tequila—the taco shop offers more than 100 varieties to choose from, so you might as well.

4632 Maryland Pkwy #18

Hours
Monday and Tuesday
11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Wednesday—Saturday
11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

702-262-0201

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