by Andrew Morrison | Though I was sad to see Supermarine close in Kitsilano earlier this year I’m glad the space stayed with Gooseneck Hospitality (see also Bufala, Wildebeest) and that they went a more casual, familiar route with its replacement, the irreverent Lucky Taco. A recent pass brought this particular dish to my attention, and reminded me that Juke Fried Chicken chef/co-owner Brian Satterford helped midwife Lucky Taco’s menu as he and his partners were waiting for Juke’s construction to wrap up. The photo above is not the greatest (it’s dark in there!), but what you essentially have here is a fried chicken taco — a sneaky pre-Juke prototype given a taco treatment. That might sound strange to the Mexi-purists out there, but deliciousness is no slave to tradition. The $6 beauty starts with a gluten-free El Comal tortilla, which stands firm to a sweet and spicy onslaught of crunch, chew, repeat. On top there are five to six small pieces of marinaded, boneless chicken thigh dredged in a spiced-up, mix of rice and tapioca flour. These are fried to crazy,gluten-free perfection, lit with togarashi and an all-in-one viscous triple threat of flavours (ginger ranch, wing sauce, tuna poke sauce), and given the extra acidic palate punch of pickled cabbage. One taco per order. Not at all ideal for sharing. Because you’ll want it all.
Fried Chicken Taco | $6 | Lucky Taco | 1685 Yew St. | KITSILANO | luckytaco.ca