His Take: Ahh Tacu Tacu/LuLu’s Lounge, bringing back the glory days! I used to come to this place when I was a lot younger to drink and eat literally every weekend, and sometimes during the week. With that being said, one of our old bartender friends was making a return to behind the bar, Eric. E contacted all of us via Facebook/text messaging (funny how social media works!) And here we were, Me, Ariana and some friends and their girlfriends as well. One big happy reunion! When Ariana and I walked in, E came around the bar gave me a hug, greeted Ariana told us we better be staying for a drink!
Any who, back to this evening, Ariana and I wanted to walk around and just grab some food somewhere that caught our eye. We had walked past Tacu Tacu and kept looking, but I mentioned to Ariana I could go for the dish I used to get at Tacu Tacu when I used to go there. Ariana had never had the place before and she agreed. Plus I told her that the menu was a mix of Thai and Vietnamese. Well firstly, I was wrong, the menu has changed since I last was there, now Tacu Tacu is a mix of Asian Cuisines plus Peruvian! The menu has a wide variety of dishes and things to enjoy. I was happy to see my favorite dish, the Cube Steak Saigon was still on the menu!!!
Ariana and I sat down after a few minutes of waiting and looked over the menu as well as the drink menu. I wish we had gotten to sit in the booth! It was Ariana started with a frozen banana margarita, which she said was boring, and I got a frozen lemonade which was absolutely amazing. Tacu Tacu never used to make frozen drinks, so way to step their game up! We were given a little bin of fried plantain chips with two different dipping sauces, signature Tacu Tacu, and once you pop one chip in your mouth, you eat the whole bin and some, trust me, use Ariana as an example, she literally ate the WHOLE bin! We ordered a chicken tamale to share for appetizers. Ariana insisted I try a tamale and I am glad I did, she said Tacu Tacu’s was a different variation on a tamale, but it was good none the less! Finally on to the entrees, I ordered, you guessed it, the Cube Steak Saigon! It is diced up steak cut into cubes cooked with soy sauce, onions, and broccoli and served in a steaming hot skillet with a little bowl of white rice. MMMMMMMMMM just as good as I remember (and maybe a little more expensive)! Ariana ordered the Pineapple fried rice, which is good, I have had it before as well! She enjoyed some of the food as well. We skipped dessert and continued to drink! The food presentation was excellent and the restaurant is nice too! It has a loungy feeling.
Off to the bar we went were E served us drink after drink and shots as well. We all had a great time catching up and reminiscing about old times. Also Tacu Tacu has a downstairs section called LuLu’s lounge which is a more formal karaoke bar. You walk down and there’s a huge karaoke screen as well as other screens. We used to hang out down there and drink and sing which is great! This time we did not head down, but our next time at Tacu Tacu I am sure we will! Yes there will be a next time back at Tacu Tacu! Go and please enjoy the Saigon Cube Steak!!!!!!
Her Take: This Saturday night started out as "we're just going for drinks" but it ended up turning into and unplanned dinner date.
We had decided to meet up at around 8 pm and just walk around until we found something that caught our eye. We originally wanted to go to Gorbal's Rooftop, a new rooftop bar on the Northside, but Nicky had told his friends about it and they decided to go there but we wanted some alone time first. So we walked, ended up on North 6th and decided to go to Tacu Tacu. Nicky's friends planned to go to tacu tacu that night too, but much later, so we said let's eat first and then meet with them! Tacu Tacu is Thai/Peruvian Restaurant; yes they have both cuisines; i have never been here but Nicky has and he said that they had changed the menu completely. But the menu was appetizing nonetheless. The restaurant has a square bar in the middle and tables all around, downstairs, "Lulu's Lounge" they have karaoke!
We walked in and Nicky knew the bartender from when he used to go there all the time in his "cool youth days" so he said hi and Eric, the bartender, hit him about 482 times (out of love.)
The hostess sat us and we looked through the menu and the first thing Nicky said was "THEY HAVE TAMALES" because he knows I love tamales and he also knows that he's going to be forced to try them... >:-)
So we ordered one chicken tamale, a frozen vodka lemonade for Nicky and a banana margarita for me to start off. I decided for entree I was going to have the Phucket Pineapple Fried Rice and Nicky got the Saigon Cube Steak (his favorite dish from here)
They immediately brought over plantain chips with a red and green dip which I completely forgot to ask the waiter what it was, but it was so good so I gavoned it anyway. My banana margarita was just alright, it could have used some more banana flavor in it, but Nicky loved his frozen lemonade (and proceeded to order those all night.)
The tamale came and it wasn't your traditional tamale. Usually tamales come wrapped in a banana leaf and when you open it up its just the dough and INSIDE the dough is the meat. Their tamale had the chicken and sauce and everything on the outside of in, just laid out on top instead of inside. I assume it is easier for them so they can have a variety of different tamales with different meats so all they have to do is make the dough and then throw the meat of your choice on top.
It was pretty good! the dough needed a little more salt but the chicken and the flavor was pretty good and Nicky liked it! :))) His only complaint was that it was too doughy -_- (he just doesn't like cornmeal)
Then came our entrees and I have to say my Pineapple fried Rice was A+ on the presentation; it was so nice!! The rice was served in a pineapple half with those little drink umbrellas on the pineapple. The dish was decorated very nicely, but unfortunately, the taste was not comparable to the presentation. I wish I would have liked it but the rice lacked taste, it was very very bland and there was TOO much chicken; normally I wouldn't complain about too much chicken, but when it's bland and flimsy and blah, you don't want it! That was disappointing but I ate a bit and I was full. My drinks satisfied me!
Nicky loved his cube steak, he says he gets that every time he goes there! I tried it and it was pretty good.
We ended up spending all night at Tacu Tacu by the bar, drinking and hanging with friends. Tacu Tacu recently changed their menu, so maybe the just need to work on perfecting it a little bit more!
I would go back firstly for their huge selection of frozen drinks, secondly for karaoke and thirdly to snack on the apps and try something new!
We had decided to meet up at around 8 pm and just walk around until we found something that caught our eye. We originally wanted to go to Gorbal's Rooftop, a new rooftop bar on the Northside, but Nicky had told his friends about it and they decided to go there but we wanted some alone time first. So we walked, ended up on North 6th and decided to go to Tacu Tacu. Nicky's friends planned to go to tacu tacu that night too, but much later, so we said let's eat first and then meet with them! Tacu Tacu is Thai/Peruvian Restaurant; yes they have both cuisines; i have never been here but Nicky has and he said that they had changed the menu completely. But the menu was appetizing nonetheless. The restaurant has a square bar in the middle and tables all around, downstairs, "Lulu's Lounge" they have karaoke!
We walked in and Nicky knew the bartender from when he used to go there all the time in his "cool youth days" so he said hi and Eric, the bartender, hit him about 482 times (out of love.)
The hostess sat us and we looked through the menu and the first thing Nicky said was "THEY HAVE TAMALES" because he knows I love tamales and he also knows that he's going to be forced to try them... >:-)
So we ordered one chicken tamale, a frozen vodka lemonade for Nicky and a banana margarita for me to start off. I decided for entree I was going to have the Phucket Pineapple Fried Rice and Nicky got the Saigon Cube Steak (his favorite dish from here)
They immediately brought over plantain chips with a red and green dip which I completely forgot to ask the waiter what it was, but it was so good so I gavoned it anyway. My banana margarita was just alright, it could have used some more banana flavor in it, but Nicky loved his frozen lemonade (and proceeded to order those all night.)
The tamale came and it wasn't your traditional tamale. Usually tamales come wrapped in a banana leaf and when you open it up its just the dough and INSIDE the dough is the meat. Their tamale had the chicken and sauce and everything on the outside of in, just laid out on top instead of inside. I assume it is easier for them so they can have a variety of different tamales with different meats so all they have to do is make the dough and then throw the meat of your choice on top.
It was pretty good! the dough needed a little more salt but the chicken and the flavor was pretty good and Nicky liked it! :))) His only complaint was that it was too doughy -_- (he just doesn't like cornmeal)
Then came our entrees and I have to say my Pineapple fried Rice was A+ on the presentation; it was so nice!! The rice was served in a pineapple half with those little drink umbrellas on the pineapple. The dish was decorated very nicely, but unfortunately, the taste was not comparable to the presentation. I wish I would have liked it but the rice lacked taste, it was very very bland and there was TOO much chicken; normally I wouldn't complain about too much chicken, but when it's bland and flimsy and blah, you don't want it! That was disappointing but I ate a bit and I was full. My drinks satisfied me!
Nicky loved his cube steak, he says he gets that every time he goes there! I tried it and it was pretty good.
We ended up spending all night at Tacu Tacu by the bar, drinking and hanging with friends. Tacu Tacu recently changed their menu, so maybe the just need to work on perfecting it a little bit more!
I would go back firstly for their huge selection of frozen drinks, secondly for karaoke and thirdly to snack on the apps and try something new!
Plantain chips
Frozen Vodka Lemonade
Banana Margarita
Tamale
Cube Steak
Pineapple Fried Rice
Us :)
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