Chef Jorge Bernal’s journey halfway around the world was meant to be, some would say. The Mexican-born architectural student kick-started his nomadic lifestyle as a sound engineer for a Mexican rock band. When the group toured Singapore, Bernal fell deeply in love with Asian cultures and decided to settle down in the continent. He happened to make the acquaintance of a Thai who invited him to work for media entertainment conglomerate GMM Grammy.
One day, Bernal felt the urge to introduce Bangkok to the authentic tastes of his motherland and became the mastermind behind two famous Mexican cantinas: Tacos and Salsa, and Sabroso. His current project, Slanted Taco, confidently dishes out authentic Mexican fare in the heart of Sukhumvit 23.
Tucked in the same venue as Craft beer bar and whisky and cigar institution Whisgas, Slanted Taco is a chillaxing space with laid-back and fun-loving Latin-style feels. Zinc-and wood-decorated walls resemble the hole-in-the-wall eateries along the dusty streets of Mexico, while a colorful mural depicting an ancient Mayan king holding a taco in his hand add more fun and quirkiness to the joint.
Bernal takes charge of a more spacious and better-equipped kitchen so expect the food to be slightly more refined than in his former establishments. The rusticity quintessential to Mexican fare, however, remains. We love the wide selection of taco fillings (starting from B70), which includes simple pork carnitas, juicy prawns and succulent sea bass. The fajitas (B580) explodes with flavor, featuring peppery grilled steak and served with house-made flour tortillas, guacamole, sour cream and cheese. The tortilla soup (B180) is a palate teaser that sees bits of fried corn tortilla swimming in a broth that mixes chipotle and tomato. The desserts are also topnotch. Go for the cake that’s soaked in a sauce that mixes three kinds of milk (B80) or the chocolate fondant that’s shaped like a Mayan pyramid and served with vanilla ice cream (B80).
The booze benefits from a various selection of margaritas, ranging from the classic (B320) to the devilish Machurat (B380) which combines tequila, honey and drops of Tabasco sauce.