Opening Soon: A Taco Spot by Metronome's Chef Miko Calo

(SPOT.ph) Tacos have long been well-loved, whether we're talking the Tex-Mex indispensible that screams indulgence or the lighter, zestier sort that's closer to Mexican tradition. The dish is as comforting as it is versatile—so you can only imagine how drool-worthy tacos can be when concocted by some of Manila's best chefs, like Metronome's Chef Miko Calo! That premise is coming to life very soon as Calo's got a taco spot in the works—a bit of a taste of which we got earlier this month at Curar La Resaca, a 10-hands "taco charity event" featuring tacos by Calo along with Jorge Mendez of Modan, Charles Montañez of Alegria, and Nicco Santos and Quenee Vilar of Café Aurora.

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Here's what we know about Taqueria Franco, plus other tacos served during the 10-hands charity event earlier this July:

Calo and her team served up a Lamb Bourguignon Birria, which cleverly takes the birria-taco format and takes it out for a less-spiced yet equally drool-worthy French-style spin. In place of the traditional birria filling is lamb bourguignon in its rich, earthy glory, shredded and stuffed along with gruyere into a buckwheat-crepe "tortilla" that's seared for a subtly crisp exterior.

As with any birria, consomme's also served on the side for dipping into—which also gives off French dip vibes, and totally works. This is one of the tacos Calo will be serving at her upcoming dining spot, dubbed Taqueria Franco, slated to open this August at San Agustin street in Makati's Salcedo Village.

Of course, this is just a small glimpse of things coming up for the soon-to-open taco joint. This is Chef Miko Calo we're talking about. Prior to helming Metronome—which is pretty much one of (if not the) best French establishments in town that stays true to its roots while incorporating modern elements where applicable—Calo graduated from the École Grégoire-Ferrandi in Paris and worked for no less than the late Joël Robuchon. Given her classic French training (plus the snazzy direction Calo and her team go at Metronome), it'll be interesting, to say the least, to see how she'll be taking on the more down-home dish that is tacos. In the meantime, we say give their Instagram page a follow.

More Tacos by Top Manila Chefs Served During Curar La Resaca

Held at Alegria Manila on July 4th for the benefit of a local charity helping the elderly in need, Curar La Resaca presented four special tacos by each of the chefs (slash chef pairs) and their teams. Calo's was far from the only standout, as every taco displayed a different personality and took inspiration from varying cuisines.

From Chef Jorge Mendez—whose creativity and skill in neo-Japanese cooking shines at Modan—came the Aged Buri Tostada, a zingy two-bite wonder that featured aged buri (Japanese amberjack) over a crisp tostada. In many ways this brought to mind ceviche, what with how tastes were brightened and textures, diversified with embellishments of tosa vinegar, radish, coconut vinegar, sweet potato, and glossy beads of ikura that pop in the mouth.

The Smoked Perquito Taco, courtesy of Chef Charles Montañez—who goes feisty in the kitchen and showcases his love for Latin American and Filipino flavors at Alegria Manila—was another showstopper. The star of the show here? Suckling pig, smoked seven hours until buttery-tender, amped up with aji panca and garlic, then served over corn and purple yam tortillas. On the side came a deceptively tame-looking mango habanero sauce that packs on the heat; used in small doses, it added quite the punch to every bite.

Last but not the least was the Laap Phet Tostada, courtesy of the Santos-Vilar tandem. As anyone who's dined at Café Aurora (and/or their other former restaurants!) would attest to, the pair has an especially great hand at Southeast-Asian flavors—and this time around, they merged tastes from the said region with that of Mexico. Topping a spiced-corn tostada was a zesty dollop of avocado-makrut lime crema, fresh herbs, and a fried egg (rightfully with a runny yolk!); salsa nam prik pla was also served on the side for boosts of umami. (We're keeping our fingers crossed they make this available at Café Aurora soon!)

Much as tacos have a reputation as a casual (and ubiquitous) dish, they're also a fantastic medium to showcase some culinary creativity—a point we learned at the 10-hands collab. While waiting for round two, you can at least look forward to the opening of Taqueria Franco this August. 

For more information about Taqueria Franco, check out their Instagram page.

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