Try Tacos Filled With Duck Confit, Foie Gras + More at Chef Miko Calo's New Taqueria

Taqueria Franco 
G/F LPL Center, San Agustin Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Facebook: www.facebook.com/taq.franco

(SPOT.ph) What comes to mind when you think of Chef Miko Calo? Having graduated from the École Grégoire-Ferrandi in Paris and worked for the late Joël Robuchon—apart from helming Metronome—Calo undoubtedly has the art of classic French cooking down pat. So when news came out about her opening a new taqueria, we were intrigued to say the least. How would the French-trained chef take on tacos, the dish of Mexican origin that tends to be more casual by nature?

Well, picture vivacious bites that are as irreverent as they are always balanced, marrying the Mexican taco format with French influences, and you're on the right track. After giving us a sneak preview at the 10-hands Curar La Resaca taco charity event last July, Taqueria Franco is finally opening its doors to the public tomorrow, September 14.

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

Here's what you can look forward to at Taqueria Franco:

Calo has been working with cousin and business partner RJ Galang since the days of the Underground Supper Club—the self-explanatory venture through which they'd hold monthly pop-up dinners—and eventually, Metronome. Needless to say, the two have long bonded over food. It was one not-so-sober conversation one night, though, that led to the subject matter of tacos. Specifically, the (then-) hypothetical question of how the Mexican dish would be interpreted by certain chefs—Calo herself included.

"We were actually eating in Poblacion... [at the time] we were just spitballing," Calo recalls in an exchange with SPOT.ph. "[Then] it kind of started getting serious."

The conversation proved to go beyond a mental exercise, and Calo started exploring what her take on tacos would in fact look like. "If I'm going to do a taqueria, it's never going to be Mexican," she acknowledges. "I don't want to pretend to, if I don't have [enough] exposure to it."

Being primarily French-trained in her culinary artistry, Calo admits they had earlier struggled with trying to directly translate the Mexican originals to their French counterparts. "I got really kind of boxed in by that. I had to take my head out of the box... out of that space of [thinking along the lines of], 'make an interpretation of this [classic Mexican component.'" Miko nods. "I just had to be natural in my creativity.. really do something that's more me."

The two partnered up with Paolo and Laveena Clavecilla—friends of theirs who've long been in F&B, being the brains and hands of flavored-butter and bottled-provisions purveyor Comer y Comic and F&B consultancy firm Beyond the Menu—and Project: Taqueria Franco officially launched. And after about a year of planning, conceptualizing, and finally forming their lineup, the restaurant will be making their highly awaited splash on Thursday, September 14, at 4 p.m.

Keep an eye for the bulldog sign on Salcedo Village's Agustin street. Small and no-frills as the taqueria might appear with its predominantly white-grey-black color scheme, it's as laid-back (leave the pretense at the door) as it is dapper in its own way. At the center you'll find a wooden bar and stocked liquor shelf from where you can cop a cocktail or two—be it the sunny Franco 75 (P500) that takes after a classic French 75, but with tequila and truffle in the mix; or the calvados- and tequila-spiked Lucky Pêche (P500) that goes fun and fizzy with peach, lime, and hibiscus. Or any of their other sips, really, most of which employ a tequila base.

These are just the thing to go with the cheekily named Le Bon Junk (P300)—Miko Calo-fied walking tacos, if you will, with Granny Goose Tortillos, garlic bechamel, beef haché, a tomato concasse, pistou, feta, and FRANCO pepper sauce. Tongue-twisting description aside, the resulting nachos-esque sum is as nostalgic as it gets.

But we get it; you're here for the tacos. Their short but sweet lineup includes eight variants, as well as a number of tostadas and quesadillas for variety. (And fun.)

Tacos and Other Dishes Not to Miss at Taqueria Franco

No taco worth its salt (er, hot sauce?) can be without a great tortilla forming its backbone. At Taqueria Franco, Calo switches up the classic corn or wheat-flour tortilla for a more French-inspired alternative: buckwheat tortillas, taking after (albeit not 100% identical to) buckwheat crepes. The result is distinctly earthier, nuttier base that not only retains its integrity even when topped with Taqueria Franco's range of sauces and other fillings—and compliments their flavors, too.

Some decidedly take after classic French dishes and bistro classics, gone handheld. Roast chicken, a roasted tomato salsa, and arugula come together in the Poulet Roti tacos (P400/two pieces); the Steak Frites taco (P500/two pieces) features seared hanging tender, complete with béarnaise sauce and a crispy topping of shoestring fries. 

Elsewhere the French influence comes through in her use of French sauces, main proteins, and other components, albeit with more contemporary combinations. In the Breaded Oysters taco (P400/two pieces), crispy fried Aklan oysters are paired with a tartar sauce and pickled veg; the Duck Confit taco (P750/two pieces) on the other hand has the confited poultry lent sweetness and zip with accompaniments of hot honey, dijon mustard, and a carrot-sultana relish.

Of course, crossing cultures is more than welcomed here. Consider the Prawns taco (P450/two pieces), for example, that takes a page from French bouillabaisse, pairing sauteed prawns with rouille—but also goes the North-American direction with an avocado mousse, Franco pepper sauce, cabbage, and a chili-lime vinaigrette. In the Lamb Bourguignon Birria (P500/two pieces), Calo takes Mexican birria tacos down the Burgundian path with a filling of lamb bourguignon, grueyere and emmental cheeses, and the lamb braising liquid as the consomme for you to dip into.

Calo goes vibrant in some numbers, should you be looking to vivify the taste buds (or looking for lighter but no less satisfying bites). Among these is the Sauteed Mushrooms (P450/two pieces) taco—a 'shroomy (and meatless) option whose earthiness is matched by a roasted tomato salsa and cilantro-parsley pistou. And in the Octopus Tostada (P435), chunks of slow-cooked octopus are brightened by chili-lime dressed bell peppers and pineapple—which in turn, bring out a charred depth in the seafood.

Still, Taqueria Franco has a penchant for going decadent while maintaining a Mexican sense of taste and texture balance. The Eggs Benedict Tostada (P350/piece) is essentially its namesake—a creamy concoction of farmer's ham, creamed spinach (a la eggs Florentine), a poached egg, and a blanket of hollandaise sauce supported by their crisp tostadas (these stand up beautifully to all that filling, BTW). Love a great, gooey quesadilla? The Raclette & Bacon Quesadilla (P400) is your guy-slash-gal, with the pungent French cheese partnered with tomato jam for sweet contrast.

Even luxe ingredients get the feisty taqueria treatment here—and it works. A whole slab of pan-seared duck foie is the star of the buttery yet zesty Foie Gras tacos (P800/piece), where it's accompanied by muscovado caramel, salsa negra, and fresh herbs. Never mind that it's the sole taco variant where you get just one piece per order; this stuff is as perky as it is rich. Meanwhile, you'll find briny avruga over an egg-salad tartar sauce mix in the crisp-creamy Eggs & Caviar Tostada (P350/piece). Think caviar pie meets blini, with just a touch of their FRANCO hot sauce and pickled veg to take the edge off the richness of the tartar sauce.

Taqueria Franco doesn't back down on their dessert game, either. The Mexican love of corn meets French pastry in the Corn Flan with Mimolette (P200), while the Hot Chocolate Tart (P300) stays true to its name thanks to a (satisfying) dose of spices. Don't forget the Horchata Bread Pudding (P250)—which uses croissants and pain au chocolat as a base, and weaves in the cinnamon-tinged profile of horchata in every warm spoonful.

You might think you've seen all there is to the taco medium—but it can happily go the unexpected, but lit-AF, direction when you venture out of the box... and keep an open mind. Just ask Calo and her team. Better yet, give their signatures a go and you'll see precisely what we mean, firsthand.

Also read: 
These Bistro Lunch Sets at Metronome Are an Ode to the Lost Art of a Leisurely Lunch

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