prior to making my trip to queenstown, i decided to do some research on popularfoodspots within the town and that's when i saw some rave reviews about taco medic (tm). when i think soft shell tacos, i am quite contained with my excitement to eat them. however, this all changed with tm and their overall experience.
setup: 4.5/5
this is a hidden gem down searle lane (lane next to cookie time bar). might be a little hard to find at first but once you get near the end of the lane, you will see the signage. cute little setup,foodtruck like cabin with small seating area outside. during busy times, i assume many must have to eat while standing. seating area is also covered, for new zealand's unpredictable weather patterns.
staff: 5/5
staff were super friendly and the lad standing at the counter was super informative of thefoodbeing served and provided honest opinions. also informed us of what sauce/salsa should be paired with each taco.
price: 4.5/5
prices for a taco are a standard $7 across the spread. may seem steep, but the tacos are priced on the quality and not the portion size i believe.
food: 5/5
i was skeptical to begin with. being from auckland, our mexican cuisine is quite average to say the least and soft shell tacos are usually quite underwhelming in an overall aspect (size, filling and taste). i ordered two tacos (could have and should have got more), "the bajaman" (battered fish) and "the bushman" (pork). i started with the fish, the fish tasted fresh and was lightly battered to perfection. it was accompanied by a sharp sauce which provided a great tangy offset to the fish. i then got started on the pork taco and with my first bite i was flung straight to the doors of heaven and welcomed by sweet baby jesus. the pork was was so tender, juicy and oh so flavoursome. tm added a nice touch by adding generous amounts of pork crackling, the perfect touch to top off this top notch taco.
overall: 5/5
i understand that my rating doesn't add up because of the sub-ratings i have done up. but from an overall perspective i believe this was a 5 star performance from tm. my only small and potentially nonexistent problems are the limited seating and slightly steep pricing. but the more the i think about it, the more i believe the pricing is reasonable based on the quality of the ingredients being used and the taste of the food. as for the seating arrangement, they do their best with the limited space they have. overall, if you're looking for mouth orgasmfoodwith afoodtruck atmosphere, this is where you need to be. believe the hype when you see it.