Mal Pan
Cameron Royale Taco at Mal Pan
You ever have one of those days when you’re craving tacos? It just kind of sneaks up on you. One day recently I was craving tacos, but more than that: I really wanted something interesting. Then I remembered that Mal Pan was open for lunch. It had been on my list to try for a while, so it was the perfect opportunity to go. Off to South Park I went!
Don’t let the exterior fool you
Mal Pan is tucked away in Piedmont Row, so from the outside it looks like a strip mall. But don’t let that throw you. There aren’t a ton of tables, but the interior décor is phenomenal! It’s super cute and trendy.
Here’s what we tried:
Chips and Guacamole - Fresh. Light chips. Tasty guacamole. Nice heat to the salsa but not overly spicy. Classic.
Conchita Pibil Taco - Super tender and well-seasoned. Slight star of anise flavor. The plantain adds a subtle sweetness and the onion contributes a nice crunch.
Cali Burrito – This was okay. Soft and chewy (in a good way). Great tortilla with awesome texture. But for all that, this was my least favorite. It had a strong chipotle flavor inside that overwhelmed the other ingredients. It really needed some crunch and a more balanced flavor.
Torta – Careful, this has some solid heat that sneaks up on you! Great flavor. Tender meat, fluffy roll. My mouth was on fire by the end. Hurts so good!
Carnitas Tacos - Solid carnitas meat, but the avocado mousse? YUM. Phenomenal. Awesome flavor and texture.
Cameron Taco – Good crunch from the fried leeks; nice big avocado chunks. The shrimp was cooked in a soft batter. Chipotle sauce. This was very well balanced and visually absolutely STUNNING.
So close to perfect!
Overall I’ll give Mal Pan a 7.5/10 with sincere hope for improvement. I really loved the atmosphere, the décor, and the food presentation was seriously top-notch! If anything, the flavors needed just a bit more finesse to be perfection. But I’m not mad I tried it. You definitely could do worse on a rogue taco-craving day.
