ORIENTAL TACOS : The taste for Mexican food has jumped across the Pacific to Southeast Asia, where tacos are beginning to appear on menus along with spicy local fare.

This is a tale of two tacos, one from the north and one from the south. In matters of Mexican food, these compass points would normally indicate the United States and Mexico. But not in this case. North refers to Bangkok and south to Singapore, making these exotic tacos indeed.

The “northern” tacos have a tenuous link to the United States because they were inspired by a Californian, author John Steinbeck. They are identified on the menu of the Verandah coffee shop at the Oriental hotel in Bangkok as Steinbeck’s favorite dish.

The Oriental is so author-conscious that it has an author’s wing, an author’s lounge and suites named for such literary notables as Somerset Maugham, Joseph Conrad and Noel Coward. Therefore, it is not surprising to encounter in its restaurant a dish dedicated to a novelist.

Steinbeck’s taste in Mexican food apparently leaned toward chili con carne, because that is what fills the tacos. Although Thailand can supply sizzling hot chiles, the meat mixture is rather gently seasoned with sweet peppers and a modest dash of chili powder.

The taco garnishes reflect the sort of innovation that occurs when Mexican food is prepared far from the source. Instead of the shreds of yellow cheese that go into the average American taco, the Steinbeck tacos are topped with an herb-flavored blend of yogurt and cottage cheese. And instead of guacamole, there is diced-avocado salad flavored with Sherry vinegar dressing. It’s all rather refined, as upper-level cooking in Thailand tends to be.

The Singaporean tacos were introduced to the newly opened Oriental hotel in that city by its executive chef, Martin Maese. Maese was born in England and has cooked his way around the world. During a stint as banquet chef at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles, he was introduced to Mexican food. “I loved it,” he said in an interview in Singapore.

Maese chose chicken as the taco filling because it is acceptable both to Chinese, who dominate the population in Singapore, and to Muslims, who also are prominent in the city. The ingredients come from a variety of sources: chili powder from New York, jalapenos from Santa Barbara and cocktail-size taco shells from New Zealand, where Maese maintains a home.

In a departure from traditional Mexican procedure, Maese deglazes the pan in which the chicken is sauteed with white wine and garnishes the taco plate with alfalfa sprouts. The recipe sheet used in the hotel indicates the novelty of this sort of food in Singapore. Referring to Maese’s jalapeno salsa, it instructs: “Serve sauce separate, but inform guest to eat with the taco.”

JOHN STEINBECK’S FAVORITE BEEF TACOS

3 taco shells

1 scant cup Chili Con Carne

1/4 cup Yogurt-Cottage Cheese Filling

Avocado Salad

2 tablespoons whole kernel corn

1 fresh red chile, carved into flower

2 basil sprigs

2 cilantro sprigs

Fill taco shells with Chili Con Carne. Top with some of Yogurt-Cottage Cheese Filling, then with some of Avocado Salad. Garnish with corn. Arrange tacos on serving plate and garnish with chile flower, basil and cilantro sprigs. Makes 1 serving.

Chili Con Carne

2 tablespoons oil

5 1/2 ounces lean beef, diced

1/4 onion, sliced

1/4 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 green pepper, sliced

1/4 sweet red pepper, sliced

1/4 sweet yellow pepper, sliced

2 tablespoons cooked or canned red kidney beans

1/2 teaspoon mild chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Heat oil in skillet. Add beef, onion and garlic and cook until meat is browned. Add peppers and cook until tender. Add beans and heat. Stir in chili powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly. Makes about 2 cups.

Yogurt-Cottage Cheese Filling

2 tablespoons yogurt

1/4 cup dry cottage cheese

1/4 sweet red pepper, chopped

1/4 green pepper, chopped

1/4 sweet yellow pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon chopped mint

1/2 teaspoon chopped oregano

Salt, pepper

Chili powder

Combine yogurt and cottage cheese. Stir in peppers, parsley, mint and oregano. Season with dash each of salt, pepper and chili powder. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Avocado Salad

1/4 avocado, cubed

1/4 onion, sliced

2 shallots, sliced

10 parsley leaves

10 cilantro leaves

2 small fresh red chiles, seeded, chopped

4 pitted green olives, quartered

1 large tomato, peeled and diced

3 tablespoons Sherry Vinegar Dressing

Combine avocado, onion, shallots, parsley, cilantro, chiles, olives and tomato. Toss gently with dressing. Makes about 2 cups.

Sherry Vinegar Dressing

1/4 cup oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon dry Sherry

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt, pepper

Combine oil, vinegar, Sherry, sugar and salt and pepper to taste in small jar. Cover and shake to blend. Makes 1/3 cup.

MARTIN MAESE’S CHICKEN TAQUITOS

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon finely chopped shallot

1/2 pound boned, skinless chicken, minced

1 1/2 tablespoons white wine

1 1/2 tablespoons mild chili powder

1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons tomato paste

Salt

Oil for deep frying

6 appetizer size tortillas

1/3 cup shredded mozzarella or Cheddar cheese

2 cups sliced iceberg lettuce

1 teaspoon oil and vinegar dressing

6 tomato wedges

1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts

Jalapeno Sauce

Melt butter in medium skillet. Add shallot and cook until tender. Add chicken and saute, stirring, until cooked, about 3 minutes. Remove chicken, add white wine to pan and stir well to mix with any chicken bits remaining in pan. Return chicken to skillet and stir in chili powder, cumin and tomato paste. Season to taste with salt and set aside to cool.

Prepare taco shells. Heat 1/2 inch oil in small skillet. Add 1 tortilla. As soon as tortilla is softened, fold one edge over to form taco shell, holding in place with tongs. Fry each side until crisp. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Drain on paper towels.

Fill taco shells with chicken. Sprinkle tops with cheese. If desired, bake tacos at 350 degrees just long enough to reheat chicken. Toss lettuce with oil and vinegar dressing and place on serving plate. Arrange tacos on lettuce. Place alfalfa sprouts in center, and garnish plate with tomato wedges. Accompany tacos with Jalapeno Sauce. Makes 1 large serving or 6 appetizers.

Note: Appetizer-size tortillas, which measure about 4 1/2 inches in diameter, are stocked in some Mexican markets.

Jalapeno Sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped canned jalapeno chiles

1 1/2 teaspoons liquid drained from canned jalapenos

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped tomato

Combine jalapenos, jalapeno liquid, onion and tomato. Serve in sauce dish alongside tacos. Makes about 1/4 cup.

caption for big photo at top and little photo at bottom side right. one caption for both arts.