Making the taco a global adventure

Is there room in Southern California for another hip taco slinger? Judging by the lunch crowds at Taco Asylum, there is indeed.

Like Goldilocks’ porridge, the delicious indulgences at this stylized Costa Mesa taqueria seem just right -- not too edgy, not too greasy and not at all like Taco Bell’s. You don’t have to hold a taco dripping meat juices while standing outside a food truck, and, if you like, you can legally down them with a craft lager or microbrew IPA.

Don’t expect Kogi-like Asian-inflected fusions or modern Mexican cooking a la Rivera and Red O. Each one of the fillings here stays true to a specific culinary culture. The rich braised duck under thin Camembert slices and a creme fraiche topping is totally Gallic. Curried paneer with raita and tomato chutney is as distinctly Indian as the grilled baby octopus under a sprinkling of feta and Kalamata olives is Greek.

The kitchen has wisely chosen house-made tortillas made with flour and butter as its delivery system. More neutral than the distinctive flavor of corn, they better complement disparate flavor combinations such as the Provencal-style braised lamb chunks over garlicky ratatouille, or pork belly garnished Vietnamese banh mi-style with crunchy-sweet pickled daikon, carrot and a thatch of cilantro.

Chef Greg Daniels, a Southern California native, may be classically trained, but his taste and that of his customers and two partners have clearly been shaped by the bounty close to home: the Levantine food of Brookhurst’s Little Arabia, the Vietnamese cooking of Little Saigon, Greek dishes from countless church festivals and restaurants, home-style Mexican from Santa Ana and beyond, and Indian and Thai.

These tacos, a mere conceit for delivering high-caliber food in a kicked-back style at modest prices, are as Californian as the Beach Boys, and every item on the menu is just what the restaurant owners love to eat.

The restaurant isn’t set up for communal dining with large tables. Yet you see perfect strangers sharing tastes and reporting to one another on their latest discovery.

It’s not all that surprising that Daniels and his partners have tapped so precisely into their customers’ sensibilities. They’ve been honing their style for a year and a half at their first restaurant, Haven Gastropub in Orange, a cozy spot with a full bar for truffled mac ‘n’ cheese and homemade potato chips served well past bedtime.

Taco Asylum fits seamlessly into the Camp, a retail complex whose back-to-nature theme -- set in desert-type flora -- includes Cycle Werks for serious bike enthusiasts, Seed natural foods and Bikram yoga. The small indoor-outdoor space with reclaimed wood tables and steel chairs also has a few stools for customers at the ordering counter.

A half-dozen craft beers on tap include Ommegang Belgian-style pale ale and Bear Republic Racer 5 IPA. Hop-heads should be pleased with esoteric canned brews such as Oscar Blue’s Brewery Gubna Imperial. And the house keeps a long list of gourmet sodas, including Maine Root sarsaparilla.

Daniels puts up proprietary bottled hot sauces, each with a different pepper base: cayenne, red savina and the ochre-hued Bhut Jolokia, a.k.a. ghost chile. Any could amp up the Scoville rush on the Corazon taco, a confit of beef heart chunks braised to melting tenderness yet slightly crisped, topped with pickled baby turnips and a mild Tunisian harissa sauce.

Shall we forgive the line at the bottom of the menu that reads, “Changes and modifications politely declined”? Absolutely, because with so much variety here, there’s a taco for every taste. Why fool with perfection?

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food@latimes.com

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Taco Asylum

LOCATION

2937 S. Bristol St., No. B102, Costa Mesa (in the Camp), (714) 922-6010

PRICES

Tacos $5 to $6. Beer $6, sodas $3.

BESTSELLERS

Grilled octopus taco; wild mushroom taco with fried chickpeas and parsley salad; lamb taco with ratatouille; ghost chili pork taco.

DETAILS

11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Most credit cards. Beer and wine. Lot parking.