Pink Taco - losangelesCA

Westfield Century City Mall
10250 Santa Monica Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90067
310.789.1000
http://www.pinktaco.com/

Victoria Beckham has become one of my favorite fashion icons. Frequently, I go online to look up recent photos of her to see what new style she's sporting. Lately, I noticed a lot of her photos are taken at the Century City Mall, leaving Pink Taco.

Having two successful locations, (the first at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, NV and the other in Scottsdale, AZ) a third location opened on June 28, 2007 in Century City, Los Angeles, CA and has become a favorite lunch spot for the Beckhams. After several sitings of the Beckham family at Pink Taco, including Victoria's 34th birthday celebration, I really wanted to see why they loved it so much.

Although my friends and I were one of the first customers of the day, the lack of people did not take away from the fun environment inside. With so many bright colors and festive decorations, the interior gave a little Andy Warhol-ish vibe. It was Chevy's meets hi-fashion.

Since it was such a beautiful day, we were recommended to sit outside. As we walked through the restaurant, out to the patio, the multicolor scheme continued. Two large flat screens were set up outside to satisfy those who wanted to watch the games but not sit at the bar.

Thank goodness the weather was on our side that day. The patio seating looked even more fun. Bright orange umbrellas were everywhere with teal and green accented furniture. It was a great afternoon lunch atmosphere.

To top it off, the restaurant had a wonderful location. Being on the top floor of the Century City Mall, Pink Taco had a great view of Santa Monica Blvd.

With amazingly friendly service, we were seated in the corner, outdoor booth. I tend to find waiters and waitresses with great personalities in Los Angeles. A lot of them are aspiring actors or actresses who always run the chances of serving someone that can offer their next big break.

What else could complete a perfect girls-day-out on a hot LA afternoon, sitting on the patio of a very trendy restaurant?

"One Pitcher of Sangria Blanco, please."

If you are looking for that perfect summer drink, Pink Taco's White Sangria is it. With just the perfect ratio of wine to juice and tons of citrus fruits floating inside, it didn't take long for us to finish the pitcher.

Being named, "Pink Taco," you would think we would order the Panuchos (Pink Tacos); Corn tortillas stuffed with pinto beans and topped with arbol salsa, grilled chicken, pickled pink onions and avocado. These are the traditional tacos from the state of Yucatan. But, with three small appetites, already half full off the Sangria, we ordered the Pink Taco Platter instead. Although it was off the appetizer menu, the platter did not fall short of food. It included: Two chicken skewers, two carne asada skewers, cheese quesadillas, guacamole, two corn tamales, rock shrimp & ribs.

Everything was to die for! Each item was full flavor. From the freshly made Guacamole to the perfectly marinated chicken and beef skewers in a tamarind chipotle glaze, nothing compared to the texture of the amazing crispy battered shrimp. But, my personal favorite had to be the corn tamales. I loved the flavor of fresh sweet corn kernels with the texture of masa in corn husks. The only problem with the platter... it only had two corn tamales!

Now, when you're with your girlfriends, there's always room for dessert. It doesn't matter how full you are. Get dessert. If I'm at a new restaurant and haven't looked up reviews on the dessert online, I like to ask the servers for their preference. I don't know what it is, but when it comes to desserts, the server is always honest. You can tell, in their face, whether the dessert they are talking about is good or great.

We made a decision to only choose one of the four items on the dessert menu: 1. Flan (creamy vanilla custard, caramel sauce, vanilla whipped cream), 2. Mexican Mud (creamy chocolate pudding infused with canela. served with Bunuelos and whipped cream), 3. Fried Ice Cream (crispy vanilla ice cream with almonds & coconut, layered with cinnamon chocolate crispy tortilla with a rum & cajeta sauce), or 4. Caliente Brownie Sundae (a spicy chocolate molten brownie infused with ancho Chile, served warm on a hot skillet with vanilla ice cream & raspberry sauce).

I instantly would choose anything that resembled a molten cake (the Caliente Brownie Sundae). The thought of the chocolate mixed with a chile did not seem appetizing to me, but that could be the ingredient that makes Pink Taco's Brownie the best. When our server approached our table, I asked how good the Brownie Sundae was. He said it was good, "...But the Fried Ice Cream is also good." He made me think twice about my decision and needed to give me a few more minutes.

When he came back the second time around, I ordered the Caliente Brownie Sundae.

"Are you sure? the fried ice cream is also very good."

He didn't seem very persuasive, but if he had to mention it twice, I finally got the hint to switch my order to the Fried Ice Cream. Thank goodness I did.

It was huge! The almond-coconut coating of the ice cream was delicious! The texture had a nice crisp to it and the vanilla ice cream inside was nice and frozen. To add a little more flavor to this dessert, the cinnamon chocolate crispy tortilla tasted like a piece of peanut brittle taken to the next level. This after meal creation was a perfect infusion of sweet flavor and texture.

I'm definitely going to come back and try the infamous, "Pink Tacos". Well, I would have to start of the meal with some corn tamales and pair the meal with a pitcher of white sangria... and since it didn't happen for me the first time, maybe the Beckham family will be dining at the same time as my next visit.