10 Unusual Tacos Redefining the Genre

I’m not sure if it’s more fun to say “tako taco” or to eat this butter-poached octopus with vegetable ceviche in a fried moo shu wrapper. Chef Paul Qui turns the idea of the taco on its head with a crispy Asian-inspired homage to the Mexican original.

This NYC darling forgoes the tortilla in favor of the Indian paratha (think buttery layers). Try the spicy recado rojo lamb shoulder with tzatziki and eggplant salsa to transport to India with a side of Greece.

Asia meets Mexico again at Los Angeles’ Kogi taco, where Korean bulgogi nestles into tortillas. They’re so good that they’ve inspired Korean-Mexican copycats around the country. The king of kings? Double-caramelized short rib with salsa roja, cilantro-onion-lime relish and chili-soy Kogi slaw on griddled corn tortillas.

This clubby, extravagant spot on the Lower East Side doesn’t exactly feel like a laid-back vacation to Hawaii, but you might be transported with its fusion taco, tuna poke on crispy wontons topped with micro cilantro, radish and wasabi kewpie mayo to kick things up a notch.

Roast duck might be the crowning glory of Chinese cuisine, with its crispy skin and succulent flesh. This Daly City spot makes it even more irresistible by wrapping it in a corn tortilla and topping it with red onion and mango salsa.

So far we’ve hit Japan, Korea and China, but now it’s time to move on to Thailand. Long the standard appetizer of American Thai food, grilled chicken satay gets turned on its head with grilled onions, peanut sauce and red cabbage slaw in a thick tortilla at the creatively named Houston restaurant.

Fried cheese? Count us in. Rather than go with queso flameado, this spot transports us to India with indulgent cheese topped with tomato chutney, Thai basil, tikka sauce and raita crema on a flour tortilla. Good luck eating this one without making a mess.

Despite the foreboding name, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the lively food at this Chelsea eatery. A traditional Greek dish, souvlaki becomes taco when served in thin pita “tortillas” with yogurt-cucumber sauce, sautéed onions and tomato with your choice of steak, sausage or chicken.

The banh mi has become so ubiquitous that we’ve almost stopped ordering it. Thank goodness we didn’t, because this quirky Austin locale serves its version as a taco with Vietnamese-braised pork belly, pickled daikon carrot, sriracha mayo and fresh cilantro on a house-made tortilla.

Some might say it’s sacrilege to take lox away from a bagel, but that’s because they haven’t tried it on a breakfast taco. This Hermosa Beach food stand serves up a cold taco with smoked salmon, lemon-caper cream cheese, cucumber, onion, tomato and cilantro.