KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 – This is a colourful platter of tacos, both in terms of hue and flavour. Which to try first?
Perhaps the Peranakan influenced pongteh and tea duck, smoky and sweet. Or beef carnitas that collapses on the tongue, hours of braising enlivened by the aroma of garlic and sambal.
Another fold of supple tortilla reveals chicken that pays homage to Malaccan satay, oh so tempting with its tangy pineapple sauce. A prawn taco, by contrast, is oceanic; its briny sweetness balanced by a fresh kerabu garnish.
Ryan Chung, the founder of Calle Taco.
Vegan diners will adore the roasted pumpkin, enveloped in a roasted corn and coconut cream sauce, a masak lemak reinvention to delight all palates.
This is the spirit of transformation that defines Calle Taco, a taqueria founded by Ryan Chung, 30, and currently housed within Triptyk in Kuala Lumpur’s Kampung Attap neighbourhood.
The venue itself feels like a creative hideout: a reimagined bungalow space with leafy courtyards and mismatched tables, equal parts café, bar and communal stage.
Chung’s background is neither culinary school nor family kitchen but psychology. He recalls, “Halfway through my degree, I entered F&B by starting a business selling customisable chocolate drinks with a friend. We called it Diverico.”
Al Pastor Pineapple Satay Chicken Taco.
The venture was brief, yet the seed had been planted. From chocolate he wandered into kitchens — Skillet@163, Chocolate Concierge, Chocha Foodstore — each step sharpening a sense of flavour, each turn nudging him closer to Mexico.
Chung shares, “Learning about chocolate’s roots led me to Mexican cuisine as a business idea. That pushed me to leave, to learn more in a professional kitchen. One year later, Calle Taco was born.”
The taqueria’s name is playful yet precise: calle means “street” in Spanish, a reminder of tacos as everyday sustenance.
Chung adds cheekily: “Depending on how Malaysian you are, you can pronounce it ‘Ka-Lleh’ or ‘Ka-Yeh’ if you’re trying to be a bit more authentic.”
The original dream was humble: a roadside warung for tacos. Reality has shifted the idea into a restaurant-style stall at Triptyk, but the spirit remains — food that is approachable, flavour-driven, never precious.
Smoked Duck Pongteh Taco (left). Prawn Kerabu with Salsa Roja Taco (right).
Here, amid music and chatter, plates of tacos arrive, each an unapologetically bold reinterpretation of a Malaysian classic.
The Al Pastor Pineapple Satay Chicken Taco, where Mexican marinated chicken plays with Malacca-style pineapple satay sauce; tea-smoked duck and black beans cooked in duck fat in the Smoked Duck Pongteh Taco enjoy a Peranakan taucu sauce; and the Prawn Kerabu with Salsa Roja Taco, tossed in a tangy, floral kerabu flavours.
Mexican-Malaysian cuisine has never tasted better.
Chung knows the word “fusion” can raise eyebrows though. He says, “There’s still plenty of bad blood in the word, and I can totally relate.”
For him, it isn’t about throwing ingredients together, but about respect: “Our truest perception of fusion should respect both concept and culture — flavour, technique, lore. For example, with Asam Pedas Pasta, you’d first think about what pasta can actually hold that sauce, maybe penne or macaroni, then study the histories before choosing.”
For Mexican and Malaysian food, he sees obvious kinships: “Salsa and sambal already mirror one another. It’s just about connecting the dots properly.”
Calle Quesadilla.
Though Mexican in inspiration, Calle Taco remains rooted in Malaysian soil.
Chung explains, “It was mostly the adventures and experience within Malaysia that defined the Calle Taco experience. From Pahang to Sabah to Johor, the diversity is incredible. Tying those different cultures into tacos has been the most exciting part.”
This anchoring also shapes the punchy profiles of his food. He shares, “Malaysians want bold, strong flavours. Our tacos deliver that. And the reception from Mexicans themselves has been encouraging — once, even a former ambassador and his party gave us a standing ovation.”
Indeed fans of Mexican street food will appreciate recognisable staples, here given the house monikers of Calle Quesadilla and Calle Burrito. For something a little different, snack on the Kerisik “Mole” Nachos — crispy, locally-made nachos paired with a toasted coconut and coffee dip.
Kerisik ‘Mole’ Nachos (left). Calle Burrito (right).
Running Calle Taco has tested and transformed him. He admits, “I can be stubborn. Naïve too, at the start. There’s a hundred and one things to learn when running a business. But I do feel I’ve grown with it.”
People, he says, are the best part. “The customers, the team, the community—they add flavour to my life, and in turn, they shape Calle Taco.”
His ethos is simple but steady: treat everyone with respect, keep creativity alive, welcome contributions from every member of the crew.
For someone who began with chocolate and arrived at tacos, the road ahead is unlikely to be predictable. Yet Chung’s compass seems clear: respect for culture, care for people, and a boundless curiosity for flavour.
And perhaps that is what makes these tacos so compelling: not that they are Mexican or Malaysian, but that they are both — woven together, folded into a tortilla, offered with generosity.
Calle Taco at Triptyk
Open Wed-Sun 12-10pm; Mon-Tue closed
Phone: 013-208 2733
Website: https://calletaco.my/
