BY DATHAN KAZSUK
Some nights, everything clicks—the food, the drinks, the vibe. That was us last week at Wong’s Tacos at the GlenLake development in Raleigh, enjoying the bold mix of Mexican street food and Asian flair.
This isn’t your average taco joint. Wong’s has swagger. It’s got personality. And it has a backstory that ties it all together, like a perfectly wrapped bao bun. The owner, Chris Tsui, whom we had the pleasure of chatting with between bites, gave us the lowdown on how this place came to life.
Wong’s Tacos is the spicy, slightly mischievous cousin of Wong Gonzalez, the original fusion concept born out of Richmond, Virginia—a culinary collision of Mexican and Asian influences that somehow makes perfect sense.
We asked Tsui to surprise us with some of the most popular menu items. Now, it was a waiting game. And we knew we’d win in the end, with the great taste of Mexiense cuisine! First, let’s explore Wong’s Macho Nachos, a mountainous heap of chips buried under slow-braised ground beef, green chile queso, a mix of black and pinto beans and topped with a spicy cilantro crema.
Was it messy? Sure. But it’s that kind of dish that makes you abandon your dignity and dive in with both hands—no forks required (but maybe suggested).
From there, we tried the horizo egg rolls—crispy, golden, and filled with cheese and roasted chorizo. We also tried the brisket bao, which was a nice, pillow-like bao bun cradling smoky, tender brisket with Asian slaw, sesame, and gochujang aioli. Talk about sweet and savory—and gone in 60 seconds!
Our server—who was clearly a fan of what comes out of this kitchen—insisted we try a couple of his favorite tacos. The Wong John Silver? Absolute flavor bomb. Sapporo-battered mahi-mahi, paired with pickled red onions and purple cabbage, made this an instant classic. And the tempura shrimp taco was just as good, I just had to make sure I didn’t eat the shrimp tail while inhaling this taco.
