Denverdave
03-10-2009, 07:30 PM
Today, the Guilty Gourmet reviews a newer offering from one of America's finest eating establishments - Taco Bell.
Todays victim....er.....meal is the new Spicy Chicken Enchilada Platter. This platter features two spicy chicken enchiladas, chips and salsa, refried beans, and seasoned rice, all packaged together nicely for around $5.00.
Let us start with the spicy chicken enchiladas. Enchiladas are, by definition, some kind of filling wrapped in a corn tortilla. Taco Bells offering today is wrapped in flour tortilla shells, so they are not really enchiladas. That would make them small burritos, but let us not allow that to divert our attention from the real test - taste! The 'enchiladas' comes smothered in enough bland enchilada sauce to adequately cover one enchilada. Unfortunately, there are two of them. The spicy chicken is a bit of a misnomer. It is chicken, but 'spicy' might be overstating the case. Mildly spiced would be a better description. The small burritos - er - enchiladas, are topped with some cheese and a dollop of sour cream. This does help somewhat saved what would otherwise be called a mediocre entree and raises it to the level of - well- ok, I lied. It is still mediocre. But it does have sour cream and cheese on it!
Moving on.....the chips were warm and slightly oversalted, but it's hard to ruin chips. They proved to be the highlight of the platter. The salsa redefined bland. Mild does not have to mean without taste or flair, but this was lost on the test kitchens at Taco Bell Gourmet Central. Luckily, the reviewer had in his possession his personal bottle of hot sauce and added enough zing to the salsa to make it eatable. Barely.
The rice on the platter is probably the same rice that graces several of the burritos on the Bell's menu. In combination with several other ingredients in a burrito shell, the rice adds something. What that something is has yet to be determined, but it is definitely something. On it's own it is way too salty, but does have a decent spice blend to add a reasonable flavor, but not enough to want to eat a helping by itself very often.
The refried beans are - well - refried beans. Once upon a time Taco Bell cooked their pinto beans the old fashioned way - Beans, salt, lard, and water in a pressure cooker. This is how they have been cooked in millions of homes for countless generations. Today, however, Taco Bell uses freeze dried beans that allow consistency and lack the lard. This does have the advantage in that it allows the vegetarian to eat a bean burrito without worrying about consuming animal by-products, and it gives Taco Bell something to pretend is 'healthy' on their menu. It also produces a bland tasting, generic product that would only excite a corporate bottom line.
In conclusion, the Guilty Gourmet recommends that the Taco Bell Spicy Chicken 'Enchilada' Platter would be best off either avoided all together, or else only consumed in a place where real Mexican food is unknown. Like, say, Tokyo. Or Yakutsk.
Overall Rating: One spork up.....and some Pepto-Bismol....
Todays victim....er.....meal is the new Spicy Chicken Enchilada Platter. This platter features two spicy chicken enchiladas, chips and salsa, refried beans, and seasoned rice, all packaged together nicely for around $5.00.
Let us start with the spicy chicken enchiladas. Enchiladas are, by definition, some kind of filling wrapped in a corn tortilla. Taco Bells offering today is wrapped in flour tortilla shells, so they are not really enchiladas. That would make them small burritos, but let us not allow that to divert our attention from the real test - taste! The 'enchiladas' comes smothered in enough bland enchilada sauce to adequately cover one enchilada. Unfortunately, there are two of them. The spicy chicken is a bit of a misnomer. It is chicken, but 'spicy' might be overstating the case. Mildly spiced would be a better description. The small burritos - er - enchiladas, are topped with some cheese and a dollop of sour cream. This does help somewhat saved what would otherwise be called a mediocre entree and raises it to the level of - well- ok, I lied. It is still mediocre. But it does have sour cream and cheese on it!
Moving on.....the chips were warm and slightly oversalted, but it's hard to ruin chips. They proved to be the highlight of the platter. The salsa redefined bland. Mild does not have to mean without taste or flair, but this was lost on the test kitchens at Taco Bell Gourmet Central. Luckily, the reviewer had in his possession his personal bottle of hot sauce and added enough zing to the salsa to make it eatable. Barely.
The rice on the platter is probably the same rice that graces several of the burritos on the Bell's menu. In combination with several other ingredients in a burrito shell, the rice adds something. What that something is has yet to be determined, but it is definitely something. On it's own it is way too salty, but does have a decent spice blend to add a reasonable flavor, but not enough to want to eat a helping by itself very often.
The refried beans are - well - refried beans. Once upon a time Taco Bell cooked their pinto beans the old fashioned way - Beans, salt, lard, and water in a pressure cooker. This is how they have been cooked in millions of homes for countless generations. Today, however, Taco Bell uses freeze dried beans that allow consistency and lack the lard. This does have the advantage in that it allows the vegetarian to eat a bean burrito without worrying about consuming animal by-products, and it gives Taco Bell something to pretend is 'healthy' on their menu. It also produces a bland tasting, generic product that would only excite a corporate bottom line.
In conclusion, the Guilty Gourmet recommends that the Taco Bell Spicy Chicken 'Enchilada' Platter would be best off either avoided all together, or else only consumed in a place where real Mexican food is unknown. Like, say, Tokyo. Or Yakutsk.
Overall Rating: One spork up.....and some Pepto-Bismol....