Recently I found this little gem selling a very interesting menu called French tacos! Prior to my visit, I had not heard of French tacos, so I was really curious to try this menu. And oh it was an amazing lunch and I’d definitely go back for more. So check out what French tacos are and why Hey Pelo is the place to have them!
French Tacos?
Apparently French tacos has been around for more than a decade and originated in Lyon and its suburbs in France. It is a fusion of Mexican burrito, French panini and Middle Eastern kebab. And it grew pretty big as street food in Lyon and even beyond international borders.
“Forget everything you ever knew about tacos… Hey Pelo brings something new in Vietnam you might never tasted before: the Original French Tacos from Lyon, France!
We are not making Mexican food and our meal doesn’t look like a taco indeed… Huge success in France since 4 years, the French Tacos is in between the kebab formule, the burrito wrapping and the panini cooking. Tortillas, sauces, french fries, tchouktchouka…
Most of what you can find in Hey Pelo’s Original French Tacos is HOMEMADE! A rich mix between streetfood and French cuisine…”
To add to it, the sweet staff at Hey Pelo told me that the owner is the inventor of French tacos and brought it to Vietnam where his wife is from. I found the story fascinating and the taste just scrumptiously good!
Hey Pelo Tacos Menu
You can have your French tacos however you like it with different fillings, sauces and sizes. There are sizes from XS to XL. You can choose one main filling for S and XL sizes, two for M, three for L and four fillings for XL. And XL size is 1KG!
For salads, you can choose fresh lettuce, tomato and onion or shakshuka, which is grilled veggies. Also, you can mix and match or choose a single sauce depending on your preference.
I ordered a small size and chose minced beef for the main. And it was a tough decision to make for the salads and sauces. Thankfully, the staff kindly advised me with the choices that she usually goes for herself. So I went for shakshuka, mix of garlic, frappaz and samurai sauces and added pineapple filling. My boyfriend ordered the mini set menu with minced beef filling.
Hey Pelo, Old Quarter Hanoi
There are two locations of Hey Pelo in Hanoi and we went to the one in Old Quarter. In this outlet, there are seats by the street on the ground floor and also air-conditioned space upstairs.
The space upstairs is decorated with vibrant yellow walls and neon signs in different languages. Out of curiosity, I searched the words up on the internet and found out that pelo is a local slang in Lyon meaning dude or mate. And all the neon signs are ‘friend or mate’ in different languages.
Our tacos were prepared and served with our names and smilies on the wrap, which was a very cute touch! Despite its name, XS is quite a decent size especially since it comes with french fries and a drink as a set menu. And my S size was a good enough size on its own.
The tacos were just juicy, scrumptious, and so rich in flavour and texture. I was especially happy with mine because I followed the advice for the sauces and other fillings. Also, the french fries were nice and crispy.
As I was told, they use the burrito wrap, kebab meat and press in panini press. And I must say that it’s a genius creation of fusion. It tastes and looks very familiar, but there’s definitely a clever and delicious twist!
My mouth is watering thinking about these tacos and so I’ll be back for more and different variations of these tacos! If you’re in Hanoi and want to try these incredibly yummy French tacos, Hey Pelo is definitely worth a visit.
Hey Pelo
Address 1: 45B Đào Duy Từ, Hàng Buồm, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
Address 2: 164 Từ Hoa Công Chúa, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội 124403, Vietnam
Opening Hours: 11:00 – 23:00
Hey Pelo website: https://www.heypelo.com/