Mexican fast food chain "Taco Bell" opened in Shibuya, Tokyo on April 21st. On the first day, more than 200 people lined up and it was a spectacular re-landing in Japan. It's been a week since then. When I happened to pass by, I encountered a line that was much shorter than when it opened, and the En-eating editorial department thought, "I might enter this!" did.

Then, about 30 people were lined up. There are 104 seats in the audience, so I think we can afford it! I lined up while putting up with the humming that seemed to leak out, but it was about an hour later that I found the product.


■ The number of people waiting at the time of opening is about 30

Actually, I (the author) is a beginner of Taco Bell. I was so worried that I had a staff member who attended Taco Bell accompany me when I was studying abroad in the United States. "I can eat it for the first time in a long time!"

I arrived at 9:55 on weekday mornings, 5 minutes before the store opened. It seems that the line extended to the Yamanote line on the first day, but after a week, no one was lined up to the main street. But when I entered the narrow road, I found a line of about 30 people. It is divided into the first group near the entrance of the store and the second group behind.


By the way, at 10 o'clock, the first group moved a lot. I thought we would be able to join, but I stopped before joining the first group. After that, the line did not move easily even after moving forward, and it took about 25 minutes to enter the store after all ...! And when I finally thought I could get in, there was another line in front of the cashier counter, which was a frustrating situation. What's more, it's surprisingly slow from here.


■ I feel that the menu is confusing

However, this waiting time cannot be wasted. I decided to think about what to order while looking at the panel on the cash register.

Although I had prepared for it on the web page in advance, it is a rather complicated system for me, who is a beginner of Taco Bell. It seems that you first choose the main, choose the meat, choose the spiciness of the sauce, and choose the side menu. However, (1) it is difficult to understand which one is "main", (2) the type of "meat" that can be selected differs depending on the "main", and (3) I do not understand the actual condition of the combo (set menu). The brain is in turmoil. Moreover, the price has not been posted on the Web page.

As it was written on the panel, we will carefully consider the menu (single item price / combo price) together with the price.

First of all, "Main" is 2 Tacos Supreme (1 piece 320 yen / 790 yen), Faheater Brito (500 yen / 760 yen), Crunch Wrap (630 yen / 850 yen), Faheater Kesadiya (630 yen / 850 yen), Six types of shrimp and avocado brito (590 yen / 850 yen), which are limited to Japan, and taco rice (530 yen / 790 yen), which is also limited to Japan. In the case of the combo, there is a drink (all you can drink at the drink bar!) And "Mexican potato" or "Nacho chip" as a side menu.


There are three types of "meat": taco meat (beef), pork, and grilled chicken. However, you cannot freely choose from the three types, and the choices are limited depending on the menu. For example, tacos are beef or pork, burritos are chicken or pork, and so on. Also, you cannot choose from the 2 menus that are limited to Japan.

In addition, tacos have many choices and are confusing. The menu name is "2 tacos", but if it is a single item, it is in units of one. In the case of a combo, it will automatically be a set of two. Also, not only meat but also dough can be selected. Choose from crispy fried corn shells or soft tortillas.

Furthermore, "AMIGO SET" (490 yen) was posted in front of the cash register. A set of "Beef Crunch Octopus" or "Cheese Beef Burrito" from the SNACKS lineup, Mexican potatoes or nacho chips, and drinks. There are only two main options, but it's a menu that you can easily order.


After thinking about various things, it was finally our turn. By this time, it's already 10:35! After finishing the order, soothing my confused head, I was given a paper cup for a drink and a bell for calling. It was 10:40 when I took a seat with a drink. It has been 40 minutes since the store opened.


If you look around, you will find that the crowds on the front are quite vacant. That should be the case, because some people took out, so there are about 20 customers eating in the store. 104 seats will fit comfortably. The Taco Bell procession was a procession that occurred because it took a long time to order .

In fact, it took a couple of minutes because we were ordering while receiving explanations. If each pair takes 2 minutes to order, even if there are two cashiers, 30 pairs will need 30 minutes to order. The store is self-contained, so you can only enter after ordering. Because the distance from the entrance to the counter is short, the line that extends outside may have become long. If you are coming, please prepare the menu in this article and use it for smooth ordering!

■ It took 55 minutes after all

It takes less than 10 minutes to wait from the seat. The bell rang and I was finally able to receive the item. Looking at the clock, it was 10:50. It took 50 minutes from the opening and 55 minutes after arriving at the store, and finally I was able to get to the food. I'm hungry…!

The menu I ordered was fajita burrito (chicken), taco rice, crunch wrap (pork) combo, and amigo set (beef crunch octopus). Soothes the stomach, which appeals to the limits of hunger and heat, and eats it immediately.

■ "It's a nostalgic taste" by Taco Bell experienced person

First of all, a heavy burrito. Open the package and look at the cross section. It contained cut chicken, vegetables such as paprika and tomatoes, and rice that looked like ketchup. This rice is "Mexican rice" combined with tomatoes and spices. It's a visual like "Ankake Ketchup Rice".


When I try to eat it, the American scent spreads in my mouth (although it's Mexican food!). The aroma and spiciness of spices and cheese are mixed, and you can feel the taste of American fast food that is different from burger fast food. Choose "medium" sauce. At first, it was a bit spicy, but it wasn't irritating enough to jump up, and it was just right to eat one burrito. Thanks to the slightly thick dough and rice, there is a response to eating. If you also set potatoes, the volume is not comparable to that of a hamburger set.

And one of the signboard menus that doubles as a burrito, "Tacos". This time, I ordered beef crunch octopus with the hottest sauce "HOT". The ingredients are taco meat, lettuce, cheese and sauce. The dough is corn shell (harder one). The tacos I had in mind were so hot! The accompanying staff also seemed happy, saying, "This taste is nostalgic." HOT source, recommended (in many ways).


Next, I tried taco rice, which is one of the Japanese limited menus. Taco rice is generally eaten with salsa on top of rice with taco meat and vegetables. It is a dish developed in Okinawa.

The taco rice at the store is topped with shredded lettuce, taco meat, raw tomato salsa, and cheese on top of the Mexican rice that was also included in the burrito. It was a taste that did not betray the appearance in a good way.


Finally, I ordered a crunch wrap because I was curious about its appearance. In the menu photo, two half-moon shaped ones are stacked, but in reality, they were provided in a flat dumpling-like state with a diameter larger than the length of the iPhone5.


The dough is soft, so be careful not to drop the ingredients. The sour cream's acidity and cheese sauce are entwined, giving it a different taste than tacos and burritos. It also contains raw lettuce and tomatoes. In addition, tostada (fried tortilla dough) is also included, so it has a crunchy texture ... It should have been, but probably because it took a long time to shoot, it has already absorbed moisture and became soft. Was there. It's kind of disappointing.


Of the four this time, I liked this crunch wrap the most. The cheese sauce, which has a large volume that can be eaten well and is rarely eaten in Japan, creates a strange uplifting feeling like "I ate taco bells side by side!". Probably just me. Don't forget to order draft beer (500 yen, plus 200 yen for a combo) the next time you come.

I decided to use the portion that I couldn't eat as a souvenir from the editorial department, and left the store around 11:30. About 30 people lined up outside the store, just like before the store opened. The waiting time is still about 1 hour. However, it is likely to be crowded during the Golden Week holidays. When I asked the staff what happened last weekend (25th and 26th), they waited up to 2 hours. Tokyo during the Golden Week holidays is expected to get hot, though not as much as the last two days. If you line up, don't forget to take measures against heat stroke! Water is an essential item.

By the way, on April 29th, the Mexican " GYG " from Australia opened in Harajuku. If you have a lot of trouble, why not go to Harajuku and compare the taste of one-handed gourmet food?