TaKo Cheena: Fun, Flavorful, and a Reason to Believe in Fusion

Through a series of coincidences starting some time earlier, I found myself standing at a walkup window set inside a beautifully muraled street-food stand. The Mills 50 District has an ever-growing and evolving list of food options, and an afternoon scooter ride along the busy thoroughfare led me to my first encounter with Edgardo and his Asian-Latin joint just north of Colonial.

The story starts way before that afternoon, of course — around 2011, born from a collaboration between Pom Moongauklang, a Thai-born chef who trained at Nobu in New York before bringing her sensibility to Orlando, and Edgardo Guzman, who is originally from Costa Rica. Since then, Tako Cheena has been anchoring this stretch of Mills, becoming a local favorite that quieted any skeptics and thrived during the COVID shutdowns by adding a delivery service.

The menu is a tight roster of crowd-pleasers that rotate seasonally but maintain the fresh edge that makes this place special. The TaKos — this restaurant's signature spin on the taco — come loaded with fillings like Thai peanut chicken, panko-crusted cod with sweet and sour sauce, braised Asian brisket, and "Indian yellow curry dusted chicken". The Korean Burrito is a certified fan-favorite among regulars: rice, scrambled eggs, onions, bold Korean-seasoned meat, all wrapped up to make something that feels familiar and is yet completely new.

Here's a quick guide to ordering like a pro: get the Pak of TaKos - 3 tacos for around $13. Best bets are 2x Indian yellow curry + 1x Korean Beef. Depending on the circumstances and your intentions that day, one could arguably go 2-1 the other way. Honestly, totally acceptable. It's also entirely reasonable to do the classic 1-1-1 by adding a Tom Yom Mojo Shrimp to the mix. I expect you will, as I have, explore the menu creating your own perfect trio over several visits. 

For sides, the yuca fries with house-made dipping sauce are the standout — have a go. And if you've got a sweet tooth, the apple empanadas are an easy call for a strong finish. Don't expect fast food. Any wait for this quality is well worth it. Do expect fresh ingredients, kind and courteous staff, a nice patio vibe, the occasional DJ, and an overall experience that will keep you coming back.

The menu rounds out with a few more items worth some attention. The arepas bring a Venezuelan touch — "La Reina" loaded arepa comes on a sweet roasted corn patty with melted mozzarella, tako aioli, queso frito, and Vietnamese pickled daikon carrot. Then the Asian-inspired hot dogs, served on Hawaiian bread: the Korean Dog topped with kimchi, tako aioli, and sesame seeds, and the Banh Mi Dog dressed with cucumber, pickled daikon, and cilantro. Simple format, bold payoff — and at under $7, a smart add to any order.

One might wonder: why does this work? Every food creator arrives at their dishes via a journey through life's unexpected experiences — carrying the places, flavors, and moments that shaped them. The paths traveled to bring us TaKo Cheena delivered a menu that is daring and interesting without ever feeling like a gimmick. The details and flourishes are all in the right place at the right time. Intentional fusion.