Do you have a unique recipe? Here's your chance to get on Velvet Taco menu
UPDATE: On Sept. 26, 2022, Velvet Taco announced the winner of the competition. The Pho King taco, crafted by Mark Jansen of Dallas, will be on the Weekly Taco Feature from Sept. 28-Oct. 4.
The Pho King has rotisserie chicken, bok choy, herb salad, pickled onions, pickled fresnos, crispy garlic, rice noodles, hoisin, bean sprouts, and lime in a flour tortilla, served with a pho broth on the side.
It won out of the 800 entries.
"It feels good knowing that the ideas and flavors I tailor made for this taco competition were compelling to the judges, and I’m excited to showcase my taco for National Taco Day," Jansen said. "Coming up with new flavors and ideas is one of my favorite ways to express myself creatively, and I’m honored and grateful that Velvet Taco chose my taco."
Jansen, originally from Austin, is a French Horn player with the McKinney Philharmonic. He has performed with the Dallas and Fort Worth symphonies. Prior to moving to Dallas, he worked as a chef.
INITIAL STORY: For the first time since Dallas-based Velvet Taco's company began, fans are being asked to make their mark on the Weekly Taco Feature menu.
"Every taco has a story. Just like every guest has their own story or connection to our brand," said Cassie Cooper, marketing director. "The WTF contest allows our social media and most loyal fans to influence not only the menu but one of our most important aspects of our brand: the Weekly Taco Feature. Our guests are already sending us their taco ideas organically through social media DMs, why not reward them for their creativity?”
The WTF menu introduces new tacos, usually coinciding with holidays or seasonal trends. This call is for a new recipe, which will appear on National Taco Day on Oct. 4, 2022. The winner will earn a $250 Velvet Taco gift card and a prep session with Venecia Willis, chef and director of culinary innovation for Velvet Taco.
"We know that tastes change (weekly), which is why we create a new globally-inspired flavor every week, and we are so excited to announce that our guests can finally have a formal seat at the culinary innovation table," Willis said. "Our culinary vision is to transform the simplest of ingredients and offer it as something you can’t get anywhere else – we are inviting the public to have just as much fun as the culinary team has with their ideas."
Hopeful taco creators must be at least 18 years old, live in the same town as a Velvet Taco, and submit their taco creations by 11:59 p.m. July 25 at velvettaco.com/wtf-contest/. Entries will be judged on July 29 by Velvet Taco chefs based on two criteria - originality and appeal.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock Velvet Taco fans encouraged to submit taco ideas in contest
