An exciting new taqueria has opened in Bedford from award-winning chef Chetra Chau. Called Dream Tacos, it's a global fusion taco restaurant and bar, which opened on July 4 at 2807 Central Dr., conveniently next to Chau's acclaimed restaurant Chetra's Kitchen Grill & Bistro.

Chau, who was nominated for Fort Worth Chef of the Year in CultureMap's 2021 Tastemaker Awards, has created a diverse menu of gourmet tacos that incorporate French, Japanese, Southern BBQ, southern East Asian, and Mexican influences.

Options include banh mi taco, "beef Wellington" taco (with tenderloin and mushrooms) wrapped in puff pastry, Philly cheese taco, Korean-style bulgogi taco, and a vegan taco with tempura tofu.

A veteran chef who worked for 20 years doing catering, corporate gigs, homestyle cooking, and fine dining, opened his highly personal gem Chetra's Kitchen in Bedford in 2021, where it has earned raves for its excellent, globe-trotting food, with everyday items like a BLT benefitting from chef-inspired touches such as an over-easy egg and Korean barbecue sauce.

Chetra's was also where Chau began to earn a following for his creative tacos, with a strong enough demand that he felt confident he could do an entire restaurant centered on a taco menu.

Dream Tacos menu includes:

• Banh mi taco with ground pork, pickled veggies, and mayo, in a flour tortilla
• Braised pork belly taco, with hoisin, cucumber, scallions, and Chetra’s sauce wrapped with steam bun
• Thit kho taco, with pork sirloin, soy, pickled veggies, cellophane noodles and scallions, in a flour tortilla
• Crispy catfish taco with housemade tartar and pickled coleslaw
• Lobster and shrimp tacos, with lobster, shrimp, Chetra’s sauce, lobster sauce, scallion, and pickled daikon (seasonal)
• Skirt steak taco (carne asada), featuring marinated beef with herbs, guacamole, pico, ranchero sauce and herbs
• Pepper crusted Ahi tuna taco, with pickled cucumber, radish, wasabi cream, ponzu, Chetra’s sauce (street taco)
• Crispy sushi taco, with salmon or tuna, pickled veggies, avocado, crab, jala, siracha, eel, and ponzu wrapped in a crispy taco shell and nori
• Tandoori chicken taco, with French tandoori cream sauce
• Spicy chicken taco, featuring marinated adobo and chipotle chicken breast, pickled slaw, topped with ranchero sauce
• Philly cheese tacos, with top sirloin, onions, bell pepper, wrapped in a puffy taco shell
• Bulgogi taco, Korean marinated beef, topped with kimchi or pickled veggies and crispy noodles
• Chile relleno taco, with ground beef, pico de gallo, and cheese con queso

He also has a section of BBQ tacos with brisket and pulled pork.

He does a cool sushi twist on nachos by topping them with spicy ahi tuna, plus chicken quesadillas and guacamole & chips.

Prices run from $7 to $8, with a few topping that such as the lobster and shrimp, which is $14.

"The prices reflect the fact that we are using high quality products and ingredients," Chau says. "My mission and inspiration is to incorporate global flavors and take tacos into another elevation."

There's also a full bar with imported and domestic beer and cocktails, with an appealing array of frozen margaritas, including a swirl with house-made sangria, and another topped with Grand Marnier. There’s a Coco-pina margarita which is half margarita, half pina colada; a mojito, an Asian pear mule, and a lychee martini.

There are happy hour food and drink specials but even on a regular day, most of the cocktails all come in at $8 to $10.