Philly Chef Putting Own Spin On Taco Bell's Beloved Crunchwrap Supreme

PHILADELPHIA — Chef Reuben Asaram wasn't even sure if he would be able to cook after suffering a major back injury. When in the hospital, he shocked his care team when he asked if he could get back into the kitchen, with his team telling him he should be concerned if he would ever walk again.

Now, the Culinary Institute of America-trained chef who spent a portion of his career in the fine dining world has been tapped by Taco Bell to develop his own take on the iconic Crunchwrap Supreme menu item.

Asaram is one of three chefs to lead the first class of Taco Bell's new TBX program, which supports and connects emerging culinary talent from around the nation, allowing them to co-create and take tacos to new places through their own cultural exploration.

While the program has chosen Asaram and two others for its inaugural class, aspiring chefs can apply now to join the program.

For Asaram, he will be bringing his Asian-Mexican hybrid stylings to the table when creating his own version of the Crunchwrap Supreme.

"Literally a childhood dream," he said of working with Taco Bell.

He caught Taco Bell's eyes via social media. On his Instagram, Asaram's culinary creations are on full display.

From sauces that pop with bright colors to perfectly plated dishes, his feed is full of eye-catching sights.

"[Taco Bell] slid into my DMs," Asaram said.

At first, he was a little skeptical, as he's often hit with pitches on his social media. But he heard them out.

Not much longer after the initial message, he was out at Taco Bell's headquarters in California.

"It was like Disneyland."

There he got to meet the two other chefs in the TBX program — Jennifer Hwa Dobbertin of San Antonio, Texas, and Lawrence Smith, of Phoenix, Arizona — and the chance to mess around in the iconic fast food purveyor's test kitchen.

As a lifelong Taco Bell fan who has been using "menu hacks" way before they were made viral on TikTok, he said he even wowed some of the Taco Bell crew members with his new hack: stuffing the new Cheesy Chicken Crispanada into a burrito.

His other trick is to order a chicken quesadilla uncut, and a few Doritos Locos Tacos. He opens the quesadilla, puts the tacos inside it, and douses it with ranch and hot sauces. A treat he says is best enjoyed in your car outside the restaurant.

Asaram couldn't say much about what his plans for the Crunchwrap Supreme are, but said his signature Asian-Mexican hybrid style will be a factor.

Born in India, Asaram moved to New York at just 1 year old.

His family planned on him being a physician, but he dropped out of medical school to pursue cooking, a passion instilled in him by his late grandfather.

"He'd cook and I'd sit on the counter and see how it connected people," he told Patch. Now 32, Asaram's been cooking since he was just 3 years old.

After working as a sous chef at Philadelphia's Buddakan and time at Michelin Star restaurants in New York, he ventured out on world travels. He ended up spending three months in Mexico where he visited small towns to better understand their food and culture.

"I wanted to pay respect to the people and the culture."

While he took away many culinary lessons, he said his time in Mexico felt like being in the kitchen with his grandfather again.

Asaram was not going to be one of those chefs who spends a few days cooking at a Mexican resort and claims to have been immersed in the regional cuisine.

"I felt like I was in their families," he said of the friends he made down south.

After that, he came up with a food truck concept featuring his Asian-Mexican dishes. It was all nearly ready to come to life, but the back injury hit and completely sidelined his plan.

"It took me a year-and-a-half to walk and stand," he said. And the main impetus for his drive to get healthy again was cooking.

He would take his walker into his kitchen and eventually built up his strength and stamina to stand in the kitchen for six hours.

So all seemed to be getting back on track for Asaram, but then the COVID-19 pandemic happened.

Once the pandemic waned enough, he began doing pop-ups under the name "Reuby."

Fast-forward to early 2024 and now Asaram has the Taco Bell partnership and another project he's keeping hush on for now.

As for what Asaram likes to eat, he says his favorite Philly spots include Pho 75, Cantina La Martina, Zahav, and Han Dynasty. A bit closer to home for him is Hên Vietnamese Restaurant in Cherry Hill, another go-to spot for him.

His favorite comfort food at home are packaged spicy Korean noodles that he doctors up, adding in extra heat by way of habaneros and tossing some proteins such as steak in there, as well.