Midtown Lunch

Earlier this week we let you know that the Korilla Korean BBQ truck would be holding a public launch party and true to their word Kum Gang San was packed last night with throngs of freeloaders, food bloggers, and curious passers-by. Waiters delivered tray after tray of tacos, and despite the crowd, there were plenty to go around.  Naturally I stopped by to stuff my face, and find out more about Korilla’s planned launch today (incidentally they’ve pushed it back to Monday).

Taco porn, the menu, and more about Korilla’s future plans, after the jump.

On the surface, Korilla exhibits the brash marketing and attitude we’ve seen in many young Asian fusion food personalities. Thus far, the tone of their tweets and Facebook posts could give Eddie Huang’s performance a run for its money. I also had to do a double-take at their marketing flyers – I wasn’t sure if they were promoting Korean tacos or a hot new Korean club. But, beneath the swagger, you can clearly tell that Korilla BBQ is really passionate about their food.

The menu follows closely in the steps of the godfather of Korean tacos, Roy Choi of the Kogi BBQ truck in LA. Tacos, sliders, burritos and the like, complimented by Korean style proteins, rice, seasonal varietals of kimchi, and enough non-meat options to keep most vegetarians happy. However, speaking as a Korean food enthusiast, the most exciting part of the menu is their plan to offer a selection of seriously obscure Korean mountain vegetables. Ingredients such as gosari namul (bracken fern), ssukgat namul (edible chrysanthemum), and chwi namul (aster scaber??) is a rarity in most K-town restaurants, let alone a street truck.

And the prices? More than fair. I’m told that that 3 tacos will be sold for $7 (three were more than enough to satiate me at the event), burritos will also be $7 (+1 for bacon kimchi fried rice), Chompers aka sliders will be 2 for $7, and Chosun bowls are priced at $8 (+$1 for bkfr). For drinks, they’ll have bottled water for a buck, and Korean soft drinks and Jarritos soda for $2.

Though it doesn’t fall into the midtown lunch category, the Korilla truck also plans a late night menu of ‘drunk food’, with strategic parking locations outside popular clubs. I was excited to hear that a ‘Korean pizza’, which will be a perilla flecked pajeon, would be served in addition to their usual fare.

Finally, the most important question – how was the food? It would be unfair to judge the tacos at this tasting, given the fact that they needed to be produced for the masses, and in a vastly different kitchen setting. I’ll simply say that I’m eagerly looking forward to when Korilla finally hits the road on Monday.

Related:
Korilla Korean BBQ Truck Launching By the End of the Month