15.076 Large Chicken Burrito

Cycle 15 – Item 76

22 (Friday) March 2024

Large Chicken Burrito

3.0

from Taco de Burro

in my office

-Seongsu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

solo

At the reception yesterday (see 15.076 New Zealand Salmon in Butter Curry Sauce), Graci didn’t have time to take photos or sign books for us, so we met up again this afternoon in between her other engagements.

At the New Zealand Embassy Residence.

Taco de Burro is a Mexican (Tex-Mex) restaurant.  Self-proclaimed as a “Korean-style Mexican Taqueria,” the menu offers the standard array of tacos and burritos, and typical sides.  Established 2013, according to the sign.

Located in the middle of nowhere, in a back alley way south of Itaewon.

On my way to the embassy residence, I’d noticed the sign – featuring “Taco de Burro” four times in various arrangements – and dropped by for lunch on the way back.

Only 1 customer at 11:54.

Given its remote location, I can’t imagine who frequents the place.  The neighborhood doesn’t look like one where locals would eat tacos and burritos.  Maybe it’s one of those deep expat ghettos with super cheap, super crappy rooms for international students without a living stipend.

As confirmed here, most taquerias in Korea these days seem to be operated by people whose credentials are limited to “a trip to Mexico,” at most.  

I appreciate the restaurant’s apparent awareness and admission of its shortcomings.  Perhaps that trip to Mexico – as opposed to simply watching YouTube videos on how to make tacos, never setting foot in Mexico, which I’m sure other operators do – had convinced the chef that true authenticity could never be achieved, so let’s not bullshit about it.  Further, the restaurant’s “Korean style Mexican” is distinguished from the “Mexican Korean fusion … now popular in the US.”  In other words, the food here is a good faith attempt at Mexican (actually Tex-Mex) cuisine, with the limitations of a Korean chef lacking experience/expertise.

Otherwise, I might’ve been tempted to ask if the burrito contains a slice of salami (see 14.152 (“Korean-Style”) Chicken Burrito (sans Pepperoni) (with Cheese!)).

A few telltale signs did give me hope: no extra charge for cilantro, and Cholulu hot sauce.

Another good sign: salsa verde, which isn’t given out as a condiment (though maybe, if requested, at extra cost?), but found as a component in the burrito, and other dishes (presumably) – no idea why they keep canned ingredients next to the “self bar,” outside the kitchen (which seems roomy enough).

The burrito was pretty good.  A nice balance of flavors and textures, including chicken + rice + beans (baked beans – see photo above) + sour cream + salsa verde + pico de gallo + fresh vegetables (including cilantro).  Somewhat bland all-around – which Cholulu would’ve rectified, but it’s not offered to go – but very full and satisfying in the end.

No salami!

The use of baked beans exemplifies “Korean style.”   Traditional Tex-Mex burritos most often include refried beans, sometimes whole beans, but never baked beans.  However, refried beans, and even whole beans, are difficult to come by and expensive in Korea; thus, a Korean chef might think/hope that baked beans, which are readily available and quite cheap, would be an acceptable substitute – it’d be like a Mexican chef making bibbimbap, having no gochujang, and substituting with ssamjang.  I found the baked beans in the burrito to be too wet and too sweet, while falling short in delivering bean flavor, though they didn’t adversely impact the entire experience all that much.

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)

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