#korean taco

[paulpingminho]

[ahangrygirleats]

Lucky Red/Banh Mi Boyz

Every time I ask my friend Bon (who works about two blocks away from my work) what to get for lunch, he says LUCKY RED. Without fail. It’s a little bit of a walk from where I work, so I never really paid heed (what is this, a fucking fairy tale? Maybe.) to his suggestion. Last Thursday though, I had a stupid craving for noodles. BlogTO’s review of Lucky Red included an image of some really delicious looking lo-mein and I decided that I needed my face in that bowl like asap.

So I made the trek to Lucky Red (a little north of Dundas-Spadina, in China Town), and it is actually a trek because Toronto will never fucking stop being under construction so you have to walk all around this stupid track laying to just get north of Dundas. Whatever. It was going to be worth it. So I find Lucky Red, it’s really cute and totally fits in with the Chinatown vibe, but it’s still obviously hip. So I walk in and order my Banh Mi and Lo-Mein. I’ve been looking forward to these noodles all day (since I looked at the menu). The cashier tells me they don’t do noodles anymore. Worst day of my life. Okay not, but like, I was really really really upset, like here’s the picture on BlogTO, tell me you aren’t upset FOR ME. 

Anyways, I did get a Banh Mi (for dinner, later) and a pulled pork taco and a fried chicken bao. But it was the order I would get at Banh Mi Boyz, so it wasn’t ridiculously exciting. Exciting, still, because I love Banh Mi Boyz. So consider this a Banh Mi Boyz/Lucky Red post. 

A Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich, typically made by filling a crusty baguette with various different types of western and eastern style meats, pickled daikon and carrots, cucumbers, scallions and coriander. To give you a little bit of historical context, Banh Mis were introduced during the French colonization of Vietnam. The sandwich typically uses a single serving baguette, or a six-inch sliced baguette. According to Wikipedia, “Banh Mi” is a term for all kinds of bread. Vietnamese baguettes are much airier than the dense French baguettes you may know of.The historical context kind of adds to the appeal for me, it’s exciting. I’ve never had a Banh Mi from a restaurant in Chinatown, which I assume makes it super authentic, but I can assure you that Banh Mi Boyz is DELICIOUS. Plus the owners’ parents actually do own an authentic Viet Resto, so you know, you can rest assured it’s as real as it gets. 

Here's my dinner Bahn Mi. It was delicious, even hours later. 

The bread is toasted, just enough so that it’s slightly crisp but soft on the inside. It’s filled with various types of meat: pulled pork, grilled pork, grilled chicken, tofu, braised beef cheek, pork belly, meatball, kalbi beef, squid and duck confit, topped with a chilled cucumber, some pickled daikon and carrots and topped with cilantro. It’s rolled up so the fillings are nice and snug, there are no over the top sauces that drip all over your hands and arms and it’s just very comfortable to eat. I like that. Not that I hate sandwiches that are messy, but it’s just nice to look like a lady while you eat without really trying. 

The grilled chicken is well marinated, I’m not sure what the seasoning is, soy sauce and some pepper-like thing? I’m not sure but it’s fucking delicious and tender. Same with the kalbi beef and braised beef. Very tender, delicious, rich meat. Top with a fresh, crunchy, chilled cucumber and pickled daikon and carrots and it’s a fucking party. 

If you’ve never had a bao, it’s a steamed bun made from refined flour. It’s very soft, smooth and doesn’t have a crust. It’s so soft, in fact, that sometimes it gets stuck on your teeth, and you feel like you need to brush your teeth after. Sometimes they look more like a thick, but small pita and sometimes it looks like a dumpling and comes filled with a variety of different meats. My favourite is Char Siu Bao, a steamed bun filled with barbecue pork. 

This is the fried fish boa, I think. I could be wrong. 

Baos are typically filled with braised pork belly, but modern restaurants are adding their own twists on the traditional Chinese bao. At Banh Mi Boyz and Lucky Red, I always do the Fried Chicken Bao, because contrasts. Hot, fried chicken with crisp pickles and cucumber on a warm, soft, melt in your mouth steamed bun… You get it. Right? If you don’t just go get one. Stop reading. 

Here's a picture of my take-out fried chicken bao. 

At Lucky Red, they do ice cream sandwiches in fried baos. Which is pretty damn amazing. They have a s’mores one. Seriously. Ridiculous. 

Lucky Red/Banh Mi Boyz also do Korean Tacos. Korean Tacos actually originated in LA, where hip food truck owners starting merging their eastern influences with their LA lifestyle. Korean tacos (at least the ones at LR/BMB) don’t use corn tortillas, but a flatbread that resembles a chewy indian roti. I love it, obviously. Maybe it’s the brown in me.

My favourite one is the pulled pork. It’s delicious and has a lot of different flavours and elements that explode all over the inside of your mouth. In the best way possible. These are best eaten as soon as they’re served, even though I was pretty ballsy and took it home one time, for dinner. A few minutes in the microwave is all it needs but it’s never as good as when it’s just been served. Kind of the same with all of these, actually. 

They also do a pretty rad jicama salad. In case you didn’t know, that’s a raw green papaya salad. It’s not fully ripe yet, so it’s crunchy and has a slight tropical flavour. It’s close to a coleslaw, with julienned papaya, carrots and daikon in a vinaigrette that likely has soy sauce and fish sauce in it. It’s really delicious and fresh — think Fresh Rolls. Great accompaniment to all the rich, meaty carb party that are all the sandwiches here. 

They also do pretty good fries and Kimchi Fries. I’m not a fan of Kimchi fries because I don’t really like their Kimchi. I like my Kimchi very Korean and spicy, and Banh Mi Boyz kimchi is pretty tame and almost sweet. Not a fan. But if you’re not picky about your kimchi, the kimchi fries are actually a lot of people’s favourite item. 

The best part is that everything on the menu is below $10, so you can buy a bunch of different things and try them out. (For the record, this was just for the picture. I did not eat all of it. I promise.)

Banh Mi Boyz has two locations, one on Yonge, 399 Yonge Street, a block south of College station and just north of Gerrard. The other one is at 392 Queen St West, that’s just west of Spadina on Queen, past the McDonald’s. Lucky Red is located at 318 Spadina, less than a block north of Dundas. If you’re close to any of these locations, I highly recommend you get this for lunch or dinner.

[ihavethecraving-blog]

The fusion-food-from-a-truck trend is alive and well both in New York and San Francisco, with events like Off the Grid bringing food trucks together and making it easier than ever for people to find their favorite food trucks and try new ones at the same time. 

Here's one of my favorites, from an Off the Grid event in San Francisco: the pork Sisig taco with cilantro cream sauce from Senor Sisig, ordered extra spicy.

[koifusion-blog]

[koifusion-blog]

Here at KOi Fusion, we’re all about new ideas. And that’s exactly what we’re serving up. Experience an innovative and funky fusion of Korean BBQ and fresh Mexican flavors. Starting in 2009 as one mobile taco truck, Chef Bo Kwon was inspired by the genre of Korean Fusion. We set about creating our own niche within this category, using Mama Kwon’s secret family marinades, fresh vegetables, and locally-sourced tortilla vendors to create a new twist that’s uniquely Portland, Oregon. By adhering to these founding principles, KOi has gone from one cart in the spring of 2009 to a present-day lineup that includes three mobile trucks, two stationary locations, and an entire catering division. We’ve been profiled in CNN, The New York Times, Food & Wine Magazine, Gourmet Magazine, Forbes, and a host of local media from around the Northwest. By combining our succulent barbecued meats with grilled tortillas and fresh vegetables and herbs, we offer a range of fusion mash-ups that have received rave reviews, including tacos, burritos, kimchi quesadillas, and our world-famous k’sliders. We also offer a host of seasonal chef specials including Korean fried chicken, K-dogs, and spicy Korean fries. We strive on the love and energy from our customers – also called “K’headz”. We couldn’t be more thankful for everyone’s support, and that’s why we do what we do. From all of us at Team KOi, Love, Peace … K’taco Grease.

http://koifusionpdx.com/about/

[whitepeopleeatingethnicfood-blog]

"Hey Travis, did you see on Twitter - the Kogi BBQ truck is gonna be rollin' through Venice Beach! Not too far from your sweet pad, bro!"

"Jeah!*"

"Don't forget your digital camera, bro - we need to take taco pics for our food blog."

"Yeah, brah - I got the batteries charging right now! I'll gas up my Jeep Cherokee and head on out!"

"Let me throw on my Tau Kappa Epsilon sweaties and meet you there, dog!"

I hope another earthquake hits Los Angeles, and the epicenter is wherever these assholes are standing. Strike them from the earth! (Nobody else should be hurt, of course, because I am not a monster.)

*Nod to Ryan Lochte because he definitely looks like the sort of asshole who'd wait on line for a Korean-Mexican fusion taco (you may interpret that as you wish).

[mistedforest]

Vatos: Urban Tacos in Itaewon, South Korea (by charlycheer)