Come On Down To Coreano’s

Decide what you want to eat as you wait in line

Coreano’s has been on the front page of Austin’s Yelp for quite a while now, prompting me to want to try the place. I’d heard of it, but never been, having only gone to their competitor: Chi’lantro. Chi’lantro was pretty good, but I wanted to try Coreano’s too and see what the deal was.

Coreano’s is a circulating food truck that has a food theme of Korean + Mexican food. Similar to Chi’lantro, Coreano’s has Asian-flavored burritos, quesadillas, and fries. However, what seems to make this place different is their meat selection and fries in your burrito. Yes, you read that right: fries in burrito (think Big Bite). The food trailer is nice and airy as you can see at the bottom with a good drink selection and even some Asian snacks. The people are quite nice and can even take a credit card!

Quesadillas, available for those needing to eat on the run (like me!)

I know I should have gotten the burrito, but I ended up getting the quesadilla with marinated beef short rib. It was good, easy to handle, and filled with kimchi and cheese that did not overwhelm the dish. If you are shy about heat in your food, only the mildest will be affected. However, I wish there had been a little more meat and it was pretty oily. It was also a little on the salty side. Yet the quesadilla was definitely filling and I am determined to go back and try something else next time.

Sorry for the Saran wrap, but hopefully you can see the food size of the tacos

My friend decided on tacos and a good choice if you want to try the many different variations of meat available. In the picture, there is some veggies missing, but apparently they pile them on pretty high. The tacos are a little small and might not be enough to fill you up. That’s when you take the time for fries! Coreano’s is quite well known for their kimchi fries and especially the Three Wise Fries that has three kinds of meat on it. Sounds delicious.

The line gets long really fast so be prepared. Either get there early or be prepared to wait over half an hour. The food also takes some time to prepare. My friend and I got there before the food truck, but it took about 45 minutes for us both to get through the line and finally get our food. However, one must note that there appeared to be a fundraiser going on that day so that may have caused a significant increase in time. Also, be sure to understand there is one line to order food and another line to get food so make sure you’re in the right line!

And we got here before the truck got here

The food truck comes near campus at least once a week, if not multiple times. Check out their website or Twitter to find out the exact dates. Parked near the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs Mansion, you can’t miss it and the long line of people interested in getting the food. They ain’t stingy with the kimchi.

Overall, I think Coreano’s is pretty tasty and I have to say it’s a tie between Coreano’s and Chi’lantro. They just taste different. Chi’lantro is a little bit more Asian with the egg inside the burrito and smaller portions. However, Coreano’s definitely hits the junk food tastebuds with the fries and pork belly available. Food battle: tie!

Rating: for tasty food, long line, and taking credit cards!

REVIEW: El Chilito’s Burritos

The Sign of El Chilito!

On the way back to campus one Sunday morning, my party and I found ourselves pretty much blocked from getting back due to a biking marathon taking place. Hungry and pretty much stuck on the wrong side, we decided to have lunch at a burrito place. This place was El Chilito.

El Chilito is kind of like trailer food that became a restaurant. It is a popular burrito place on the East side that is quick and tasty. It has a chalkboard for daily specials and a menu of “usuals.” The menu consists of breakfast tacos and burritos, regular tacos and burritos, a variety of drinks, and then a tantalizing list of Latin American popsicles or “paletas”.

Menu: Click on me to get a close-up!

Paletas are very interesting and, if I may, can be equated to bubble teas. Both have the “milk” or creamy variety as well as the fruity or “no milk” variety. A lot of unique flavors are available with the paletas, but one may want to come earlier or after a shipment because by the time we got there, a lot of the flavors were gone. My friends who got them seemed to enjoy them very much and I would imagine they would be a refreshing treat for the dog days of summer.

I am not really a breakfast taco fan, but I am sure that if you like those, this would be a great place to go. El Chilito is quite famous for its breakfast burritos and tacos. I got the Cochinita Pibil, which is braised pork, organge, achiote, onions, lettuce, rice, and beans. The tacos are relatively small, about half the size of a burrito and tend to look like a burrito too. They are also, conveniently, about half the price. For the size of the burrito, think about 2/3 the size of a Chipotle burrito or about 6″x2″.

Presenting the burrito's insides, with love

The burrito was just average for me, I will admit. There was an element of spice that desperately needed water to quench it and it was rather messy. Or it may have been the fact that I had opened the burrito to take a picture. However, there was no mistaking the inevitable of the sauce and juice of the meat dripping out that resulted in my hand looking like it had been cut. The greatest taste came from the meat and onions and they were a definite plus. The onions were sweet and slightly spicy and there was just the right amount. I also thought that the braised pork was well marinated and quite tasty. I also liked the balanced amount of lettuce put in. However, the rice did not add much except extra carbs and the beans overwhelmed where the lettuce was not. The flavors were not very well mixed. Perhaps a tweak in the ingredients ratio would make the burrito taste even better, but for this particular burrito I just find it OK.

The Salsa Tower

The salsa is definitely interesting. It is a thick brown paste that has an underlying heat that adds not too much or too little taste to the burrito. One serving is definitely not enough. One of my friends used more than three for hers! The salsa is certainly a unique part of El Chilito and tasty to boot.

Overall, El Chilito definitely seems like a good place to go on a hot day to enjoy a paleta or even a cold day with the spice of the burrito and a warm drink. Though I found my burrito just OK, I can imagine that the breakfast burritos are stellar as they are a good size and filled with tasty ingredients.

Rating: ½ for good meat, poor ratio of ingredients, and paletas!

REVIEW: What is a Chi’lantro?

Chi'lantro BBQ is Open!

On a sad Tuesday, my roommate invited me out to go to a trailer for food and a review to cheer me up. Apparently, this trailer is another of Austin’s unique food trailer businesses that combines some pretty discrete cuisines into a tasty combination.

This particular trailer, Chi’lantro, is a mix of Korean and Mexican food by taking Korean ingredients and presenting it in a more familiar Mexican vehicle. The name actually comes from a combination of the two cultures: kimchi and cilantro, which are key ingredients to the flavor of these unique burritos.

What is interesting about this trailer is its mobility. Some trailers stay in one place or some alternate every other week, but you never know where the Chi’lantro BBQ trailer is going to be. Once a week, the website updates to let you know where the trailer plans on being that week or you can join their Twitter or Facebook to stay constantly updated. They also only accept cash so be careful. Don’t be caught in the rain and be prepared before going!

Yay! Food is here!

When we arrived to get our food, the trailer was actually a little late. You can see a picture of us watching it drive into the parking lot behind the Co-op. From the impression of the trailer, it actually looks pretty neat and clean for a food trailer. The numerous windows create an airy feel and the drinks and counters were clean and presentable. From a hygiene standpoint, I think Chi’lantro is above the usual food trailer cleanliness level.

You can see the taco and burrito in proportion to hands.

Trying to decide what to get was a hard choice, but somehow we all ended up with a beef burrito. You can look at their menu on the website to find out all the ingredients, but I am only able to analyze the taste and balance of the ingredients in the burrito. Other menu choices include tacos, quesadillas, hamburgers, and bowls. I don’t know about the latter two choices, but the tacos are tasty and small (picture provided) and quesadillas, from reviews of others, seem to be just average. However, I think both must taste fine if you are interested in sampling the particular cuisine, but especially for the tacos, you get what you pay for. They also provide a variety of chips, soft drinks, bottles of water and even coffee! They even have a small trash disposal on the side for the trash from stuffing yourself with food.

If there was no trash can...

When we ordered, the guy who took our orders was quite nice. There was only him and one other person in the back and I wondered how they handled large numbers of people, but they seemed friendly and the food came quickly. We waited only a little over 5 minutes after ordering before the food started coming out. The order goes by the number you get on a receipt and it’s called out so you pick up your food at a separate window. Now, onto the burrito!

The goods

Marinated beef was good and there’s a fair amount. I liked the sweetness of the marinated meat to balance out the salty and savory tastes of the burrito. The cilantro-lime rice used as filler really doesn’t match up with Chipotle’s and that may be because the rice is drowned out by the salsa and other tastes of the food. The spiciness and flavor of the burrito mainly comes from its salsa, lettuce, and their aromatics/trinity/mirepoix of onions, cilantro, and green onions. If you don’t like spicy, you can try taking out the salsa or lettuce which brings the heat to the burrito. I find the spiciness of the burrito to be bearable creating a sort of tickle while you eat, but I definitely suggest a drink when you eat here. I liked the addition of the roasted sesame seeds, but I can’t quite taste it separately from the burrito. Yet I can tell it adds an extra flavor that enhances the burrito as a whole. The citrus is also a background note, but good and also enhances the flavor. There is also a small surprise of a large egg wrapped into the burrito, giving extra flavor and savory taste. The $5 seems a little much for what you get, but it’s slightly over fair price and the food is definitely something you can’t get anywhere else.

Don't forget to bring cash and check the schedule. Jal meokkesseumnida and ¡Buen provecho!

Overall, Chi’lantro is a cool place to get some unique Austin food for a fair price. The burritos are definitely tasty and you can certainly get your fill from just one, if not two burritos. There are also a lot of other food choices and apparently Chi’lantro is planning on a huge revamp so be on the look-out for that. I definitely suggest that if you’re tired of the usual stuff on the Drag, come try this place out. It’s only near campus for a short while and, most importantly, bring cash.

Rating: ½, only thing keeping this from being 5 tongues is because it might not be for everyone and there could be slight improvements on customizability. Example: some commented on having the ability to add a sweet sauce.