Del Seoul

Whoever came up with the ideal of combining Korean and Mexican cuisines was a genius.  Korean and Mexican flavor profiles are similar, so fish, shrimp, and barbecued beef are natural fits.  I went recently to Del Seoul Korean BBQ, which, among other things adds Korean seasoned proteins on Corn Tortillas (Flour tortillas for the fish).  There are six tacos listed on the menu, I picked the three that were listed as the most popular:  Sambal Fish, Sesame-Chili Shrimp, and Kalbi.  The Sambal Fish Taco came with Tempura Fish, Pickled Red Onions, Napa Slaw, Sambal Aioli, and Flour Tortillas.  The fish had a light and crunchy coating, the vegetables were crisp and also added a little sweetness, and the Sambal aioli added some garlic and spice.  The Sesame-Chili Shrimp, as one might guess, had a pronounced sesame and spicy flavor.  It had Hand-Battered Panko Shrimp, Cilantro-Onion Relish, Secret Slaw, and Toasted Sesames.  The vegetables were also crisp with a significant cilantro flavor which is found both in Latin and Asian cuisines and went well with the shrimp and sesame-chili flavor.  Kalbi is Korean Barbecued Beef.  While the ingredients of the Sesame-Chili Shrimp and the Kalbi Tacos were the same with the exception of the protein, the proteins did make an enormous difference in flavor (although they were both very good).  The Kalbi was spicy-sweet with a pronounced beef flavor.

In addition to my tacos, as I was in a Korean restaurant, I was obliged to have their Kimchi.  I like kimchi.  It is essentially Korea's version of Sauerkraut.  They both consist of pickled cabbage and both are pretty sour, but kimchi is decidedly spicier.  Kimchi is also frequently cut into larger pieces than is sauerkraut.  I only ordered a small size because I assumed that the tacos would go well toward filling me up.  I was correct.  The kimchi that I did have was crisp, sour, spicy, and very good.  As it might be guessed, I really liked this place and I will definitely be back.