[HIGH TO LOW] From high-end to street, tasty tacos take over town

Greasy, juicy tacos and cheesy quesadillas are having their moment in Seoul with Mexican food joints popping up left and right.

Seoul is a city where you can find top-tier street food as well as world-class premium dining experiences. In this series, the Korea JoongAng Daily interviews chefs and cooks across the city, to introduce two restaurants offering the same dish at vastly different price points. Escondido

Almond mole quesadilla at Escondido in Yongsan District, central Seoul [ESCONDIDO]

Greasy, juicy tacos and cheesy quesadillas are having their moment in Seoul with Mexican food joints popping up left and right.

Throwing its hat in the ring is Escondido in Yongsan District, central Seoul, which officially opened Tuesday. But unlike many of its kind, it's opting for a more subtle yet sublime take on the cuisine.

“Escondido means 'hidden' in Spanish, and like its meaning, the restaurant strives to discover the ensconced, authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine," said owner-chef Jin U-beom, aged 30.

“Mexican food can have very strong flavors or be very greasy, but that isn’t always the case. The food at Escondido may not be what some Koreans expect when they think of Mexican cuisine but this is the food that I experienced in Mexico.”

Escondido's owner-chef Jin U-beom assembling a dish [PARK SANG-MOON]

Its nine-course degustation dinner (140,000 won or $106) takes both familiar and lesser-known Mexican dishes like inflada (puffed tortilla), sope (handheld street food made with fried masa and savory toppings) and taco, then upgrades it with high-end ingredients like uni, abalone, wagyu and red snapper.

Menu items are subject to change according to seasonality but its last dish before dessert, mole negro, will be a permanent fixture at Escondido, according to Jin.

Mole negro is a sauce infused with ingredients like dried chiles and chocolate. It is a traditional mole originating from the ethnically diverse, "foodie state" of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Jin studied cooking in Mexico for four years, staying in Oaxaca for five months.

Abalone sope at Escondido in Yongsan District, central Seoul[ESCONDIDO]

For all its dishes, Escondido serves tortillas made in-house using imported Mexican heirloom corn varieties.

“Corn is the foundation of Mexican cuisine, and to cook Mexican properly, you can’t compromise on the tortilla,” said Jin.

His restaurant company, Molino Project, owns a tortilla mill and Jin's other eateries like La Calle in Jongno District, central Seoul, and El Molino in Seongsu District, eastern Seoul, all use tortillas made in-house.

“One of my mid- to long-term goals is actually to open a tortilleria [tortilla bakery],” said Jin.

Tortillas at Escondido are made in-house, at Molino Project's tortilla factory in Seoul. [ESCONDIDO]

Jin’s fiery passion for Mexican cuisine started rather modestly, at a Taco Bell joint in California, during his study abroad in his teenage years.

His taste for tacos evolved as he ventured with his Hispanic friends to more diverse and bona fide taco joints.

“I was obsessed,” he said. “I think I ate a taco almost every day.”

Escondido opened Tuesday in Yongsan District, central Seoul [ESCONDIDO]

His favorite meal turned into a real future endeavor when he left his architecture studies at UC Berkeley and moved to Mexico in 2016.

“In my sophomore year of college, I returned to Korea for my mandatory military service and afterward, really thought about what I wanted to do - and the answer was tacos,” said Jin.

He got himself into Le Cordon Bleu Mexico in Mexico City, and two years later, won the grand prize at Mexico’s Best Chef William Sonoma 2018, with his craft of mole.

He continued to learn from the best, from world-renowned chef Enrique Olvera at Pujol to home cooks in Oaxaca.

“The world of Mexican cuisine was so profound,” Jin said. “The more I learned, the more I was intrigued.”

Halibut aguachile at Escondido in Yongsan District, central Seoul [ESCONDIDO]

Jin’s fascination with Mexican gastro-culture expands to beverages as well. He was particularly taken with mezcal, describing it as “therapeutic.”

Through Escondido, Jin is looking to introduce Koreans to Mexican drinking culture by pairing the course menu with cocktails for an additional 50,000 won. There is a non-alcoholic beverage pairing option for an additional 40,000 won. When dining service ends at 10 p.m., the restaurant transforms into a bar until 1 a.m. which customers can enjoy without a reservation.

“There is a huge Mexican food boom in Korea right now which is great, but not a lot of effort has been put into serving the food after delving deep into Mexican culture and really studying it,” said Jin. “So my goal is to build a Mexican restaurant brand in Korea - whether it be street, contemporary or experimental Mexican cuisine - that really understands the region.”

Oldies Taco

A plate of tacos served at Oldies Taco in Jongno District, central Seoul [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

Boasting one of the longest queues in town these days is a hole-in-the-wall taco joint called Oldies Taco, in Jongno District, central Seoul.

It has been drawing crowds since it first opened in March. The opening buzz is starting to wear off a little, but even on a recent Sunday at noon, people were waiting over one hour for a street taco.

“I feel like I’m in the ‘Truman Show’ these days,” owner Kim Hang-keun, 35, told the JoongAng Daily. “I’ve been in the [F&B] business for eight years and have only dreamed about success. I never actually thought it would happen to me!”

Owner Kim Hang-keun makes tacos at Oldies Taco in Jongno District, central Seoul [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

Oldies Taco sees an average of 250 orders placed every day and sells at least 400 tacos.

But the food is just the cherry on top at this street taco joint. What really makes Oldies Taco worth the visit is the experience. It will likely include a wait, but that just gives more time to “enjoy the show,” as Kim puts it.

“When I was first conjuring up this taco joint, I thought of it as a live stage," Kim said. "The people cooking and serving food are like actors and the customers are the audience. I wanted to create a unique show that could transport them to Mexico.”

Oldies Taco in Jongno District, central Seoul [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

The smell of spicy salsa and the mounds of meat being cooked on the open grill hits first. Customers can spot Kim behind the grill, amid plumes of steam and the fervent sizzling. Those lucky enough to get their orders in before sell-out chow down their tortilla pockets on the old streets of Eulji-ro.

“This energy is the reason I fell in love with tacos,” said Kim looking over the scenery of Oldies Taco. “I’m actually a very picky eater but found tacos to be a very fun food. I love how messy it is. There is no way around eating a taco other than to just go for it with your hands and face."

Owner Kim Hang-keun makes tacos at Oldies Taco in Jongno District, central Seoul [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

At the end of the wait is a taco that almost anyone can enjoy. Everything is made with fresh meat, a lot of sauce and a squeeze of lime.

Oldies Taco doesn’t stick too close to the authentic Mexican style but showcases an amalgamation of many different cultures. The menu includes an American Midwest-style of walking tacos called a Mega bomb snack (9,900 won) and a take on the Okinawan Mexican dish, taco rice (7,000 won). He also uses hanwoo (Korean beef) for the Birria taco (5,900 won).

Taco Rice at Oldies Taco in Jongno District, central Seoul [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

Though his mustache may suggest otherwise, Kim has never been to Mexico.

“The strength of Oldies Taco lies in the experience of coming here, not of tasting a truly Mexican taco,” he said. “I am a strong believer of the power of space and believe that this is our greatest weapon here.”

From the vintage neon sign to the dozens of props and posters inside the eatery reminiscent of the 80s, every corner of Oldies Taco has undergone Kim’s touch.

“I love the saying ‘oldies but goodies,’” said Kim. “I don’t like new things. I value the past because that is how the present is made. The past is also how we can move forward.”

Oldies Taco in Jongno District, central Seoul [JOONGANG PHOTOS]

Kim plans to continue building the Oldies brand - he owns Oldies House Wine Bar in Jung District, central Seoul, and Oldies Hotdog in the same area is currently underway - and eventually dreams of creating his own “Oldie village" off the side of a highway.

“I want to make Oldies cafes, stays and more restaurants in this village,” he said. “People may not understand me, but that is my bigger goal that I am working towards every day. Why run 10 of the same stores when you can run 10 different ones?”

BY LEE JIAN [lee.jian@joongang.co.kr]