During the summer of this year, a new restaurant opened for business after undergoing remodeling and menu changes. Previously Jasmine's Cafe, this new restaurant, cleverly named Tacorea (taco + Korea, and also a play on "taqueria"), arrived on the scene with a unique offering of Mexican and Korean fusion food. New ownership took over and kept the prices affordable for people of all backgrounds to be able to try.

This week, I figured I'd order some of their food through Postmates. The particular entree I ordered was the Kimchi Burrito. According to the menu, it consists of "tangy spicy pork, sautéed kimchi, spanish rice, shredded cheese, lettuce, hot salsa, and pico de gallo." From that description, it's evident that sour cream is not included by default, which is contrary to most burritoes you'll find. However, one thing to keep in mind is that menu descriptions will not always be 100% accurate, there may be an unlisted ingredient or two. Not one to take chances, I made sure to note "no sour cream" as a special instruction for my order. Now I think about it, sour cream and kimchi sounds terrible, so it was probably unnecessary for me to add that notation.

It was a rainy day in San Francisco, so the convenience of Postmates really paid off. About thirty minutes after placing the order, my courier arrived at my building with a Brown Bag filled with hot Tacorea food. I tore up the brown bag and was shocked at what I saw. The burrito was the biggest I had seen in a long time. I normally eat my burrito with the foil unwrapped, and standing vertically upright (I eat it top down). However, this was improbable due to the length of the burrito. I had to rest it on a dish and cut it in half to eat it properly. Some photos below:

I wasn't exaggerating right? Not that I was complaining. After unwrapping the burrito, it gave off a really nice Korean spicy pork aroma that made me excited to dig in. Anybody who's eaten Korean barbecue will know what I'm talking about. The aroma from the marinade is very recognizable! I took a huge bite into the burrito and immediately tasted the strong kimchi flavor and the nice dry texture of the Spanish rice. The chewy marinaded spicy pork flavor followed, and I was joyed at the combination of flavors. An interesting thing about the burrito is that the salsa comes as a part of the inner workings of the burrito. As I was eating it, I enjoyed the juicy salsa but felt that it was a tad too much. Particularly because it is very moist, I felt it was a distraction from the kimchi and meat in the burrito, which were the ingredients I was particularly hoping to be emphasized. Next time, I will note to go easy on the salsa, or to add some on the side.

One thing that really caught me by surprise was that inside the brown bag were chips and salsa. I was not expecting that at all, because I hadn't added it to my order, and many tacquerias will charge for it. Upon seeing this, I already developed positive vibes about Tacorea. I love to eat chips with my burrito, to add that nice crunchiness the burrito lacks, as well as for using with the burrito ingredients as dip.

My conclusion of Tacorea, or at least their kimchi burrito, is that this is a legit fusion spot. The prices are very reasonable. When you account for how generous they are with portion size, their menu is a steal of a deal. For reference, the kimchi burrito is $9.50 before tax. Suffice it to say that I was very content until dinnertime. The burrito offers a lot of flavor, the meat quality seemed good to me, and the free chips on the side felt like a nice touch. Next time, I plan on trying their California burrito, which I should especially call out, has tator tots! Keep following along and you may see a review on thatverysoon.

- Ben