A Portmantaeu of Korean and Mexican Fushion

By Stephany Chung

One of Korilla’s two food trucks in New York City on 14^th Street & 3^rd Avenue during its dinner service.

The last four teams remaining on the Food Network reality show, The Great Food Truck Race competed in Memphis, Tennessee for that particular episode - one of which was Korilla BBQ, a Korean food truck. Their challenge was to sell vegetarian food to this bbq-obsessed town. However, Korilla was disqualified for cheating. Its owners were accused of adding $2,700 of its money to its cash drawer. Since Korilla BBQ signed a contract with the Food Network, they were not able to discuss their scandal. However, the owners denied this violation on Twitter by posting. “WE WOULD NEVER CHEAT ON YOU NEW YORK.”

Although some know this Korean food truck for its scandal, customers are generally satisfied with their food and services and some people in the food truck industry recognize Korilla.

“Awesome Korean [food] for $9? That’s what I’m talking about,” said a customer, Michael Lee.

Korilla started in October 2010 and according to Altai Chiang, 23, a vendor who started in April 2011 Korilla was the first Korean food truck on the east coast.

“The vision for Korilla is for it to become the new face of Korean cuisine. I hope to spread the word of the naturally healthy and delicious cuisine of Korea through the Korilla brand,” wrote the founder, Edward “3D” Song in an email.

On Korilla’s website, Song explains how he thought of this idea.

“Korilla started out with a ridiculous question I posed to myself: who doesn't love Korean BBQ? The answers I came up with were a) vegans and vegetarians, b) people who don’t know what Korean BBQ is and c) people who won't spend $40 at a Korean restaurant,” wrote Song.

Song graduated at “the worst possible time” during the recession. He was able to pursue of his dream of “majoring in marketing, except in the real world.”

According to Chiang, “the grand daddy of all Korean BBQ taco trucks” started with the Gogi (meat in the Korean language) Truck in Los Angeles five or six years ago. Korilla, spelled like “tortilla” and the “K” for Korean, borrowed this idea from the Gogi truck.

Song along with Paul Lee and Steve Park, all from Queens, NY started this company with Chef James, and they partnered with Andy and Joe Weitzel, twin co-founders of BOX Creative, a design and technology firm. The partnership was called LET (Let’s Eat

Together) Group.

Korilla is a member of the New York City Food Truck Association.

The menu states, “three ways to kbbq: tacos, chosun bowls, burritos.” Then customers choose the type of proteins, rice, sauce, veggies, and kimchi. The burrito, ribeye, and bacon kimchi fried rice is the bestselling combination according to Chiang.

The chosun bowl, ribeye, and bacon kimchi fried rice.

Another food truck salesperson knew of Korilla’s menu.

“They sell Korean tacos or something,” Edgar Barrera, 18, cashier of CRISP, a Mediterranean food truck.

Korilla sold kalbi, marinated beef short-ribs - popular among the Korean community - for a little while but they stopped because of the high prices. However, another Korean food truck, Seoul Food sells kalbi.

One of Korilla’s selling points is to put together each order in thirty seconds, especially during their lunch service from 11:30am to 3pm. Its peak time is 1pm.

“The service was great. The guys were fun. The music was pumping and good,” stated customer, Christopher Mega.

Roughly 25 people work for Korilla and most are friends or family members.

“It’s like chilling in a truck with some of my friends selling burritos,” stated Chiang. “We try to keep it fun, try to keep it live because it can get grueling otherwise. We’re busting in 10, 12 hour days.”

The manager, Willie Bae, 26 stated that he is able to work with people he grew up with. He started to work for Korilla since this past summer and he can see a potential career in Korilla.

Most of the workers are Korean, some Chinese, and some Hispanics. 

The chef and another squad of people work in the commissary to prep the food before the trucks drive out to their stations.

“I’ve seen it twice. They’re on 14^th St and they are on 53^rd or 51^st,” stated Barrera from CRISP.

Some vendors nearby Korilla’s 46^th Street & 5^th Avenue location have never heard of

Korilla. 

Parking for food trucks is on a first come first serve basis. According to Chiang, it is very competitive and a bit territorial. Although some locations can be crowded with food trucks, Korilla does not mind due to their “very long” lines.

Other Korean food trucks know Korilla but they do not know too much.  

“I know that they are our competition,” said Paul Hightower, 26, a cashier and driver for Kimchi Taco. “I know they were on the amazing food truck race. That’s about it.”

Song has plans on expanding Korilla into a restaurant.

“We are actually in the process of looking at brick and mortar spaces and potentially partnering up with a hospitality group who has more experience in this space. We hope to take Korilla nationwide, even worldwide!”