Del Seoul (Korean BBQ tacos)

I'd been anticipating the opening of Del Seoul for a few weeks but not overly so after reading the reviews of Taco Chino. I had to run an errand in the neighborhood so I was looking forward to trying it out.

The menu consists of:
• 4 types of tacos (kalbi, spicy pork, chicken, shrimp)
• Korean "banh mi" sandwiches (bulgogi, spicy pork, chicken, shrimp)
• Specialties (bibimbop, kimchi & pork belly fries, dumplings)
• Sides (seasoned fries, seasonal fruits & veggies, jar of kimchi, piklz, edamame, chips)

I ordered 1 kalbi taco, 1 spicy pork taco, kimchi & pork belly fries.

I though the flavors of meats were right on. I tasted a piece of the kalbi & pork by themselves to see if they tasted how they should. And they did. There's a cilantro & onion garnish but I wasn't able to discern much cilantro flavor. I think that's there as a nod to traditional tacos but doesn't add a ton of flavor. However, the cabbage and lettuce slaw garnish is fantastic. The flavors are reminiscent of what you'd have at a Korean BBQ place when you wrap the meat up in the lettuce.

The kimchi and pork belly fries were good but I wasn't blown away. Kimchi & pork belly is a fantastic combo but in this case, maybe the cheese toned down some of the kimchi flavor? The cheese provides that gooey component that seems to be standard for this genre of fries but I could've done without. I would've preferred a bit more spice & punch. I'd still recommend you try them though.

The tacos were $2.50 each.

Overall, I definitely plan on going again. I usually go to Aloha Eats or Sultan's when I'm in that area but now Del Seoul will probably be my choice more often than not.


(Kalbi taco)


(Spicy pork taco)


(Kimchi & pork belly fries)

Del Seoul
2568 N. Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60614
773-248.4BBQ
http://www.delseoul.com

(edited to fix images)

Thank you for the report. I find myself on that stretch from time to time and it looks like this will be a nice option for a quick meal.

viaChgo wrote:The kimchi and pork belly fries were good but I wasn't blown away. Kimchi & pork belly is a fantastic combo but in this case, maybe the cheese toned down some of the kimchi flavor? The cheese provides that gooey component that seems to be standard for this genre of fries but I could've done without. I would've preferred a bit more spice & punch. I'd still recommend you try them though.

I agree completely. The Kimchi was pretty mild and the cheese merely served as a conduit to bind the Pork Belly to the potatoes. Still, I probably enjoyed them slightly more than you did. What I really liked were the Kalbi taco's. They were outstanding as were the terrific pork dumplings. I'll definitely be back next week to try more of the menu. Great fresh flavors and a lot of care invested in preparation.

I stopped by for dinner tonight and there was barely anyone there. My friend went at lunchtime and she said the line was going out the door, and that it was packed with "those LTH people taking pictures of their food." Apparently someone came in and ordered one of everything on the menu! I'm lookiing forward to more reviews.

Just had a kalbi taco, a spicy pork taco, and the dumplings. I came away very impressed. The tacos met at that glorious corner of sweet, spicy, and meaty. Dumplings were toothsome with a very tasty filling. Del Seoul is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, and 1 more reason why the area is no longer a culinary wasteland.

Also, things seemed to be running remarkably efficiently for only being open a few days.

Count me amongst the early fans and original customers. Went over there about an hour ago and just beat the rush. I got one of each of the tacos (beef, pork, shrimp, chicken) and an order of the dumplings along with a jar of the picklz.


Picklz and dumplings

I usually don't go to a place that's so newly opened opting to wait to let them get their sh!t together but this place is five minutes from me and I was hungry so why not. With there being a rush coming in and constant flow of traffic we had one little mishap of me getting two beef tacos with one of them replacing the pork. Not a big deal for me, I saved one of them for when I get back later tonight. As is already mentioned on here, the dumplings were great, but I'm also a sucker for them so I'll be interested to hear what the experts think. Tacos were very pleasing, meats were nice, toppings were really nice and tortillas were perfectly heated thru so I'll easily be back again. One thing I think they could use is some sort of Korean influenced salsa/hotsauce for the tacos. Maybe Wivard's chili oil? Looking forward to trying the bi bim bap.


Order of tacos: from left shrimp, chicken, two beef

Thanks for the reminder that they're now open... lunch tomorrow, as it's just a couple blocks away.

I went last night. This may be my new favorite thing.

I had a spicy pork taco, a beef short rib taco, and the pork belly & kimchi fries. My friend had the pork banh mi sandwich (the woman taking the order said that was the best one). All of it was great.

The place was full on a Saturday evening--probably 75% Koreans and 25% non. The service was quick and friendly, and the decor simple but inviting and clean. I'm definitely going back soon.

I did end up going for lunch yesterday with my wife... I had the kalbi taco, spicy pork and shrimp tacos and the kimchi & pork belly fries. My wife had the bibimbop bowl. I enjoyed all of the tacos. The meat had nice flavor, the shrimp was nice and crispy. Topped with lettuce and sesame, I think they'd be even better if topped with the bahn mi veggies instead. My wife enjoyed the bimimbop... once she finally got it. They brought out all the food, except for the bowl, and said it'd be out in a minute. 15 minutes later, I went up to the counter and they had lost the order! The owner did give us an order of the dumplings packaged to go as an apology. The one think I found disappointing was the port belly fries. For $5 over the regular fries, there wasn't much meat on them. They tasted good, but I don't think they're worth the extra money.

I'm glad this is right in the 'hood. I can't wait to get back and try the bahn mi. I saw a few pass by on their way to other customers, and they looked good. A nice addition to an area that's lacking in interesting, affordable fare.

Del Seoul is packing them in. I arrived a bit before 6:00 tonight and there was only one table occupied. By the time I finished paying for my order a line started to form and remained about 10 deep during the hour I was there and every table was taken.
The food is all pretty grease free which is nice.
Mom's picklz were very tasty, kind of a midget version of Katy's pickles.
The dumplings were freshly made and not oozing fat like most, good when you are wearing a white shirt like I was.
Loved the Bibimbop, I will order that every time for the rice and veggies.
The pork sandwich was outstanding, the flavors worked together on the warm roll.
I also ordered short rib taco's, which they forgot to deliver. When I finally received them they were cold, but with all the cool toppings I'm sure they would cool down in a hurry anyway. In any case, I really didn't care for the corn tortilla with Asian flavors. I think a flour tortilla would work much better as the roll certainly did.
I will certainly return, and I would order a sandwich, pickllz, and bibmibop for myself the next time.

I had the spicy pork banh mi for lunch yesterday and it was quite good, the bread in particular.

jesteinf wrote:I had the spicy pork banh mi for lunch yesterday and it was quite good, the bread in particular.

Is it served on traditional banh mi bread? Think they're sourcing it from Nhu Lan?

-Dan

dansch wrote:

jesteinf wrote:I had the spicy pork banh mi for lunch yesterday and it was quite good, the bread in particular.

Is it served on traditional banh mi bread? Think they're sourcing it from Nhu Lan?

-Dan

Yes, I believe it was traditional banh mi bread although I don't have a guess as to where they're getting it from.

I thought the food was good, but there is room for improvement. I enjoyed the spicy bbq pork banh mi, but the sandwich tasted like an imitation of the traditional Vietnamese bbq pork sandwich instead of an innovative spin on the classic. I would rather pay $3.25 at Ban Le than $5.75 at Del Seoul. In addition, I felt there wasn't enough meat for the size of the bread and amount of pickled vegetables. I tried all of the tacos. The first couple bites were tasty, but the slaw with its sesame oil, garlic, etc seasonings is pretty strong so that became the dominant flavor instead of the protein. I also felt that the spicy bbq chicken and spicy bbq pork weren't really spicy. I'm glad I tried the kimchi pork belly fries for the sake of trying. I mostly tasted fries + cheese + sour cream with hints of kimchi and even fewer hints of pork belly. Sorry for being the Debbie Downer...service was very efficient and friendly!

Went tonight, and I thought it was pretty good. Ironically, I went because of the various taco options, and ended up not getting any of them. For some reason (the long walk from the Brown Line in the cold?), the dolsot bi bim bop sounded delicious. It was pretty good...I've seen it mentioned in other reviews of the place that the stone bowl wasn't hot enough to crisp the rice, but that definitely wasn't the case for my order. The rice was well-crisped, and the fried egg got cooked through. It was a perfect meal for the weather.

I also split an order of the dumplings with my dining companion. They had a good flavor, but the wrappers were so sticky that they were kind of hard to get off of the silicone thingy they were steamed on. Plus, we weren't given any plates with our order (dumplings came out before the bi bim bop), so it was just kind of an awkward eating situation. I'd order them again, though. Finally, I ordered a side of kimchi. On that front, I wasn't totally impressed. It didn't have much flavor or heat. Still, not the worst I've ever had.

Del Seoul is now serving fish tacos. I guess they were before but took them off the menu for some retooling. Anyway, they are back on now and they are spectacular.

jesteinf wrote:Del Seoul is now serving fish tacos. I guess they were before but took them off the menu for some retooling. Anyway, they are back on now and they are spectacular.

Good to know--they weren't so hot before. I work very close and stop by for shrimp tacos not infrequently. Sounds like it's time to vary it up a little.

Yeah, the fish tacos are now being brought out piping hot from the fryer...very similar to how the shrimp tacos come out most of the time. They warn you it takes 10 minutes for them to make the fish tacos, but I'm pretty sure it didn't take that long when I ordered them.

jesteinf wrote:Del Seoul is now serving fish tacos. I guess they were before but took them off the menu for some retooling. Anyway, they are back on now and they are spectacular.

Yes they are. Thanks for the heads up. I stopped in here a few times but never got back since it wasn't mindblowing and I thought the bi bim bap was below average (dumplings I like though). I'll be eating a few of these each and every month from here on in.


Sambal Fish Taco

Del Seoul
2568 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60614
(773) 248-4227

Man, the fish tacos really are outstanding. The rest of the food is pretty damned good, too.

I just got back from my first trip out to Del Seoul. I appreciate that they're trying something a little different, but I can't say I loved the food.

We started off with an order of the kim chi fries. They went pretty easy on the kim chi so they tasted like cheese fries with some hot sauce. It was fun to eat them with chop sticks and they weren't bad cheese fries. The bites that did have kim chi were pretty tasty, I think they're onto something interesting, but they're being timid with the funky fermented veggies (which I suppose is understandable, but doesn't win them points with me).

Then we got an order of the dumplings. They come out on a steam tray which is pretty cool, but the dumplings were pretty ordinary. They tasted like frozen dumplings out of a bag (gummy wrappers, chunky ground pork and scallion filling), which I suspect they were. Nothing wrong with that, frozen dumplings are a staple in my house, but not something I go out for.

Then came the tacos. I have to say the fried fish was very good. I liked the light breading and the flaky fish. The rest of the taco was overwhelming though. They covered it in so much cabbage and sauce that I could barely taste the fish. Worse was the tortilla that tasted like a typical supermarket tortilla. In a town with so many great and cheap tortillas easily available, there's no excuse for the mealy, uncooked floury taste of that tortilla. Similar feelings on the kalbi beef. The beef was pretty good, though a little rubbery in parts, but the tortilla made for a pretty unpleasant aftertaste.

We're glad we tried it. We're fans of Crisp, so we were hoping for something along those lines. Unfortunately we left disappointed.

turkob wrote:Then came the tacos. I have to say the fried fish was very good. I liked the light breading and the flaky fish. The rest of the taco was overwhelming though. They covered it in so much cabbage and sauce that I could barely taste the fish. Worse was the tortilla that tasted like a typical supermarket tortilla.

You've just described an authentic Baja/San Diego style fish taco, so it sounds as if they are nailing it. Like Philly cheese steaks, Baja fish tacos are one of those foods often better remembered than eaten in my experience.

Happened to be in neighborhood and tried the Sambal and Shrimp tacos. They were both awesome. Crunchy, spicy, the fish and shrimp crispy....awesome.

I have been a huge fan of the fish taco at Chicks n Salsa in Glen Ellyn which has similar qualities, but I think these are actually better, because they are spicier.

I wish I still lived in that neighborhood. I would be stopping by weekly, I'm sure.

Does anyone know what the asterisks signify in "ribeye steak**" on the on-line menu? Also, is Del Seoul BYOB?

Katie wrote:Does anyone know what the asterisks signify in "ribeye steak**" on the on-line menu? Also, is Del Seoul BYOB?

It's more of a fast food type operation, so I'm not sure BYOB would be appropriate, but I guess you could call and ask.

Not sure what that is on the ribeye. I have the hot stone bibimbop all the time and I've never noticed anything odd about it. Could just be a typo.

As for BYOB, I've never done it or seen anyone do it, but it couldn't hurt to call and ask.

Katie wrote:Also, is Del Seoul BYOB?

Del Seoul is NOT BYOB. My wife learned this the hard way when she & a friend got their food, sat down, and pulled cold bottles of beer from their purses...someone rushed over to stop them before they could open them. I'm guessing they're licensed as a fast food outlet, so BYOB isn't permitted.

Katie wrote:Does anyone know what the asterisks signify in "ribeye steak**" on the on-line menu? Also, is Del Seoul BYOB?

my guess is the usual "consuming raw or undercooked food..." legalese.

I'm guessing they're licensed as a fast food outlet, so BYOB isn't permitted.

There is no license for BYOB, but restaurant owners can choose to prohibit the practice.

Legally speaking, McDonald's could allow customers in the city of Chicago to bring in a beer to enjoy with their Big Mac (well, they would enjoy the beer at least)...

You could ask the proprietor if you care to know why they have chosen to prohibit BYOB, sometimes it's a religious belief - and sometimes it's just a lack of tolerance. They may not want people hanging out, taking up tables, drinking store-bought booze after the meal is over (especially in a space with limited seating)...

rubbbqco wrote:

I'm guessing they're licensed as a fast food outlet, so BYOB isn't permitted.

There is no license for BYOB, but restaurant owners can choose to prohibit the practice.

Legally speaking, McDonald's could allow customers in the city of Chicago to bring in a beer to enjoy with their Big Mac (well, they would enjoy the beer at least)...

You could ask the proprietor if you care to know why they have chosen to prohibit BYOB, sometimes it's a religious belief - and sometimes it's just a lack of tolerance. They may not want people hanging out, taking up tables, drinking store-bought booze after the meal is over (especially in a space with limited seating)...

Interesting...thanks for the info!

In that case, my money's on the "don't want people hanging out, taking up tables" reasoning. It's unfortunate, because a beer would go nicely with those tacos.

Met a friend for lunch yesterday, and Del Seoul was the venue. I did a cursory check through this thread as I was in a hurry, and basically only zipped through the first few posts. As I'm now reading this, I understand this place. My first go at the menu was "1 of each taco, please." The d/c and I split each taco, and were not wowowed at all to say the least. I thought the chicken taco, while not spicy was pretty decent, but I really quite liked the fish taco. We both said at the end of the meal, we'd return for the fish tacos, and nothing else really. So after we split one of each taco, we got two more fish tacos, an order of the wings, and an order of the dumplings. The fish tacos are definitely what's up here. The dumplings were just fine -everything was just fine...almost boring tho. The fish tacos were really flippin' good, and the more I think about it, the more I liked them.