This Top Taco is Korean

This is the most unusual taco that I have ever seen. The base is a yellow corn tortilla, nothing different about that. But the meat on top is galbi chim, which is Korean style braised beef.

What looks at first glance like chopped onion under the meat is white rice. And those fine shreds on top aren’t the usual cabbage or lettuce. They’re the Korean cabbage pickle, kimchi.

This and two other Korean-Mexican dishes won first prize in a Korean fusion cuisine competition staged by the Korean Cultural Center of Los Angeles on Saturday.

The contest took place at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of California-Los Angeles, which is located in Santa Monica. Competing were 18 students, divided into nine teams of two.

Each team prepared fusion versions of three Korean dishes: kimchi salad; japchae (clear noodles with meat and vegetables) and galbi chim.

Entries were judged on flavor, texture, presentation and creativity as well as technical factors such as doneness and timing.

The winners were Crystal Lozano of North Hollywood (at left in the photo below) and Sharon Widjaja of Jakarta, Indonesia. As their prize, they’ll go to Korea for a week of intensive food study.

For their salad, Lozano and Widjaja topped kimchi with diced cactus, shrimp ceviche and cubed mango. They made classic japchae, but flanked it with pork marinated in ancho chile sauce.

“We wanted to keep all the Korean flavors, but present them in a Mexican style,” Lozano said.

Competitors brought their plates to the student-operated restaurant Bistro 31 for display and a reception that included traditional Korean music and demonstrations of rice-cake making and the Korean tea ceremony.

Students not competing prepared a Korean lunch for the teams, judges and guests, putting as much effort into flavor and presentation as if they were working for a prize.

They set out bibimbap (rice bowls), spicy pork ribs, mung bean pancakes, mushroom japchae and bulgogi (grilled marinated beef) placed on a shiso leaf lining a lettuce leaf, accompanied by Korean citrus punch and a cinnamon-flavored persimmon drink.

Lunch ended with fresh fruit and prettily decorated rice cakes.  Winners all, as far as I’m concerned.

Comments

[Barbara]

Again, congratulations to the winners. They did a wonderful job.

[Teresa Lozano]

Good job BOB!!!!! That's my cousin!!!!

[Amparo]

I was there and definitely they're the winners. Way to go Crystal!!

[Barbara]

This was my first visit to the Art Institute. It is a fabulous place. Lots of talent there.

[ellen]

any friend of mike cherney's is a friend of mind. congrats on your amazing accomplishment.
happy trails.
ellen

[Fran]

GO SHAROOOOONNNNN!!!!!!!!

[g]

Isn't it great what the Art Institute is doing? My company worked with some of their graphic design students on a couple of projects, and I was very impressed.