A San Antonio eatery that offers all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue recently upped the ante on its dining experience by adding a little Tex-Mex flair to the menu.
Ilsong Garden is a go-to eatery for Korean food just a hop away from the Park North Shopping Center off Blanco Road. Here, customers can opt into the all-you-can-eat barbecue option, which includes grilling your own meats with a tabletop grill. In addition to beef bulgogi and pork belly, Ilsong Garden now has tortillas on the AYCE menu, giving people a chance to make their own Korean barbecue tacos.
MySA stopped by the business to check out the new additions after seeing Ilsong Garden’s Facebook post about having corn tortillas. Since it was before 2:30 p.m., the AYCE barbecue experience was priced at $29.99, but after that, the dinner price runs $39.99 per person. The tortillas can be added on for $2.49 or you can shell out $3.99 to add tortillas, two salsas, onions and cilantro to your order.
While ordering, a server advised choosing three appetizers and three meats from the Korean barbecue menu to kick things off. We started with the fried dumplings, the veggie pancake and the tteobokki (spicy rice cakes). These all came pre-cooked and with hefty portions, which is why Ilsong Garden’s AYCE barbecue has a minimum of two diners at a time. They made an exception this one time, but it was almost to my own detriment, because one person alone cannot eat all those appetizers, let alone the meats.
Speaking of meats, from eight options, we went with the spicy pork bulgogi, the sliced pork belly and the teriyaki chicken, all of which you eventually cook on the tabletop grill. Of course, the tortillas were a must-try, so we ordered the full $3.99 add-on. While waiting for all that to arrive, guests can help themselves to the self-serve banchan bar, where they can load up on kimchi, pickled cucumbers and fish cakes.
Soon, the sides and meats came to the table, and the grill was getting hot. After throwing some slices of pork belly and a tortilla on the grill to get things started, something about it felt like we were making some carne asada.
We then got more experimental with it, adding some kimchi to tacos, dipping some dumplings in the salsa and dipping the grilled meats in Ilsong Garden’s Korean house sauce. The owner, Yoojin Ha, told MySA that the salsas are made in-house and that the restaurant added these elements of Mexican cuisine to appeal to the average San Antonio customer’s palate. It seemed to work out OK, as we made a substantial dent in the feast.
A Korean restaurant having tortillas on the menu might sound out of the ordinary, but the subtle blending of Korean and Mexican flavors worked well together. If you’re someone who likes to try new things, Ilsong Garden has an experience for you. Just keep in mind that excessive leftovers could result in an additional charge, so bring your appetite.
Find it: 6905 Blanco Road, San Antonio, TX 78216