Admittedly, I never really liked Hankook and since Takorea is essentially the same food, well I don't like it much either.
Takorea/Hankook's success exemplifies Atlanta's ability to latch on to a trend and perpetuate it into a mass success. In the end, the food doesn't matter so long as the concept is creative (I hesitate to call it that).
Korean/Mexican fusion is a wonderful idea and one that Hankook/Takorea obviously ganked from LA's Kogi BBQ. If you've ever had the opportunity to try Kogi, you'd know how good korexican could be. In the end, Tokorea exhibits little attention to detail. All of the ingredients are there, but the execution is poor.
The takos mainly hit one note. The ribeye needs caramelization aka better flavor development. The sauces need focus on subtle, popping, and complimentary flavors - not beat-you-over-the-head sweetness. The fried items (shrimp, calamari, japanese sweet potatoes) need a lighter, crispier batter. I would have rather eaten the japanese sweet potato naked than their limp, fried (they called it tempura) rendition. The sweet chili aioli dipping sauce was stupidly good.
Your best bet at Takook is the Alton Brown touted bibimbap. While not nearly as good as Woo Nam Jeong, it'll do the trick in a pinch.
The cooks need to try some Kogi to see where they're missing the mark. Again, the concept/menu is great, but they're completely flubbing on the food.
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YAY! An excellent review - write more!!!!!
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