Places: Chi’lantro – Home of the Original Kimchi Fries
Chi’lantro used to be a nice little neighborhood secret before making an appearance on Shark Tank. Now, the once humble food truck has expanded to five locations, but most importantly, they haven’t lost their flair for making incredible, inspired Korean BBQ – and those FANTASTIC kimchi fries.
Bulgogi Burgers Bursting with Brilliance
The very first time I went to Chi’lantro was soon after I moved to Austin more than five years ago. My coworker talked me into taking a “five-minute walk” from our office to the trailer. That walk turned into 20 minutes, but when I bit into my ribeye bulgogi burger, I couldn’t be mad. The burger is topped with your choice of protein – to this day I still go with the ribeye bulgogi, but you can also choose spicy pork, spicy chicken, gluten-free soy-glazed chicken, or marinated tofu.
Once you pick your protein, your burger is loaded with all the essentials: lettuce, tomato, two kinds of cheese (melted cheddar and Monterey jack, if you’re scoring at home), and grilled onions. Chi’lantro then adds their secret sauce, and as the grand finale, you’ll also get a FRIED EGG smack dab on the top. That’s just the base burger. You can add other goodies like guacamole and caramelized kimchi, as well. Just bring your appetite.
Kimchi Fries to Warm the Soul
Chi’lantro’s other main attraction is the “Original Kimchi Fries.” This is honestly enough of a meal by itself. Your bed of fries gets loaded with Korean-style goodness, like caramelized kimchi (duh), onions, cheese, sesame seeds and your choice of protein. That magic sauce also makes another appearance. I don’t know what the magic sauce consists of, but if you told me rainbows, unicorns, and pure joy, I wouldn’t doubt it.
While the burger and kimchi fries are my personal favorites, you really can’t go wrong with anything here. I’ve sampled the wings (yum), the tacos (mmm), the burrito (yes!), and the rice bowl (bowl me over). They’re all incredible and give you that satisfying feeling of a meal well done.
Stop by Chi’lantro and see why the sharks on Shark Tank were going crazy for ‘em. Just remember to bring your credit card, as none of the locations accept cash. Now go forth and eat!
