Meat The KBBQ Burrito: Bulgogi, Kimchi Fried Rice & Banchan
In the realm of fusion cuisine, Korean and Mexican food stand out as particularly versatile cuisines. The often spicy, sweet, and salty profile of Korean food lends itself quite well in almost any dish. Mexican food, equally as distinct and delicious, holds a number of dishes that can act as a platform for any ingredient. Tacos, burritos, tortas, and so many more dishes, are flexible options that can technically be filled with anything under the sun. At the Long Beach Exchange, the Korean BBQ experts at Marinate have combined all these wonderful elements in their new Bulgogi Burrito, which will be available for a limited time.
The casual KKBQ joint is known for their juicy bulgogi, rib eye beef that’s been marinated in Korean spices and thinly sliced. They use Los Angeles staple’s Quarters Korean BBQ house marinade, and cook up the beef on a giant, open fire grill right in front of you — a perfect visual to really coax your appetite.
After being grilled, a generous portion of the bulgogi is paired with homemade kimchi fried rice and gets nestled all in a warm tortilla. Fried egg and cheese round out the default fillings appropriately, making for a complete and satisfying burrito.
From there, it’s up to you. Marinate has a host of banchan (Korean side dishes) that can be added to any burrito, like kimchi and pickled radishes. Fresh veggies, like corn, shredded carrots, and cucumbers, can, and should, be added as the dose of freshness creates a perfect balance. You can also punctuate the whole experience with any of Marinate’s five sauces, like the Korean favorite ssamjang.
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And, in other Marinate-related news, the restaurant will be teaming up with Stephanie Lee, who is a founding member of the first Youth Susan G. Komen Foundation. Mrs. Lee, a senior at Village Christian School in Sun Valley, CA, is in the process of designing a food truck with a Korean-based menu that will focus on foods that can help with breast cancer.
“When my grandmother, who raised me, was diagnosed with breast cancer, the only form of support I felt I had in my power was to help keep her in prime health to take the treatments, as well as making the journey at least a bit more bearable. I read hundreds of articles to do my part in researching what foods would help her improve health as well as recover from breast cancer. I read research on ursolic acid and its potential benefits in battling cancer.”
It’s with this research that she hopes to build the menu off of. But, for now, she’ll start by partnering with the Marinate food truck, which will be running behind Quarters Korean BBQ in Los Angeles, CA on October 17th. The truck will be selling bulgogi bowls as well as bulgogi tacos, and will be donating a percentage of their sales, from 5PM to 9PM, to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
So, it looks like there’s multiple reasons to go get some bulgogi in the coming days. Whether you’re coming for the burritos or for the cause, it’s surely destined to be delicious.
Created in partnership with 6th Ave Restaurant Group.
