In the City that Never Sleeps, Neither Does Korilla BBQ.

 Constantly on the prowl, our featured truck of the week comes to you from New York.

In a city where most residents don’t own one vehicle, Korila BBQ needs three to meet the demand of hungry New Yorkers. Korean / Mexican fused dishes have become a staple in the new wave of street food. Prepared with Korean ingredients like Bulgogi and served in traditional Mexican packages like tacos and burritos, this cultural hybrid is a favorite by any foodie’s standard.  To help such foodies get a closer look, we caught up with the members of Team Korilla:

 

RH: What is the funniest thing that has happened to you inside a food truck?

Korilla: At Team Korilla, the funniest moments are actually the most dangerous moments we just laugh off. Starting off we had many a funny moment with propane. I remember lighting our grill with the propane on full blast and having a ball of fire burn my left arm right up to t-shirt sleeve.

Steve, our other partner and TGFTR celebrity, also had a propane-ful experience. We couldn’t tell if he was mad because his eyebrows were completely burned off and his nose redder than a drunk Rudolph. Eventually, we understood the meaning of trial by fire.

Paul, also a reality tv starlet and partner, was the last one to be initiated by way of arm on fire.  In the early days we tried to keep it real, and by real it was a complete farce. We signed up for this and as responsible owners obviously had Korilla health care – Neosporin, band-aid and a healthy dose of Nelson brand  HA-HA.

 

RH: What is your favorite “food trade” with another truck?

Korilla: Ah yes, the perks of being a food trucker. You can never go hungry and there’s never a lack of tasty variety. We routinely swap food with Bian Dang, Taim, Souvlaki GR, Dessert Truck, Eddie’s Pizza Truck, Frites-n-Meats,  Mexicue, Big D’s Grub, Bongo Bros, Red Hook Lobster, and during the summer especially with Ralph’s Ices, Kelvin Slush and Van Leeuwen’s. The best is when we’re at events and it becomes a food orgy.

 

RH: What part of food trucking did you think would be popular that ended up not being so (locations, trends, menu items)?

Korilla: Bribery with food.

 

RH: Where is the street food culture heading?

Korilla: Having traveled across the country, I realize each city is in a different phase and each city has legislators with a different outlook on street food culture.

The mature cities like LA and NYC, where the food truck scene is over-saturated,  are seeing backlashes due to competition and a grey area in the law. In NYC, there will be a significant game changer in legislation soon and could end up choking the industry.

This isn’t always the case for mature cities; Portland’s food truck scene is a lot more sustainable with their pods. Nascent cities like those in Tennessee and Kansas just started writing up legislation as of last summer and, I believe, will thrive.

Some cities just aren’t having it, making it economically and/or physically impossible to maintain a vibrant street food culture. At the end of the day, by nature street food culture is dynamic and I believe innovation will overcome the status quo. Case in point, we’re on our way to brick and mortar stores following the lead of many a predecessor.

 

RH: What on your menu MUST I try?

Korilla: Everything is probably what most people do.

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