Namu's Korean Tacos

Fusion. In the early to mid ’90s, I was all about fusion. When I wanted to impress Mrs. Stomach (then a new girlfriend), I took her to The House. “It’s in North Beach but they’re mixing up Chinese, Korean and California ingredients! Crazy!” When my relatives came to visit, I hoped for a dinner at Flying Saucer. “Please, stack my food as high as possible as that will make it more delicious.” When a friend owed me a meal for helping with a move, Cafe Kati was the spot. “What? They’re doing a Caterpillar Roll with a reduction sauce? I’m there!” But sometime during the late ’90s, my tastes, along with the tastes of many San Franciscans, began to change. Don’t get me wrong, despite my teasing, fusion could be delicious, as it was at the three aformentioned restaurants (and don’t forget that Cafe Kati and The House are still thriving). It just got tired. So as both the food gliteratti and my friends simultaneously started talking up Asian taco trucks and carts, I was hesitant to jump in line. I’m glad that I finally did.

A Trio Of Kung Fu Tacos

Found at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, Namu’s Korean tacos successfully push the limits of food gimmickry. Instead of a tortilla, Namu uses a sheet of toasted seaweed as its foundation. This brilliant innovation ensures the perfect crunch with every bite but without feeling like a midwestern school cafeteria hard-shell taco. Loaded on top are kalbi short ribs, seasoned rice and kimchee salsa. I am a kimchee lover so the salsa totally works for me but even dissenters of kimchee, no friends of mine, should be fine. It’s not crazy pungent. The total bite tastes like your favorite Korean BBQ but without the self- cooking, the frenzied crowds and the unwashable stench on your clothes that makes others think that you’ve been pulling bong hits all night. Take a plastic fork as the seaweed can only hold up for so long and you’ll want to scarf every last bit of the kalbi. Not that you’ve been pulling bong hits.

Kung Fu Taco

My friend Doug, a successful attorney who could be a professional chef, turned me on to Kung Fu Tacos. Kung Fu parks most weekdays in the lot of the now closed Jeanty at Jack’s on Sacramento St. downtown. Now, if a Chinese taco truck successfully doing strong Financial District business next to a shuttered, three-story French restaurant isn’t a sign of the times, what is? At noon on a recent weekday, the line was six-deep but moving rapidly. I chose three tacos: the Roast Duck, the BBQ Pork and the Mushu Veggie. As Doug had promised, the Roast Duck taco was basically Peking Duck in a tortilla. Make that really good Peking Duck in a tortilla. How can you go wrong with Peking Duck in a tortilla? Great stuff and my Kung Fu favorite. The Mushu Veggie tacos consisted of Shitake mushrooms, carrots and cabbage tossed with “Asian salsa”. I don’t know what Asian salsa is but I do know that the crunch of the veggies mixed with the heat of the salsa made for a yummy few bites. I’d actually eat this before the duck taco as I’d enjoy the sweetness of the duck after the heat of the veggies. Kind of like a duck dessert. I wasn’t as wild about the pork taco mainly because it tasted too similar to the duck but minus the lusciousness. I’d rather just order another duck.

So I don’t just “get” the Asian taco trend, I completely embrace it. My only quibble is the price. The tacos sound reasonable at $2-$3 each but they’re really small. It would take 4-5 of either Namu’s or Kung Fu’s tacos to fill up The Urban Stomach. Maybe 3-4 for a regular stomach. You do the math. Do Peking Duck and Kalbi replace Carnitas and Carne Asada as my favorite taco fillings? No way! I’m a traditionalist. But they’re still damn tasty. And a little fusion every decade or so never hurt anyone.

Namu
Ferry Plaza Outdoor Farmers Market
Thursday (in front): 10:00 AM-2:00 PM, Saturday (in back) 8:00 AM-2:00 PM
Follow on Twitter: @namusf
Korean Taco $3 or 2 for $5
Tacos also available at Namu Restaurant
439 Balboa Street (at 6th Ave.)
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-386-8332

Kung Fu Tacos
Follow on Twitter: @kungfutacos
Website
Usually on Sacramento between Kearny and Montgomery, Monday-Friday between 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM
Peking Duck Taco $3, BBQ Duck Taco $3, Mushu Veggie Taco $2

Is there such a thing as a curry high? After my first experience tonight with the Magic Curry Kart, I’d say yes and, three hours later at 1:30 AM, I still haven’t come down. Some background: During the past year, San Francisco has seen an explosion in food carts, especially in the Mission District. Most of these carts are run by one or two people who post their whereabouts on Twitter and/or their own blog. Brian Kimball, who operates the Magic Curry Kart, helped to start the street food trend when, hoping to make a little extra money, he started making curry in front of his apartment using a makeshift cooking setup. As word of an almost mythical “curry guy” spread, the crowds gathered quickly.

Cut to one year later. The Magic Curry Kart has evolved into a two burner, two rice cooker mobile machine. I was thrilled to learn from Brian’s tweets that the cart would be on 16th near Mission as I was getting off at the 16th St. BART station on my way home from the Warriors game (where the food sucks by the way). At 10:45, Brian had just finished setting up the cart and asked me to put my name on a list indicating what type of curry I’d like. Tonight’s choice was simple: Chicken red curry or Vegetable red curry. I opted for the chicken and was rewarded with a bowl of perfectly spiced, expertly cooked curry. Unlike the stringy pieces commonly found at Thai restaurants, the chicken was cut into small chunks The vegetables snapped perfectly in my mouth. The Kart’s curry is on the creamier side, how I like it, and the rice becomes well coated so that you still get many forkfuls of flavor after the chicken and vegetables are gone. Brian described the curry as being “medium spicy” yet for the first few bites, I wasn’t feeling it. Then, the heat slowly settled in on my tongue and remained at a perfect level for the remainder of the bowl. I love spicy food but not to the point that all other flavors are drowned out. Magic Curry nailed it.

As I’m beginning to delve into the street food scene, I’m curious to find out if the quality is there or if it’s the novelty that’s attracting the crowds. I have to admit that there was something cool about standing outside in the Mission District on a crisp night while eating from a cart that only some people even know exists. However, the Magic Curry Kart’s curry would make this stomach happy anywhere, anytime. For you early birds, the cart is often out in the afternoon and early evening. Follow the cart on Twitter and check it out.

Magic Curry Kart
$6 for a bowl of curry with rice
Check Twitter for times and locations
www.twitter.com/magiccurrykart
www.magiccurrykart.com