The Vatos success story has become the stuff of legend, from their beginnings as a Kickstarter project to their current status as the Korean-Mexican cuisine powerhouse in Korea with four branches open in Seoul. The founders, Korean-Americans who hail from LA and Texas, generally avoid the term “fusion”—they grew up with the diverse flavors that meet on the Vatos menu: galbi short rib tacos, kimchi carnitas fries (you must not leave without ordering this), and the makgeollita, a margarita made with Korean rice ale (careful, it packs a punch). Make a reservation if possible—even on a rainy, winter Monday evening, the wait can still be 30 minutes. We recommend holding out: those kimchi carnitas fries are worth it.
Time Out says
Details
- Address
- Itaewon-ro 15gil 1
- Yongsan-gu
- Seoul
- 140-866
- Transport:
- Itaewon Station (line 6), exit 1
- Price:
- Dishes around 20,000won
- Opening hours:
- Sun–Thurs 11:30am–11pm Fri–Sat 11:30am–12am
Discover Time Out original video