Kimchi Taco Truck Chooses Prospect Heights for First Restaurant

Brooklyn-based fans of the legendary Kimchi Taco Truck are in for a tasty surprise: in the next few months, the mobile Korean fusion venture will open a brick-and-mortar location near Grand Army Plaza.

The new spot, dubbed Kimchi Grill, will open on Washington Avenue between Park and Sterling places, and hawk more that just the Korean-inspired tacos that Kimchi Taco Truck is famous for.

“It will be very similar in concept, but it’s going to be less concentrated on the taco,” said Phillip Lee, co-owner and a former manager for the BR Guest restaurant empire. “We’ll be using Korean flavors to accentuate many dishes of the world.”

Though the menu hasn’t yet been hammered out, Lee mentioned the possibility of menu items such as noodles and arancini — both featuring kimchi, of course.

“If you go back to Korea and research what Korea is all about, kimchi is the staple of Korean food. Kimchee and rice are the two things at every meal,” said Lee. “We want to sort of use Korean as the home base. That’s our background.”

The Kimchi Taco Truck hit the streets of New York City last week, debuting a menu featuring kimchi cheesesteaks, kimchi bowls, and, of course, kimchi tacos. They opened on the heels of the Korilla BBQ truck, and the strange Korean-Mexican fusion trend that has been sweeping the nation since at least 2009.

At the helm of the operation is Youngsun Lee, a chef who cut his teeth at Momofuku Noodle Bar in the East Village. The kimchi itself is prepared in house and aged for eight months.

Kimchi Grill’s opening date has not yet been set, but in the meantime Lee said Brooklynites can expect to see the truck in Kings County in the near future.

“We chose Brooklyn because we really love this area,” said Lee. “We’re really into getting in touch with Prospect Heights and Park Slope. And we feel the neighborhoods are in need of another kind of ethnic cuisine.”