TaKOs Koreanos fuses Korean, Mexican cuisine

CHICAGO (WLS) -- When you see the corn tortillas you think, oh, Mexican joint. But then you see the kimchi and rice, and you think, wait, Korean? It's a little bit of both at TaKOs Koreanos in Ravenswood, where the owners felt the two cuisines complemented each other.

"There's a lot of Chinese, Thai and Korean now and just goes very well," said owner Phillip Yoon.

Eggs play a big role on part of the menu, becoming savory omelets embedded with chicken, spicy pork or beef, and some kimchi, of course, along with a side of Korean-style potato salad. Guacamole gets a dollop of mildly spicy kimchi, as do the kimchi fries. Yoon says he's purposely toned down the fiery, funky elements of his cabbage kimchi for the less-adventurous. It shows up in fried rice, alongside those tacos, and there's also the option of three sauce at the table: chipotle-mayo, salsa verde or spicy habanero.

"I believe that with any food, sauce is key and with any soup, broth is key. So even though we have good meats we kind of give it extra flair, give it extra oomph with the sauces," said Yoon.

Sesame seeds and sesame oil also play starring roles here, but Yoon says beginners shouldn't worry, he's already toned down some of the more aggressive seasonings in his first six months.

"I wanna feed as many different people from different ages as possible. It's fun and it's limitless," Yoon said.

There are also quesadillas and Korean banh mi sandwiches, if you don't feel like tacos or rice bowls.

Takos Koreanos

1706 W. Foster Ave.

773-654-1220