Korilla BBQ

i bought into the hype and then bit in… tasty. no doubt about it.
the Chipotle-​influenced eatery (and the the original food trucks of course) have been slinging Korean eats in Mexican disguise for quite a while and succeeding at creating a very active social media fanbase. hello Instagram for one…
the «kimcheese» smothered fries are delicious. how can you go wrong when you combine waffle fries (YAS!), melted cheese, kimchi, nori, scallion. a definite recommend if you’re in the EV (east village). however at $ 7 (+ tax + tip) is steep and feels up-​charged like a mofo – i mean there’s no meat, so Y SO ‘SPENSIVE? so a burrito (like $ 10) + fries is going to be like $ 20 meal… nah, bruh. again delicious a medium-​sized (at best) pile of fries… not no c/​heap seewhatididthere
onto burritos. do this. bypass the chi’k’n and get the other white meat, spicy PORK aka KBBQ pork? scared, what are you CHICKEN? seewhatididthere. the pork is flavorful and chunky – need mo’ fat content as it can be DRY at different parts of the day or when they refresh since it’s not made to order but is scooped from a hot-​sectioned bar like Chipotle by a Korilla employee. the chikn i found to be meh. that said burrito + sticky rice (sushi) OR the bacon fried rice + cheese + pico + korean sweet black beans + korilla mildNsmoky sauce = a filling burrito (almost a meal and a half) of mouthwatering proportions. however here is the skinny if you opt for bacon fried rice. it’s a dollar upcharge. ugh. and if you order the sushi grade rice, the folks here tend to have a heavy hand with it bc it’s filler in a burrito. trust me i am a rice lover. there’s often way too much SUSHI rice in the burritos which blands out the other premium ingredients that they don’t over-​serve into the burrito like the pork or cheese (so i think this is a costing gimmick. the «too much“rice makes the burritos look overstuffed in pics but it steals flavor from the burrito as a whole. the last time i had a burrito here. i took it home. unwrapped the burrito. there was like island-​sized block of rice that had not soaked in all the meat, sauce, pico, cheese… so scooped out like a ¼ to ¹⁄₃ of the rice and rewrapped the burrito and it was delicious. but wait, shouldn’t Korilla pay me for that? lol plus i had some rice left over to snack on later. i get the thriftiness and wanting to save money & make money… however it’s not like i don’t get rice is huge filler of the burrito that they rely on, but i’d prefer more MEAT n CHEESE yo!
let’s TACO about the tacos. good. not great. worth the $ 9-​$ 11ish (tax n tip) for 3. idk. tacos «errywhere» these days are totally overpriced. seriously overpriced. so $ 3 – 4 per taco ain’t a great deal unless it’s a spectacular taco. other folks might feel different.
the service. pretty good. however the staff seems uneven and strange at times. some people seem really happy to be working at Korilla others don’t. it doesn’t seem like they have best practices for staff training and customer services – just an observation. for example, the last time i was there they were having credit card issues (this seems to be a frequent issue) and the cashier had to hand input my card number to charge me. when i asked for my receipt which i received promptly and i asked about signing and putting in the tip. the cashier was like «don’t worry about it» and i was like «uh ok» and thought to myself guess his coworkers don’t want a tip. anyway not a big deal, but weird.
ambience? a smallish space. narrow. modern. relatively clean. small two-​tops as you walk through with more table/​seating opportunities in the back. i take my food to-​go when i grab food here. lots of light woods. metal. muted tone. and tasteful illustrations. not very busy aesthetic. clean eyes, no distractions from the food.
one thing that Korilla has mastered is utilizing social media and power food bloggers across instagram, twitter, Unilocal,etc. the food porn game is something they are fully invested in as these folks are generating a lot of hype bc Korilla has befriended them or vice-​versa. in a way i think it’s artful and cool that KB has built a media machine since the days of it just being a food trucks years ago. as a person who has to take the temp in social often work-​wise, it also feels a little «icky» bc it feels very you scratch my back i’ll scratch yours. nothing nefarious going on here. however it’s why i think the «hype» is always in effect.
KB is a solid 3.5 STARS (but i’ll give them 4 stars and revisit this review).
Korilla BBQ is no longer the «new kids on the block» and at times doesn’t have «the right stuff» ((seewhatididthere HA!)), so things should be a bit more smoothed out in terms of food and service.
all jokes aside i wish Korilla BBQ the best. they have quite a following, so they are doing a lot of things excellently.
drops mic bc i need both hands to re-​roll this burrito.
i out.
zzz

Loved it every time! Since I’m a big fan of Korean food to begin with, it made me even more excited to try it out. I had this twice already and it’s still so good! Definitely a must try place if you and your friends can’t decide where to eat when you’re around the area.
P.S: Ricebowl with their Korilla sauce is bomb!

Great place to taste simple Korean food. Similar to Chipotle. Sauces are great. Fresh and clean. No alcohol!!. But it ‘s good overall.
Try the rice bowl, spicy pork with the Korilla sauce. Not spicy. mild flavor. Kimchi was good. Not spicy. very comfortable food to eat.
Great place for a take out.

TRUST THIS KOREAN GIRLS TASTE BUDS…
My go to spot when I am craving something quick, cheap, and delicious. You can not go wrong with their spicy bbq pork. Just typing that out is making me crave for it right now. It’s not too spicy, but has a nice sweet, salty, and spicy flavor to it. I religiously order from them through seamless on a once a week basis, if not-​twice a week. Delivery is always quick, and the delivery person is so friendly, as well.
Their rice bowls give you the perfect amount of rice, protein, and veggies. Order like me and you will not go wrong with your rice bowl meal. This is what I always get in my order:
forbidden rice
spicy pork
extra pork (TRUST ME, REQUEST MORE)
cucumber kimchi (for all the 3 toppings)
fried egg
side of Korilla sauce (creamy dipping sauce for pork)
It is such a satisfying meal, perfect amount of food, and keeps you coming back for more.
One thing disappointing to me is that they discontinued their Korchata drinks. It was their version of a Korean sweet rice drink called «sikhye» mixed w/​horchata. PLEASE BRING IT BACK, I PROMISE TO BUY 5 A DAY! Thank you for always feeding my Seoul.

I’ve been working in the area almost 5 years and only now have come around to trying this place. I chose the vegan options and had a really full plate and I’d say it was good value. I know I’m not in the majority but I’m really not a fan of warm rice, hot tofu, and ice cold sides all piled on top of each other. Either the dish is hot or cold but not both. I really wasn’t liking the sides and left most of the mushrooms and kale. The guys behind the counter were helpful in answering my vegan questions but I can’t say I have any desire to come back here.

Chipotle is always my go to place when I’m hungry and can’t decide to what to eat. So I decided to check this place out since it’s like a Korean version of Chipotle. The place is small with limited seating. The layout is just like Chipotle when you go to order.
I had a little something to eat prior to coming here, so unfortunately I wasn’t able to go all out. I had the Tofu salad bowl which was good, except the tofu was a bit soggy. I believe it was sitting in the sauce too long while it was out. The boyfriend ordered bulgogi burrito which was yummy. Def recommend the bulgogi. We also ordered the kimchi fries which is worth getting. The kimchi fries is large so it’s better to share. Just be careful if you end up taking the kimichi fries to go. The bottom of the box became oily after awhile when we ended up taking the fries to go cause we couldn’t finish it. I would recommend getting kimchi fried rice with bulgogi in a bowl to get the most out of the meal… only if you can handle all that kimichi!
The only thing was the customer before me ordered a burrito and added a lot of toppings. The worker tried very hard to close the burrito before wrapping it in aluminum foil, but everything kept falling out since it was overstuffed. She was going to get another wrap and I think she was going to add to the overstuffed burrito, but another worker stepped in to assist. The other worker basically closed the burrito by shoving the open end of the burrito towards the bottom so he can quickly wrap the aluminum foil to save it. I didn’t see the customer actually eat it, but I would assume it would have been quite a mess when the customer opened it. It’s great that they’re generous with their portions but if it’s not a burrito anymore if everything falls apart. I would suggest to be careful how much stuff you add if you’re ordered the burrito.

This place was so delicious! I’ve always seen the food truck around the city and was actually routing for them on the great American food truck race on food network. I decided today would be the day I tried this fascinating please and I will definitely be going back there!
I got a rice bowl with marinated chicken, mushrooms, bean sprouts and pico de gallo. Absolutely delicious. I have to say the hot sauce (k’lla) is f#^%^ hot! Make sure you have about 4 full water bottles with you and tissues. Still had a great taste!

When I heard about this place from a friend, I was ecstatic!
KOREAN CHIPOTLE?! WHAT?! I’M DOWN!
Came here for dinner with my other friend on a Friday night. Surprisingly, it was empty! It does have limited seating, so I would recommend coming at an off-​time/​take it to go/​you might just get lucky enough to get seats!
We decided to share the spicy pork rice bowl with purple rice, honey smashed squash, pico de gallo, korilla sauce and monterrey jack cheese, considering it is a big portion and I’m glad I did! I would have been so stuffed. If you have a big appetite, I’m sure this will fulfill it! I also got the famous korchata mentioned.
For me, I definitely enjoyed the honey smashed squash the most, since I can only tolerate mild spicy food. If you can only handle mild spicy food, I would not recommend the spicy pork. I never tried purple rice and I’m glad I gave it a try. It has an interesting consistency. I would definitely recommend getting the purple rice if you’re feeling a little adventurous with your rice.
Me and my friend decided the korchata was just okay, nothing really outstanding. It tasted like sweetened soy milk. However, it did balance the spiciness and saltiness of the food with the sweetness of the drink. You will definitely need a drink with your food, so I would recommend this to go along with it!
Definitely get the honey smashed squash and the purple rice! They are sooo goood!
I also love how they play some of their songs from a few years back for the music. It definitely brings back memories!
Service was great and so was the food! I will definitely come back again!
This definitely beats Chipotle in my book!

Delicious!
Ordered Kimcheese Fries, Spicy Pork Rice Bowl w/​Sticky Rice, Monterrey Jack Cheese, Cucumber Kimchi, Sweet Black Beans, Honey Smashed Squash, Korchata, AND Tiger Balls!
The flavor, service, and atmosphere are amazing.
Love their Korilla sauce too!

First stop in our NYC Burrito Tour, definitely not your typical burrito joint but I guess you would expect that from the name, if not the tiger stripes on the outside of the building.
We were the first people in here at almost 1pm, which surprised me but I can’t say I was disappointed in the level of service that resulted. The guy behind the counter could tell my sister and I were new at the Korean bbq/​taco thing so he gave us a few pointers. This is what we ended up with: Burrito with Bulgogi, Fried Rice, Monterey Jack Cheese, Pico, Red Kimchi, Sweet Black Beans, Umami ‘Shrooms, and Korilla (chipotle) Sauce. Like I said, different than what you’ve ever had before but it was actually super flavorful and all the components worked so well together. Tender bulgogi, that crunchy kick from the kimchi, smokey sauce and the extra punch from the mushrooms. I need to have this again.
There are so many combinations you could end up with, it keeps the experiences unique and different every time. Big fan Korilla!

I should have stuck with Unilocal and gotten the korilla BOWL… Instead, I ordered a burrito and watched vengefully as the BF chowed down his bowl like it was armageddon.
Definitely BOWL over burrito.
The Korrila sauce is amazing. Korean styled chipotle is the best way to describe the food. Kimchi comes fresh. Great fast food option in St Marks. Don’t expect fantastic, friendly service though.

Yum yum yum, Definitely my new addiction. If you like Korean food and Chipotle then you will LOVE Korilla because like what most fellow Unilocalers stated this is the Korean Chipotle! Just wonderful when you are craving for Korean food.
I love the fact that like Chipotle, Korilla is quick and fulling. Once you walk in you see their menu board and if you have bad vision like me or prefer to look at a paper menu they have it on the table right below the blackboard menu.
You can customize your meal from a choice of a burrito, tacos, chompers or a bowl. I have tried only the bulgogi but I think I am going to keep this as my number one choice because the marinade was on point and was very well juicy (I normally don’t really like bulgogi from most Korean restaurants I prefer kalbi). I also like how they have sticky rice and purple rice (I personally like purple rice). For veggies Korilla offers like most authentic Korean restaurants they offer similar sides/​veggies like different types of kimchi, bean sprouts, kale and monterey jack cheese and chopped up tomatoes like Chipotle and other unique choices ! Also their signature Korilla sauce is delicious! I am someone who can’t really eat too spicy and do not prefer spiciness to be mixed onto my rice. If you are someone who likes more spicy you can also try their other sauces.
Luckily Korilla was thoughtful enough to describe each of their product. I was looking forward to trying their signature horchata rice milk cinnamon drink but it was sold out the last two times I was here but I would definitely come back for it !
My only complain is that there is very limited seats so not suitable for group dinners. There is three 2 seat tables and back 3 tables that can fit around 3 people or so per table. I am a bit disappointed because they open at noon but overall food and service is a PLUS!

Korean BBQ with a chipotle set up, who could ask for more?
My burrito bowl had half sticky rice and half purple which was a good combo. The bulgogi was tender, well flavored, and a heaping portion! I picked all the kimchi sides– cabbage, sprouts, and cuke. Paired with BBQ and Korean spicy sauce = delicious! The KO (orangade and yuzu) was deliciously refreshing. Korchata has a little too much cinnamon for me.
Oh and don’t forget the kimcheese fries! Waffle fries loaded with nacho cheese, kimchi, scallions, nori — amazing!
A quick go-​to in St Marks!

I came here Sunday afternoon in between shifts looking to enjoy a korrilla burrito.
Food: 5 stars
The spicy pork burrito was really good. Meat was cooked and seasoned well. The flavors were all there.
Service: –4 stars
Who hired these people? Maybe it was just the people who worked there on sun ¹¹⁄₂₂ at 4:15pm. I came in between my bar shifts just to take a break from rude customers. I walked in to workers complaining about working there, complaining about tips, complaining about being alive… My burrito was wrapped with sauce all over it. Learn how to wrap a burrito before you start complaining. Some girl said there shouldn’t be an option at the register for «no tips». Everyone wants to get tipped out for everything nowadays. Unless you get $ 4/​hr and provide service in a restaurant, don’t expect to get tips for punching in numbers. I’m not expecting a 3 Michelin star experience, but at least do your job right.
No standards, no professionalism. I probably get better service from the McD’s next door.

Korean Chipotle?! Im down!
My server had a little bit of an attitude, but she gave me a lot of rice, topping, meat, and sauce. What a great trade!
I got the rice bowl with sticky rice with kalbi steak and korilla sauce. It was spicy enough to get my tongue burning and my forehead sweating, but I’d like the full experience next time with the max spiciness. As for the toppings, I forgot which ones I got because I had asked for my original four, but they told me they didnt have some of them. So i opted for my next choices and they didnt have those either. They should either stock up or update the menu.

I’m surprised it took me so long to write a review for Korilla. Many a late night, I walked past it thinking it was a hoity toity fancy fusion restaurant with frills and long waits. Instead when I finally decided to walk in, I found Korilla to be one of the simplest, delicious, and fresh «fast food» in the city. While the service is quick, it would be a travesty to describe this place as another «Chipotle.» Sure, you go through a line where you pick your protein and sides and carbs and etc, but the unique flavors and fresh ingredients found in all of their options elevates their game. Ranging from several varieties of kimchis to authentically marinated meats, this is the perfect place to get addicted to Korea-​Mex fusion.
My first time at Korilla my gf suggested the Tiger Balls. These fried aranccini (I don’t know how to spell it) balls were delicious. The spicy mayo sauce that it came with were perfect and the price was unbelievable. My next flirtatious encounter with Korilla happened through Postmates. I am usually a big critic of food delivery — if you can’t give your customer the perfect quality of food you could provide in your restaurant, don’t extend your hand. But Korilla amazed me by bringing piping hot rice bowls and the ominously, extravagantly savory Kimcheese fries. Topped with bulgogi, pico de gallo, cheese, and other lovelies, the Kimcheese fries is a heavenly dish. If you love nachos or just food in general, this is a must to accompany whatever you order.
I also recently had the pleasure of joining Korilla at their 1 year anniversary party. The super lovely Jean invited us to celebrate with them. Their new collaboration item with Barkdog, the Korean Hotdog, is phenomenal. The sausage is wrapped in bacon and slathered with a coating of kimchi pickles and green sauce (and cheese and salsa and what not). I was very tempted to shove them in my pocket and take a couple home with me. Eddie Song, the creator and owner of Korilla, was one of the most down-​to-​earth dudes I have met. We talked a bit about his beginnings with Korilla and the restaurant business as a whole.
To sum up, Korilla is a place with not only really good food, but also really great people. This will forever be one of my favorite eateries in New York City.

Korean Chipotle. If that wasn’t enough to encourage you to try this place, here are some more details. You have your similar set up of rice bowl, salad bowl, burrito, etc with choice of protein and toppings.
What I recommend: You must try the Kalbi here, it is marinated well and is very flavorful. Thirsty? Give their Korchata a try, its a sweeter version of milk with hints of cinnamon. Not into dairy? No problem! Try their juices!
Clean restaurant in the heart of St. Marks with friendly staff. Give it a try, you won’t regret it.

The food here was so much. And I don’t just mean so much in portion (although portions were quite generous). I mean it was so much in flavoring that I couldn’t continue eating after a couple of bites. The individual flavors are very well seasoned, though the chicken was a bit dry for my taste. When combining all these flavors (cheese, kimchi, bacon, chicken, salsa, more kimchi, etc. aka spicy, sour, sweet, and salty all at once) together, the rice bowls and the fries were honestly just too much. Eating the food tonight made me yearn for a more simple meal. I love Mexican and I love Korean, but I’m not sure I would opt to eat these two together like this again anytime soon. I would not recommend this to anyone who’s somewhat health conscious. Sure, you can order sides like kale and corn, but they’re overpowered by the flavors from the rest of the bowl.
Also, I ordered delivery via caviar, and the food was completely cold by the time it got here. There were also no utensils.

Am I a fan of cheating?
No, unless you are referring to cheating those prize machines with the giant claws trying to nab a stuff toy. F U vending machine!
Am I a fan of Great American Food Truck Race?
Yes, only because I like street meat not to be confused with meat on the street. I am also a fan of trucks.
Do I dream of anything involving tacos at night?
If you don’t know that answer then you needing to be reading this any further…
Enter KORILLA BBQ.
I ordered Bacon Kimchee Fried Rice per recommendation from friends. I ordered Kalbi because it sounded cool. I ordered Red Kimchee because it just sounded good. I ordered the Korilla sauce… I have no idea why I ordered the Korilla sauce. Sike, that sh*t was good.
The flavor complex was delicious. If you order the same combination as me try on different sauces. I think I would have liked it better with more heat (spiciness).
Naturally, I also ordered the Tiger Balls. The balls man was sooo good. The crunchy exterior with the tender rice interior was excellent. To wash this all down, I ordered the Korchata which is Korilla’s version of horchata. Personally, I like it just as much as I do with horchata. The rice flavor was rich, cinnamon tones and sweetness to round it out.
These guys are opened until late on most days.
FAN.

This place is like a chipotle-​style restaurant, but Mexican-​Korean fusion style. I tried the kimcheese fries which were so awesome. Ya’ll need to try: They were waffle fries topped with kimchi and cheese and pico de gallo, and a bit of shredded seaweed. I tasted both Korean and Mexican and thought it went well together!
Other than that, the chipotle– style rice bowls menu was organized – pick a protein, pick your rice, and pick the toppings. I tried a bit of the bulgogi and it wasn’t the best rice bowl ever, but still pretty good (though I definitely tasted more Korean than Korean-​mexican).