Chi’Lantro Review

Restaurant: Chi’Lantro
Location: Various (Domain & Downtown)
Phone: (512) 568-0256
Price: $2-$5
Hours: Tues-Wed 11:30am – 9pm, Thurs-Sat 11:30am – 3am

Food (8/10)

(9/10) Spicy Pork Taco
Spicy pork, Korean soy vinaigrette salad with julienne lettuce, onion, cilantro, salsa roja, and roasted sesame seeds, served on double layer corn tortillas and a lime wedge on the side. The flavors of the marinated pork, the vinaigrette, and the dash of lime compliment each other beautifully. The pork was very succulent. We like how Chi’Lantro uses soft corn tortillas because they are healthier than flour ones. Of course, the toss up is that the corn tortillas are a little overpowering. Regardless, every bite was bursting with delicious flavor!

(7/10) Beef Taco
Beef, Korean soy vinaigrette salad with julienne lettuce, onion, cilantro, salsa roja and roasted sesame seeds, served on double layer corn tortillas and a lime wedge on the side. The beef is a bit bland and could have used more marinade, but this is still a nicely executed taco. Read on to see how the next fusion dish fared.

(8/10) Spicy Chicken Taco
Spicy Chicken, Korean soy vinaigrette salad with julienne lettuce, onion, cilantro, salsa roja, and roasted sesame seeds, served on double layer corn tortillas and a lime wedge on the side. The chicken is tasty, tender, and juicy.  The lettuce and sesame seeds add a satisfying crunch and it does not detract from the taste of the spicy but sweet chicken.

(9/10) Kimchi Fries
Caramelized kimchi, bulgogi, cheddar jack & monterey cheese, cilantro, onion, Korean peppers, and spicy orange sauce on top of a bed of french fries. You can choose between chicken, pork, beef and tofu. We chose the pork bulgogi, which had Korean and Mexican inspired toppings. Another wonderful union of flavors! This may seem like a side item, but it could be a lunch on its own and is packed with some serious flavor. The melted cheeses, fresh cilantro and spicy sauce tasted great with the thick french fries. Actually, next time we will ask them to make it a tad less spicy because this had cleared our sinuses. We will be returning for these fries and plan to try more menu items!

Service (8/10)

You place your order from one of the trailer’s windows, and the other window is where you pick up your food after hearing your name. You can also ask for your order to be to-go – they will either saran wrap the cartons or place your food in a container. Chi’Lantro has a large trash can in front of their trailer, in case you eat near by.  The staff is friendly, professional, and they work as swiftly as they can to decrease wait time. They accept cash, and credit cards for a $1 convenience fee. All transactions are completed on their iPad. There was minor confusion over the total amount but the cashier (who we think was the owner) figured it out quickly. We waited about 5-8 minutes to order our food, then got out food about 10 minutes later. We realized after taking the food back to our office that they had forgotten the extra kimchi we requested. They did include napkins and plastic-ware. Overall, we give them two thumbs up for service!

Ambiance (8/10)

Chi’Lantro (Kimchi + Cilantro) has joined the Austin trailer craze to serve Korean Tex-Mex food with a twist. It is truly one of the nicer trailer setups in town. The trailer is large, clean, colorful, and carries an array of items. The giant menu is easy to read, and they offer a variety of Korean and American beverages and snacks. This is probably one of the most high-tech trailers as well because they use an iPad, and tweet daily with their upcoming location. As a bonus, you can enjoy music that plays from their speakers while you wait for your order. Currently, this trailer is at the Domain location twice a week to serve lunch, and all other times they are in the downtown area. Once school is back in session, you can find them near the UT campus as well. Give Chi’Lantro a try and relish the sweet and spicy blend of Mexi-Korean flavors.