Mexican chefs bring authentic flavor to Korea

By Kim Young-jin

When Peter Chun, chef and co-owner of Mexican restaurant Tomatillo, opened shop near Jonggak Station in Seoul three years ago, he quickly realized he’d made an oversight in building his staff.

None of his cooks, who were all Korean, knew the taste of real Mexican food.

Having grown up in Southern California and trained under a Mexican, Chun knew the recipes by heart. But the cooks were off the mark, especially with the salsa, soups and other components made from scratch.

“The consistency wasn’t there. The chefs were going by the recipe book, but they didn’t know the real taste,” he recalled.

Overwhelmed, he consulted with one of the few Mexican cooks here at the time, who suggested he hire chefs from Mexico City. He contacted a culinary institute there to see if he could drum up interest ― and that’s when business took off.

Chun now has a Mexican head chef at each of his three popular shops, as well as one sous chef, who he says make all the difference in bringing authentic flavor to the local masses. Not only is the job a great professional opportunity, they say, but a once-in-lifetime culinary adventure.

Bringing out the best

Andrea Escutia, head chef at the Jonggak restaurant, is engaged in on ongoing battle with the Korean pepper ― and she thinks she finally has it figured out.

A recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of Pizzolotto, she said Mexico’s vast variety of peppers ― from habanera to jalapeno ― is the only component of her cuisine that hasn’t been readily available in her 15 months here.

“I’ve fried it, grilled it, boiled it, trying to get the taste right,” the 25-year-old said of the Korean variety. “Now I don’t notice that much of a difference.”

Far less difficult for Escutia, a chef with ambitions to open her own restaurant in Mexico, was the decision to travel over 12,000 kilometers to live and cook in Seoul.

“I really wanted to travel and learn about a different culture and food,” she said.

Like all the chefs Chun brings over, Escutia applied at the Korean Embassy in Mexico City for an E-7 visa, mainly issued for positions difficult to fill with Korean workers. The process is not easy, as it requires a diploma from their culinary school as well as a resume in Korean.

The Mexican Embassy here says six chefs are currently in Korea on the visa, four with Tomatillo.

Though she admitted a bit of culture shock upon seeing the strange symbols of a new language, Escutia felt immediately comfortable tweaking Chun’s recipes to bring out the flavors as only a Mexican chef could.

Thanks to her, the salsa is now made with a mix of grilled and boiled tomatoes. Shrimp is a choice for burritos and fajitas, which now come with a tangy cilantro sauce. Customers can request their burritos smothered in enchilada sauce ― or “wet.”

“She has basically made Tomatillo the way it is right now,” said Chun, who attributed the improvements as much to her work ethic as culinary skills. “I love her to death.”

The chefs said coming to Korea was a good financial opportunity was well.

“It’s a bit more money,” said Eduardo Cornejo, 26, who arrived here two weeks ago on Escutia’s recommendation. “There are too many chefs in Mexico and the pay is not that good.

“But it’s good for my life experience and my resume, too,” he added.

Recipe for success

Foodies may be quick to point out that Tomatillo’s fare ― comprised of a wide range of burritos, tacos, quesadillas and other dishes ― is not exactly Mexican food, but more in line with what’s served in the United States. Even Chun describes it as “Tex-Mex,” a fusion of Mexican and the cuisine of the American Southwest.

For those interested in authentic dishes, the chefs offer biweekly specials at all its locations that bring Mexican offerings such as enchiladas, ceviche, enfrijoladas (tortillas with bean sauce) and tacos al pastor (tacos with slow-cooked meat).

A taste of Tomatillo’s flautas ― crisp multicolored tortillas filled with slow-cooked meat ­ provides evidence of their expertise. The crunch of the shell quickly dissipates to give way to the savory meat, whose spices are nicely balanced by guacamole.

Escutia has even taken the challenge of working elbow-to-elbow with Koreans ― in the height of a lunch rush ― in stride.

“I’m a good mime. I’ve learned the names of all the ingredients in Korean. If you come in, you're probably going to hear Korean, English and Spanish,” she said.

She said the best part of her time here has been exploring Asian cuisine, with an eye towards one day bringing the local flavor to her compatriots back home. She has even learned to make kimchi, Korea’s staple side dish.

She admitted, however, a bump in the road ― one caused by an old friend.

“Once, I tried to make chile relleno (stuffed peppers). But the Korean pepper was way too thin. I tried to fry it but the cheese went everywhere,” she said with a laugh.

The incident, however, would not deter her effort to help Mexican cuisine grow here.

“It’s beginning to get popular,” she said. “And like any other cuisine, if you have a real chef of the food, that makes all the difference.”

In addition to the Jonggak store, Tomatillo is located in the Mirae Asset Center One building and the Gangnam Finance Center. For more information visit www.tomatillo.co.kr.