Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine (CLOSED)

Location: 

Business/Organization Type: 

Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine
2F Sejeon World Plaza
Jwa-dong, Haeundae-gu, Busan
Line #2, Jangsan Subway Stop (exit #3)
Map Here
051-701-5199
Hours: 
Monday ~ Thrsday : PM 3~ AM 1:00
Friday ~ Saturday : PM 12:00 ~ AM 2:00
Sunday : PM 12:00 ~ AM 12:00

 

Comments

Re: Kimchi Mexican Grill -- is it still open???

Can anyone confirm that the Kimchi Mexican Grill is still open?

I have been calling weekdays, noon and evening, but never an answer.

Could it be that they are only open on Weekends?

 I called (051-701-5199) 

Several friends and I would like to go for lunch this Saturday.

Re: Kimchi Mexican Grill -- is it still open???

Hello...

I read ur comment and call that phone number, and lady answered.

and i ask what time they open

week:12pm-2am

weekend:12pm-4am

and she said she just start that restarant.^^

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

I live real close to it and peeked inside last week but it was closed, mind you this was around 10 am. It was fully stocked and looked as if it was still in business. I acutally think it just opened. I dont recall seeing the hello kimchi sign before I saw it for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  I plan on going there Saturday as well.

 

 

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

I have yet to have any decent Mexican food at a restaurant in Korea.  I am extremely skeptical about this joint.  I've just been hosed too many times.

Is there anyone out there who actually knows Mexican food who can vouch for this place?  Hopefully someone who has lived or spent time in Mexico and/or the Southwest US?

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

Kimchi Mexican Restaurant. Think the name says it all Chris. The owner used to live in Iowa or somthing like that. I ate there but will never go back. Small portion, average tasting, long time to get food and it is run like a bar even though it seems much more like a restaurant. Sorry, Kimchi Mexican Restaurant and Rice Wine Bar---

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

Yeah, name says it all.  Any Mexican joint with the word "kimchee" in the title automatically causes my head to shake like Michael J. Fox's in a Larry King interview.  I'd like to see what's up with their "enchiladas," too.  I"ve been to several "Mexican" joints in Korea that advertise enchiladas and give you nothing of the sort.  I LOVE real enchiladas - that's corn tortillas filled with any number of things, topped with cheese and sauce and then BAKED in an oven.   The closest I've seen is PNU's "Taco Family" (edible, but not really good Mexi food), where they do at least stick the dish in a toaster oven for a bit (flour tortillas though)....  and don't get me started about the place in Masan, which is half-owned by an actual Mexican woman.  Their "mole" was melted chocolate bars and they put ketchup in their ceviche.  Ketchup.  Is there no Mexican food mafia to "take care of 'em"?

Not all the Mexican food I've had here has been a complete disaster.  The place between Itaewon and Haebangchan in Seoul is decent enough; the place in Haeundae at least used to serve up passable burritos; "Taco Family"'s chimichanga hits the spot, if less than stellar (chimichangas are barely real Mexican food anyway, if at all...).  I do think that the Fuzzy Navel's Mexican menu is an absolute disgrace, though, and were I dictator/mayor, the first thing I'd do is shut those clowns down. 

 

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

the worst thing about fuzzy is the tax-that does not ring up as one. what a scam that is. they just include it in the price so they are actually just taking your money. i asked for a receipt showing the tax and they could not do it.

as for hello kimchi, i had the enchiladas and was not impressed. it was baked but very empty. was not worth the money. i also did not dig the service or the people smoking. overall it was not a place that impressed me. wasnt crazy expensive but we waited like 20 minutes for a burrito and then was chewed out by the owner when we asked what was going on in the kitchen. literally chewed out. very defensive. she went so far to say she is the only person who can cook mexican food and that coming from toronto was like coming from the country. very strange. we almost left while eating. i heard the tacos are big, though. my friends like it so maybe they were just woking out the kinks when we were there???

as an aside, i posted about this already but accidently used a different name-john. that was me. i say this now so there is no confusion or double dipping sort of speak.

anyway, i hope they do well because the owner is the sister of the owner of starface-but sadly, my fist visit was a disaster and probably wont be back. i am sure it would be better but the smoking really gets to me when i am trying to eat.  i wish there was no smoking at any place so this is not just about hello kimchi. bon appetit.

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

I had a chicken quesadilla there recently and thought it was way too spicy.  I did get a LOT for my money, as it was basically a platter, enough for two people to snack on for 10,000won.  Unfortunately, she DID ask me if I wanted it spicy and I said "No", and yet it ended up being about as spicy as any Korean food that I have had recently.  I'm also with the consensus in that it took forever to get my food.

There are two things that I found unsettling about this experience.  One, when I made the decision to sit in the back corner right next to the entrance to the kitchen, she seemed annoyed with my choice and tried to seat me one table up.  Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I had full view of the inner workings of her kitchen?  In any case, when I put in my order, she made sure to close the kitchen door, which had been open until I sat down.

The second thing that bothered me is that, when I opened my quesadilla to have a look inside...there wasn't a single, recognizable ingredient.  Not the chicken.  Not the cheese.  ....  It just didn't look good.

So I don't know about this place...it seems a bit sketchy.  The owner herself seemed a bit strange, and when Paul says that she was confrontational, I believe him.  I could totally see this woman putting up a fight with a complaining customer.  She just seems like that type, you know?

I'd like to go back for the tacos, but I'm afraid next time I might catch a glimpse of something going on in that kitchen that would make for a less than appetizing experience.

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

wow solid. seems like my experience. my wife actually wondered if something was wrong with her because she literally spent 5 minutes at our table-the only table in the house, talking herself up while kind of putting us down. was very strange. she was so condescending and rude to us it was worth it for me to say something here. having been a partner at two bars and probably opening up a place next year, i dont want to seem rude but man, it was something else there. This was part of our conversation:

her-"how was it-"

me-"okay. we waited a long time though and your friends got food right away."

her-"hey. I am the only person who can cook food like this."

me-"fuzzy is okay."

her-"no good. i am very proud of myself. i lived many years in the US. i am the ony person who can cook like this."

me-"Where, cali-"

her-"Ohio."

me-"Ohio- you learned how to cook mexican in Ohio-"

her-"Where are you from-"

me-"Toronto."

her-"That is like country there."

me-"not really. it is pretty big."

her-"no, it is like the country..."

and on it went. we literally put our heads down and just ate as she went off. we waited 20 minutes for food while her buds got food in 1 minute. i asked and the waitress said the burrito was mine but she had made me the wrong one so she had to make mine again and gave "the mistake" to them. only table in the house and she got the order wrong just as her friends walked in---

anyway, good luck to them. but the fact there are two bad stories on here already makes me wonder about this place. sunset, sharkys and so on dont get bad press. my two places neo and obriens never had bad things written about them but this place in two weeks has this already--- check the ego at the door and take care of your customers. just a word to the wise.

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

Saturday us language professors went there: 2 Russian, 2 American, 1 Vietnamese, 1 Thai, and 2 Mexicans. I grew up on the Arizona border of Mexico and my godfather was Mexican.

The owner's name is Moon Brooks, a Korean American. She just opened the place is is trying to teach the cooks. She IS having problems with staff and logistics, but it takes time. It IS a bar, and the kitchen has a small oven. She bakes everything, nothing is fried.

The place was empty when we arrived at noon. Moon described all the entrees to the foreign professors. We gave her a large order and it took about 20 minutes to serve.

We had chimichangas, enchiladas (beef, chicken, and seafood), burritos (seafood, beef), and a quesadilla, with sides of beans, salsa, guacamole, chips, yellow peppers.

Everyone at the table expressed themselves satisfied. .. including the Mexicans. My enchiladas were as authentic as she could make. She buys all her ingredients from a mexican-food restaurant supplier in Seoul.  I sampled the beef chimi..it was large, filled to capacity with ingredients (but NO rice, like FN uses). The chimi was topped with sour cream from Costco. I had the  chicken enchiladas.. two on the plate. They, too, were well stuffed with meat and cheese and such, covered with a spicy enchilada sauce (canned). I was pleased with the taste, Fuzzy Navel was no better.  

The FN has some more "authentic" tastes, but I hate ambiance. At least Moon was playing nothing but Mexican music. Her salsa was tasty and the chips had lots of cheddar sauce for dipping. Moon chatted us up, but wasn't a pest.

All in all I'll go back and sample everything.. but not in the evening when its more of a bar.


Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

lol food guy. do you fancy yourself a food critic or something??? this was rhetorical. 

i am curious, you said you lived near the border of Mexico? well, what mexican food is ever fried? you mentioned nothing was fried. i have never had a fried enchalada, taco, chimi, burrito... kind of weird you say that.

a large order, with a small kitchen and oven, took only 20minutes? imagine you are in for lunch and the place is full-be like an hour at least i guess? lukcy you were the only ones there i guess.

i like your line, "as authentic as she could make". she lived in ohio...lol i am sure you meant something else but i thought this was funny. an as an aside, dont we all try to do things as well as we can? i am not sure that makes it good, though.

anyway, i do hope they do well like i said before. i just find it weird people come on here and push certain places. makes you wonder, like angel was saying about the indian place-who is doing the postings? good luck, though hello kimchi!

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

You guys complain to much :) ! I am just happy to get another Mexican restaurant. They just opened so give them a break; there are going to be problems. She told us that she hadn't taken into account how long it would take to bake everything and had only purchased 1 oven. However, in a week or so she should have more to work with.  The food we had there was prepared fairly quickly and tasted pretty good. The chips and salsa were quality; no questioning that. I'd give the food a 7.5, putting it a little ahead of FN and a little behind "on the border." Price was reasonable. I really wish they had larger pieces of chicken and peppers in the quesadilla, but that might just be personal preference. 

I've had problems at all the bars you named, but I know that one bad experience can't serve as a measure of a places worth.

And for the record- I'd go back.

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

Dont you realize it that you are now "complaining" because people are sharing their opinions that merely differ from yours? I find it funny people think they are being more "moral" or "positive" than others when they say others are "complaining too much" but dont realize they are actually doing the same while trying to make others look bad and  themselves better but ironically, this really is not all that moral or positive and in fact, makes people look "intolerant" and "egotistical" and literally, truly ignorant. More about that (being ignorant) coming up.

Saying to someone, "you complain too much" or, another one I have seen on here, "you whine too much" has the stigma attached to it that the behaviour is wrong or not good. However, "complaining" really is a poor word as everything is relative to who the individual is and the experiences they possess; and, of course, I can have no way of knowing any of this so lets call it for what it is and that is an opinion. You can agree or disagree but dont call it complaining. This, saying you complain too much, is just a tool used by those who are trying to control others and make themslevs look better but really end up just looking, like I said before, "ignorant" and "egotistical" to anyone with an eduction and a brain.

I didnt see Solid's post as complaining. I found it interesting as it shared an opinion that I do not have because I do not possess his experiences. The same can be said for yours Rush. I dont think you are "kissing ass" because you like this place as your post is also merely an opinion regarding this place as well but please realize, all people do on here is share opnions. They are not wrong for saying "this sucks" or "this is bad (or good for that matter) but saying people "complain too much" is "ignorant" of you. And I use ignorant in the literal sense meaning you dont really know where this person is coming from or how they are truly feeling so perhaps considering this is always the case, we should not say people are complaining but instead, we should learn to try and accept others for who they areas this is quite a moral thing to do. Accept comments are merely opinions and let's talk about topics, not how bad or good people are. It really makes no logical sense to say anything bad about someone having an opinion. Let's argue with conviction but not with broken down moral compasses.  

We can throw labels around for any situation, as I have done here for an example showing how easy it is to do, but what is best I think is let others share their opnions without being crucified for it as that is worse than someone just sharing their opinion. Of course, if you want to complain about others because you think they complain too much, be/look "stupid" and do so. Cheers!

And for those who think I am taking this too literally I shall confess, I love writing and talking in this way so for me this is exercise for the brain and good for my personal writing (I am writing a book now...but I am no grammar expert so there is no need to correct my grammar. This is what editors are for as I am just an idea guy..lol). And if you think I have too much free time on my hands, yes, you are 100% correct but this is the way I like it so weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...! Life is great!!! Cheers!

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

Paul I think you may have taken my post the wrong way. It was meant in much more of a playful way than it reads on the internetz. You are, indeed, entitled to your own opinion and I realize that. However, I was merely trying to point to the fact that we all need to look at this in a much more positive way. We now have one more Mexican style restaurant in our area. That's something to be happy about. And most certainly, don't write people off because of one bad experience.

No disrespect intended. Thanks!

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

Yeah, I heard Won Tae from the original Taco Stand behind SfunZ has finally opened a new restaurant in the vicinity of Fuzzy Navel.  I reckon that's what you are talking about.  Where is it exactly? right next door?

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

Yeah, its right next door. If you take a left out of fuzzy navel you will run right into it. Its kinda tucked into a little corner but is still in a big building. The name is Taco El Pluebo I believe.

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

Actually, Paul,  a lot of Mexican food is fried.  Chili rellenos for one, not to meniton chimichangas, which are basically deep fried burritos.  Refried beans, carnitas, carne de res, sopes, gorditas... the list goes on and on.  A lot of Mexican food is baked; a lot is stewed.  But fried food makes up a significant portion.

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

oh ya. so this would make it authentic if it was fried? other than the chips, i never thought mexican food was fried. cool cool. i used to be the head cheese melter (cook) at chi chis way back and i dont remember frying much food. All just melted. Pretty gross which is probably why chi chis went under...lol Thx for the info Chris.

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

Calling this stuff Mexican food is a bit of a stretch haha.  I'll get excited about these places when I can order carnitas, chorizo, ceviche, carne asada, mole, etc.

I can make all this other stuff at home. 

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

tharp is correct on the frying business.  loads of stuff is fried.  have not visited the hola kimchi, yet, but i will.  however, i must defend cooking mexican brothers and sisters throughout north america.  good mexican food can be found anywhere, including ohio!  one of my top five is located in indiana, another in nebraska!  mexico is a huge place and mexicans have branched out to open restaurants everywhere.  it is a bad idea to discredit someone's cooking skills based on whether they came from ohio, toronto, montana, or new mexico.  i used to live and work in dutch harbor, alaska and guess what they had in that little town?  a mexican restaurant.  guess who worked in the shipyard store?  mexicans.  personally, i dig the blue corn and posole of the southwest united states, but that is just me.  i also appreciate the heavy tomatoe base and of the midwest style.  he way, thanks busan food guy for your critique.  i think you do a fine job sharing information about new places and your opions.    Mr. Paul, when did you work at Chi Chis, before, after, or during the green onion business?  just curious. 

one more thing, there is no such thing as authentic mexican food.  that is like advertising authentic fried chicken.  neither exist.  there are many chickens being fried and many mexicans cooking food. 

it can be really bad, though, just like Lucky said,'Do you have any sour cream?' 

i once had a fantastic burrito just crossing the border into new jersey.  one never knows where you will find the good stuff

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

I also forgot to mention that she was with a friend, chatting up a storm when I walked in.  As I waited for my food, the two of them sat at their table talking...and then the owner got up and brought back their food to the table before I had received mine.  That's not a complaint...I'm just saying, is all.

By the way, my observations about the place were just that...observations.  I did say that I found the place to be a bit on the sketchy side, but that's just based on one personal experience.  I am not trying to cast the place in a negative light, I'm just giving you an account of my own visit there.  I certainly wouldn't want to deter anyone from giving it a shot, and I'm pretty sure I'll be going back there in the future to give it another chance.

As far as bar atmospheres are concerned, it certainly does have a pretty good vibe.  I could see it being a decent place to hang out for a drink with a few friends on a weekend...but the location might prevent that from being a popular "hot spot".

We'll see, only time will tell.  It's new, so I wasn't planning on writing this place off as worthless or anything to that extreme.

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

2 of my friends and I went to Hello Kimchi for lunch today, so I thought I would add my 2 cents.  I guess the worst part of it was actually finding it because, stupid me, I didn't realize it was going to be on the 2nd floor -____- Once we got there though everything was pretty good!

In the beginning, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go because I'm not a fan of bad service, but in the end, my curiosity got the better of me.  I basically wanted to try it out because I live in Jangsan and wanted to know if their burritos were at least as good as Taco Senora in Haeundae.  I know, Jangsan is 2 stops away from Haeundae, but I'm lazy =)  All 3 of us got burrito platters and we split a thing of chips and salsa.  Maybe it's because I've been in Korea too long, but I actually thought the burritos were good.  I mean, there were refried beans and melted cheese, what more can a girl in Korea ask for?

We had a minor mishap with the chips and salsa because the server forgot to bring them out to us, and since I was still a little hungry after my burrito, we asked for them.  The owner was really apologetic and gave us a thing of guacamole to go with the chips, so it was all good in the end.  Seriously, I haven't had any avocado at all in about a year, so I was glad the server had forgotten about our chips! 

I thought the lady was really funny and friendly, and I didn't get any of the rude vibes that previous posters had gotten.  When I brought that up with my friends, one friend pointed out that the ajumma's personality could be the kind to clash with others, or maybe turn rude if she was stressed  out or something, but we were all fine with her.  Anywayssssss, maybe it's just that she's learned her lesson from earlier interactions with other foreigner customers, or maybe she is just slowly but surely working out the kinks, but my friends and I all had an enjoyable experience~

Re: Hello Kimchi Mexican Grill & Rice Wine

just visited this place.

tostada was pretty good. burrito was on the small side. but for 4000WON, its not bad.

about the same size as a kebab in KSU, which is the same price.

salsa was spicy and delicious!

if you havent been. i suggest you try it out and judge for yourself.

please keep in mind that we DO LIVE IN KOREA. NOT TEXAS. so its pretty useless to review with that as your base standard.

bon appetit!