Before my departure to foggy old London, I was invited to Dos Locos in Gangnam. The ‘two crazies’ if my Spanish is correct is a Mexican restaurant run by two Mexican chefs. One is from Mexico City and the other San Luis Potosi and they have come together to serve Mexican food that Mexicans actually eat here in Korea. Having just been to Mexico I was very eager to give it a try and see how it stacked up.
Dos Locos is located just off of that diagonal street just between Gangnam and Sinonhyeon Stations. The restaurant is on the second floor but it has some great signage pointing it out. When you walk in you will notice that the place is bright and colourful, and has lots of natural light, giving it that south of the border feeling.
The menu is pretty varied, you will see all your popular dishes such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, along with some more unfamiliar dishes so it has a nice mix. There is also one a hell of a drinks menu, a must for a picky alcoholic like myself. My date for the afternoon kicked off with a Dos Equis Beer (7,000), whilst I enjoyed a Margarita (9,000). The beer was refreshing, and the margarita was really on point. I am very particular when it comes to cocktails but this baby was delicious.
Once we had settled in with our drinks, the food started rolling out. The Carnitas Taco (12,000) came first. These were pretty top notch, the corn tortillas are hand made and cooked to order which was awesome, and they had plenty of braised pork inside which, when topped with the guacamole, were heavenly. If I was being a touch picky I would say the pork could have been a little more tender, but it just needs a little more fat to remedy it. The tacos were quickly followed by the Al Pastor Quesadilla (11,000). I love the marinade that you get on the Al Pastor, so it was interesting to try it in the quesadilla. They came with pineapple, sour cream and salsa. For the price point they were impressive.
After we had warmed up with tacos and quesadillas we moved n to the main event, the Salsa Verde Enchilada (13,000). This dish was huge, so big in fact I had to go back and check the price. Since you get four enchiladas you could easily share this baby between two people. The braised chicken and veggies were stuffed inside more of those lovely corn tortillas and smothered in mildly spicy green sauce and topped with salsa, sour cream, and cheese. Both my date and I, absolutely loved it, and for the price it is unbeatable.
One dish on the menu that I have never tried or heard of before was the Pozole (9,000). A Mexican soup made from dried corn. It was very unique and had a little spicy kick. The corn itself had been had been cooked for so long that it kind of expanded to size of a chick pea and was almost like a little dumpling. I wasn’t sure about it at first as I think the broth could have been meatier and saltier but the more I ate it, the more I liked it. I haven’t seen this dish on any other menu in town, so if you are a fan you should certainly come and give it a try.
After perusing the menu I noticed that they have a couple of brunch dishes on the menu, a Huevos Rancheros of course, a Huevos Divorciados an egg dish with rice and beans, and red and green sauce and the Chilaquiles (7,000) fried egg topped nachos. We tried the latter and adored them. They would go down seriously well on a hangover. Fried corn chips, topped with a moreish chipotle sauce, fried eggs, and refried beans. We made them even better by ordering a side of Guacamole (4,000). Honestly I can see this place being a real hot spot for brunch as the prices of their brunch dishes are amazing, and they have a decent booze selection too. The egg dishes are available from 11am-3pm every day.
Overall I was immensely impressed with this Dos Locos. I know that one trip to Tijuana does not make me any kind of expert on Mexican food, but I travelled in California quite widely and Latin America and know the kinds of flavours that should be happening and I felt a real authenticity in their food. The prices are also great considering what some of their rivals charge, especially the brunch. If you love real Mexican food and are hankering after some hard to find dishes then it is not to be missed.
Dos Locos - Gangnam - Menu
Dos Locos - Gangnam - Menu
Dos Locos - Gangnam - Menu
Dos Locos is located at 30 Bongeunsa-ro 6-gil, Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Gangnam Station (line 2) and come out of exit 11. Walk straight until you reach the CGV and see a Diagonal road to you right. Walk down this street and take the fourth road on your left. walk a little way down this street and you will see Dos Locos on the second floor on the left hand side. For more information you can call them on 02-568-7155 or check out their facebook page. They are open Tue – Sun from 11am-10pm everyday.