El Pino 323 — Restaurant in Pyeongtaek-si

El Pino 323 is definitely off the beaten track, it has established itself as one of the best Mexican restaurants in Seoul. Chef D is an owner who takes good food to a new level.I found the restaurant by watching a Youtube interview about Chef D. The restaurant is small and cozy and it’s ambience reminded me of being in LA or parts of Toronto. Any 80s and 90s baby will love the music selection with its 90s hip hop.We ordered the Tacos and the Brisket Enchiladas. The tacos came in a set of 3, it was absolutely amazing. The meAt was juicy and not dry and it’s complement of spices made it even better, the enchiladas with the Mexican rice was decently amazing. The rice was packed with flavours and the enchiladas covered in sauce was still crunchy and the brisket tender and juicy.The staff was amazing and helpful. All in all one of the best restaurants in Seoul. By aware though they don’t accept any modifications or changes to the food so don’t even ask. So if you don’t like spice, Mexican food or need a salad this is not the place for you.If you love meat, want to try something other than Korean food or just want to sit, relax, drink a beer and listen to 90s hip hop this is the place for you. This place has gotten so popular with locals and foodies alike that you will be waiting for a table, luckily though we went when it was quiet which one customer commented “this is the first time I’ve seen this...

I too had high hopes for this place because a coworker spoke so highly about it when it was near his house and then it relocated to its current location. I understand the “soft opening menu” and getting settled in thing at a new location; however, the people who were working there is not new to the restaurant business. Therefore, there is no excuses for bad service. I had lunch there with some of my coworkers and one person in our party ordered the chicken tortilla bowl and simply asked them to put no onions in it. The server said they can’t do that and she basically said they pour the onions on the top and he can take them off himself. My friend asked can you just not put the onions on top at all and the again said that they are going put them on top of the food in the bowl and he can take them off himself. This has got to be the most ridicules thing we’ve ever heard. We had to ask for water three times and when we still did not get the water, I got up and had to get it myself (mind you, there were only two other tables with customers). The food was good and the portion was nice too. The only thing I would suggest is that they not use the tortilla chips with the lime seasoning on it because it hid the flavor of the very good guacamole...

El Pino 323 is an amazing restaurant. The food tastes authentic, you can tell the owner sources his ingredients with care. Everything was cooked to perfection. It is sometimes difficult to find real Mexican food in Asia, but this restaurant is the real deal. The staff is very well trained and is able to execute the owners vision, they should all feel proud of what they have accomplished with this restaurant. It is strange that you see people lining up for other restaurants in Seoul that are only a fraction as good as this restaurant. There should be a line a mile long outside this place, but there was not. No wait time when we went. I don't think people truly understand or appreciate what this restaurant brings. This is literally a slice of Mexican heritage, a culinary oasis in Korea. This restaurant deserves a Michelin star because of the authenticity, it must be difficult to achieve true Mexican flavors so far away from the source. My only regret coming here is that I didn't get to meet the owner and tell him face to face how exquisite his food was. I hope one day that he expands to Busan so we can eat his food more often. This is a special place and must be appreciated and recognized for its accomplishment in bringing authentic Mexican...