To my wonderful American / Canadian audience: I realize it might sound a little silly to write a 'Destination' post about a fast-food restaurant, but read on all the same. I write about this new establishment for a reason.

The first Taco Bell open to the Korean public officially opened in Itaewon earlier today. Although a rumor implied a 'soft opening' a few days earlier, July 11th was the scheduled date - naturally, off I went to enjoy a taste of America.

I won't claim to know the entire history of the franchise in Korea, except to say it's available on U.S. military bases in Korea (meaning you need to be part of the military or know someone), and that it was in Korea at some point in the past. ZenKimchi makes a vague reference to "the aborted attempts of Taco Bell... about ten years ago" in a post from 2008. The story I've heard (anecdotal, and possibly apocryphal) was that a franchise was opened before the Korean population was familiar with Mexican food, and before the expat population had reached a critical mass. That it was supposedly more expensive than elsewhere in the world was the final nail in the coffin.

With the resurgence in international foods around Itaewon, the area seems the perfect place to open the new franchise - and people were ready for it:

The line streamed out the door and out to the corner of the intersection nearly 50 feet away. After waiting in line for nearly 40 minutes, I made it to the front to see the menu clearly:



More than a few things are missing that will inevitably disappoint some Taco Bell fans. No Gorditas. No hot sauce. No fire sauce. No $2 combos. By Korean standards the prices are cheap, but they're not as cheap as in the U.S.



The 1st floor area - while small, it does hold a self-serve drink counter and a few chairs for those quick eaters. The 2nd and 3rd floors (not pictured) are relatively nice and colorful - not unlike any other food franchises that come to mind.



Finally, time to sit down and eat. A Crunchwrap Supreme combo (including nachos and drink)? 4,600 won, or about $4 USD. The taste was as expected - nothing unusual, but still, a nice taste of home. A few fries made their way into the bag of nachos, but nothing overly unusual about that.

The crowd kept coming in, willing to wait in line for 30-40 minutes to eat a meal that takes a few minutes to make and perhaps 10-15 minutes to eat. Whether people will be as willing to wait the second time around will be interesting to see. A majority of the crowd was Korean, telling me the reputation (or the marketing campaign) precedes them. More than a few people were overheard talking about the taste of home (heard from both gyopo and foreigner) and 'how long it's been' since they've had it.

It's worth noting that unless you're a particularly late drunk, this can probably serve as your last round before returning home - they're open until 11pm Sunday-Thursday and 2am Friday-Saturday. It's a nice taste of the Western world, without a bite of kimchi in sight.

Directions to Taco Bell: Take line 6 of the Seoul subway system to the Itaewon station. Take exit 3 to street level, then make a u-turn and turn left at the intersection. It's just after the Cold Stone Creamery, and not difficult to miss.

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© Chris Backe - 2010

This post was originally published on my blog, Chris in South Korea. If you are reading this on another website and there is no linkback or credit given, you are reading an UNAUTHORIZED FEED.