Neon Lobster

One of the first food trucks was the Kogi BBQ Korean taco truck in LA way back in the noughties. It intrigued me with it’s promise of Mexican styling with Korean flavours. Think corn tortillas filled with bulgogi beef and chilli sauce.
Nothing similar has made it to our fine Australian shores — that is until the Summer of 2014. Even better, it features hyper-​local and wild foraged ingredients.
Those hip young winemakers at Alpha Box & Dice in McLaren Vale have partnered with the Happy Motel to present the «Neon Lobster» pop up taqueria, serving their take on «Kor-​exican». With guest chefs from the stable of the Advertiser’s 2013 Chef of the Year, Duncan Welgemoed’s Bistro Dom, don’t miss it!
We visited on December 29^th, a glorious summer day. The DJ was spinning cool South American beats and hip looking cool cats lounged under trees and umbrellas with Mason jar cocktails. We pulled up a barrel under a huge tree and peruse the Korexican menu, laden bbq and take in the brightly coloured taqueria.
The pop-​up eatery was very popular, with a good crowd, but only an 8 min wait for food after ordering, and plenty to entertain the eyes, ears and taste buds while waiting. Ordering is done in a little window in ‘typico’ Taqueria style.
When your 8 minute wait is up, you are able to enter the taqueria, decorated in the same colourful style as the exterior, to collect your order in a colourful plastic basket or cute ice cream style cup. Bottles of both Mexican and Sriracha hot sauce line the bench.
We opted for a cute ice cream cup of snapper ceviche with Hido’s pickled daikon, wasabi, Vietnamese mint, avocado, cilantro (corriander), ginger and lime ($ 12), with two cute «wafers» of tortilla chips. The fish is very, very fresh and sweet, complimented by the spicy & tangy accompaniments.
The Kimchi Kuesadilla is filled with lots of Hido (of Bistro Dom)‘s handmade fermented kimchi, Jack cheese, and an «ensalada» (salad) of avocado, radish, fennel and wild foraged river mint ($ 12). This is a cracking dish, a collection of flavours I’ve never had together. The quesadilla is crisp on the outside and juicy with garlicky fermented kim chi plus the textural melted cheese. A dollop of Sriracha picks up on the kim chi heat and turns up the burn factor nicely. The ensalada is fresh and unctuous with the avocado. Crisp fennel & radish are flavoured with the wild foraged river mint — stronger than garden variety — and a sprinkle of toasted sesame and lime juice.
The food is outstanding and tapas-​sized (that is, a bit small, more like a snack) so be prepared to have a few dishes per person, which is a good opportunity to try more of the menu anyway!
Next open: January 24, 25 & 26^th 2014