Mark T.
Yelp
One time, I was in a restaurant that touts itself as Japanese-Mexican fusion. If you had asked me my favorite kinds of food, Japanese and Mexican would be up there. So I was dying to stop in. I thought they'd have Japanese-inspired tacos and Mexican-inspired sushi. Guess what? No dice. The sushi was regular. The tacos were regular. Food wasn't bad, but there was nothing fusion about it, just a matter of having both under one roof.
Now, you know how on Chopped dishes are judged not only by their taste but also on their creativity? This is what makes 82 Kimbap really shine. If I am to be 100% honest, the food didn't blow my mind. It was good, don't get me wrong, but on its own, nothing worth writing home about. It was the creativity that truly set it apart.
The dish was like a sushi roll, but it was filled with Korean ingredients. Having ordered a pork bulgogi, it had the aforementioned protein, some sweet egg, some purple rice, and some veggies. The recommended sauce was also tasty, and while I don't remember the name, I can tell you it was green and nothing like soy sauce, not even close.
With that said, I did find the fillings flavorful and well-balanced. Everything played together nicely. They also offered a free cup of their soup, which had just the right amount of funk to be unusual, but still be pleasant. I can especially see myself getting this on a cold Chicago winter's day.
Finally, I felt that their prices were reasonable for a respectable-sized portion, and the service here was immensely friendly and very fast.
Final verdict: 82 Kimbap shines in the fact that they do fusion right - something very few places can accomplish. If you are a fan of Japanese or Korean food, or ideally both, or maybe you just love interesting and unusual dishes that aren't way out there, you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't stop by.
Edit to add: Someone let me know that Kimbap is a Korean dish, and therefore this place is not Korean/Japanese fusion. I apologize for my ignorance.
