Chimichanga lunch date at Taco Dot Cheongna, a Mexican spot in Incheon

I really wanted to eat properly good Mexican food, and then I found out there was a Cheongna Mexican spot everyone raves about. So my husband and I went to Taco Dot for lunch.

Parking and atmosphere at Taco Dot Cheongna Branch

Even the sign gave off strong Cheongna Mexican-restaurant vibes.

Parking at Taco Dot was easy, right in front of the restaurant. Parking around Cheongna's good restaurants can be tough, but there were two spots open, so I parked without any trouble.

Walking inside felt really good. Like being on a trip abroad? It had more of an overseas feel than a typically Korean one — the kind of vibe where you've been swimming and surfing all day and now you're heading for Mexican food and a beer.

Maybe because it's a newer spot, it was really clean. As someone who loves Mexican food, it felt like the kind of place I'd want to visit on my birthday evening for tacos and a beer. There was a bit of a Texas feeling too... never been, but still.

For drinks we ordered Dr Pepper Zero. Not many places have Dr Pepper Zero — nice touch.

Our Cheongna taco menu items arrived. With Mexican food, one dish per person somehow doesn't feel filling enough, so we ordered three.

Chimichanga, ₩17,000 — the dish I'd been curious about

Chimichanga — ₩17,000. This was the whole reason we came to this Cheongna taco spot. My husband and I are hooked on Street Restaurant Fighter, and we'd always been curious about chimichanga. A chef featured it in a cooking battle once, and everyone went wild for it.

It's a burrito that gets fried. It came with delicious sauces — a red sauce and a green sauce. When I cut it in half, inside was beef and cheesy rice. The taste of the fry oil hit first, then the sauce, then the filling — insanely good. Both the fried burrito itself and the sauces had a lot of Mexican flavor, and it was delicious. Now I understand why people go crazy for chimichanga. I'm a chimichanga lover now too.

The sauce was delicious, and topping it with cilantro (coriander) was the kicker. Something already delicious gets fried and then eaten with a delicious sauce — how could that possibly not be good? This Cheongna taco spot's chimichanga is seriously impressive.

Cilantro refills, too

I refilled the cilantro and kept eating. As a cilantro lover, I was happy. It wasn't the stiff, tough kind of cilantro but a milder, more tender one, which made it even better.

How was the mango shrimp taco, ₩10,000?

Mango shrimp taco — ₩10,000. This was my first time trying a mango shrimp taco. It didn't have a strong Mexican flavor; it was more creamy and juicy. Personally, I'm not sure the combination worked for me. As someone still a taco novice, this was a tricky flavor.

Still, there was more shrimp in it than I expected, so I enjoyed it for the tortilla-and-shrimp combo. I'll have to give the true flavor of the mango shrimp taco another shot next time.

And you have to be careful eating it — because of the mango juiciness, liquid can suddenly spill out.

Nashville hot chicken taco, ₩10,000

Nashville hot chicken taco — ₩10,000. This came with hot chicken, coleslaw, and chipotle mayo. Made me think tacos are just meant for chicken. Chicken and taco went so well together.

The soft coleslaw seemed to mellow out the heat of the hot chicken. It was a fun taco to eat with fresh vegetables, and being a lighter dish, it made for a light but satisfying lunch. Still, I was left wishing the sauce or seasoning had a bit more of a kick.

Wrap-up

At this Cheongna taco spot, I finally got to try the chimichanga I'd been curious about. It was genuinely, insanely delicious. I'd recommend it as the go-to place for chimichanga in Cheongna. My curiosity about the chimichanga from Street Restaurant Fighter is fully satisfied now. I'm officially a chimichanga fan.