A new counter-service restaurant is bringing bulgogi tacos, galbi plates and chips and guacamole to Oakland's Piedmont Avenue, with a grand opening set for Sunday, October 25, at 3858 Piedmont Ave. Takorea, which quietly soft-opened in late summer, is promising tacos for as low as $1 on opening day, according to a sign posted out front.
The restaurant describes itself as a Mexican-Korean fusion concept, and its storefront sign puts the pitch plainly: “Two cultures, one flavor – fusion done right!” As reported by The Mercury News, the compact space has a few tables and a Chipotle-style serving bar where staff customize orders, plus touch-screen kiosks for ordering. The menu leans into the fusion premise directly, with tacos built on gochujang slaw and barbecued short ribs served alongside refried beans.
What's On the Menu
Diners can choose from asada, al pastor, chorizo, pollo or tofu as fillings for tacos and burritos, with three tacos running $11 and burritos priced between $12 and $15, per the same Mercury News account. Specialty items include bulgogi tacos topped with gochujang slaw and green onion, and shrimp-tempura tacos finished with pico de gallo and a creamy sauce for $8. The kitchen also turns out nachos, chips and guacamole, build-your-own bowls, and esquite served in a cup.
Beyond the taco counter, Takorea's menu stretches into more traditional Korean dishes, including japchae, fried-seaweed rolls, and chicken or kimchi fried dumplings. Bowls and plates built around bulgogi or galbi come with rice, japchae and kimchi, and customers can add Mexican beans to either format; those plates run $17 to $22. Chicken wings arrive in mango habanero and honey garlic flavors, and for now the drink menu sticks to glass-bottle Mexican Coke and a daily agua fresca while the restaurant waits on its beer and wine license.
A Storefront's Previous Tenant
The storefront was previously occupied by Fuji Summer.
Oakland's dining scene also includes chef James Syhabout's Commis, which holds Oakland's only two Michelin stars, according to the Michelin Guide. The city's dining options range from Fentons Creamery, serving ice cream since 1894, to newer arrivals like Doña Mexican restaurant, which Hoodline reported had opened nearby in 2019.
Fusion Tacos Have Deep California Roots
Korean-Mexican fusion isn't new to California, even if the Bay Area has seen it less often than Los Angeles. The movement took off nationally in November 2008 when chef Roy Choi launched the Kogi BBQ taco truck in Los Angeles, blending Korean street food flavors with Mexican tacos, per the CIA Culinary School. The Bay Area also had Tacorea, a similarly named, unaffiliated fusion spot in Lower Nob Hill that has since closed, according to The Mercury News.
Per the Mercury News report, Korean-Mexican fusion remains less widespread locally than in Los Angeles, even with existing Bay Area players like the local chain Saucy Asian and San Francisco's Aria Korean Street Food already serving the niche. Takorea's arrival adds a brick-and-mortar counter-service option to that smaller local field, betting that Piedmont Avenue's steady foot traffic can support another fusion concept.
Beer and Wine
Takorea is currently waiting on its license to sell beer and wine.
Takorea joins a strip that has seen recent commercial shuffling, including Oakland's Teni East, which Hoodline reported had relocated to a bigger Piedmont Avenue space earlier this year after outgrowing its former Temescal location.
Hours and How to Order
Takorea is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays at 3858 Piedmont Ave, and customers can reach the restaurant at 510-338-3143. With the grand-opening taco deal landing Sunday, the counter-service spot is positioning itself as an accessible entry point into Korean-Mexican fusion for Oakland diners who might otherwise have to drive to Los Angeles or San Francisco for the combination.
