There is one surefire way to get me to try out your new restaurant: put the word “taco” somewhere in the name. So, when Taco Sherpa made its long-awaited debut at Fresh Friday last week, I was there.
Taco Sherpa is the latest in a spate of new mobile restaurants in Chattanooga. Instead of burgers, gourmet sandwiches, or Argentine sausages, Taco Sherpa is serving what it calls “mighty fine Korean eats.”
I’m taking their word for it. Just like I’d never tried Argentinean food until A Taste of Argentina opened earlier this month, I’d never tried Korean food until I bit into a “dak galbi” from Taco Sherpa. Therefore, I approached their food as a novice, not a gourmet.
Wikipedia says Korean cuisine is largely based on rice, vegetables and meats. If that’s an accurate description, then the food Taco Sherpa owner Whit Altizer and his wife, Lindsay, are serving is faithful to their source, as their tacos come with either chicken, pork or tofu and a pinch of vegetables wrapped in two corn tortillas. They also offer a Korean side called “banchan,” among other items.
I’ll start with the tacos. There are three on the menu: dak galbi, which is spicy chicken; galbi, which is pork marinated in a sweet and spicy soy sauce; and bulgogi tofu, which is marinated in a soy sauce that’s more sweet than spicy. Toppings include cucumbers, radishes, cabbage, cilantro, sesame seeds and spicy sherpa sauce.
Since I like to try as many different foods as I can stomach, I ordered one of each. The tacos were not packed with protein, nor stuffed with vegetables, so three wound up being the right amount of food for me. The chicken and the pork were spicy (but not overwhelmingly so), the tofu was mild and the vegetables were crisp. Taco Sherpa serves its tortillas raw.
I also ordered a side of banchan, which consisted of a few forkfuls of cold zucchini and sprouts. The other option for a side is Mexican chips and salsa.
If you’re curious about the food at Taco Sherpa, but raw corn tortillas do not appeal to you, then you can order the same ingredients in a bowl of steaming brown rice. Taco Sherpa also offers a Lil’ Sherpa Pack, which consists of your choice of a chicken taco or cheese quesadilla, rice and a juice box.
One of the remarkable aspects of the food truck phenomenon in Chattanooga is how each of the four major trucks serves sit-down restaurant quality food. Only Southern Burger comes close to offering what most people probably think comes out of a truck, and even that is a cut well above the standard fare. Chattanooga has been nothing less than a breeding ground for creativity and ingenuity for these gastronomic entrepreneurs, and Altizer preparing such a unique food in a mobile kitchen is a small miracle.
For me, Taco Sherpa was more exotic than satisfying, but I’m glad I tried it. If someone asks me to recommend “something different,” then I will direct him or her to Altizer’s “fine Korean eats.” I will also tell that person to make plenty of time for lunch, as the line and the wait for my food were both long.
Like the other mobile restaurants in Chattanooga, Taco Sherpa will be parked at Miller Plaza on Fridays and Warehouse Row on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Chattanooga Market on Sundays. Search for “Taco Sherpa” on Facebook to learn about their other times and locations.
Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.