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EDINBURG — The city’s newest gem, Kokiri Korean Bistro, is a prime example of the expanding diversity and high quality flavors in the Rio Grande Valley and is a must-try for any lover of the cuisine or a foodie looking for their next favorite spot.

The Valley is rapidly growing and changing and it’s very evident in the food scene down here. It seems like we’ve been getting something new more often, on top of the restaurants and flavors you already find locally.

I think the Valley’s love for Asian cuisine is burgeoning and from a long list of restaurants I’ve wanted to try, Kokiri Korean Bistro was up on top right when I heard of it.

I’m a Bulgogi lover and when I heard there was a new Korean restaurant, I just had to try it.

So, for this week’s South Texas Flavor, I take my girlfriend to enjoy some Korean cuisine and left with my new favorite spot for Bulgogi.

Bulgogi translates to “fire meat” and has existed for thousands of years. Who would have thought this Korean dish somehow found its way — more than 6,000 miles away — to the city of Edinburg, at 508 West Trenton Road.

The restaurant has only been open a few months but on a Friday night, every table was filled with couples or groups of friends.

In the front, you are welcomed by a sign thanking you for your visit and saying that the restaurant is new and learning, a great reminder for people to be patient with new restaurants and their staff.

TVs and a huge projected screen are around the restaurant, blasting K-Pop music videos or K-dramas.

All the staff was friendly and attentive throughout the dinner.

The menu has about 20 different food options, each detailing what is in the dish. Appetizers range from $5 to 13 bucks with things such as fried dumplings.

The main dishes range from $11 to 23 dollars, with Korean classics such as a spicy seafood noodle soup to grilled short ribs.

My lovely girlfriend and I decided to keep it basic and ordered the beef Bulgogi and the Stone Bowl Bibimbap and share with each other. We also got some Soju and water since it was our little date night.

I kept it simple because I wanted to see how well the more popular and basic dishes were and they did not disappoint at all.

My girlfriend recently got bangs and we’ve had this joke that she’s giving off Selena vibes. The joke turned a little too real when she “accidentally” wore a Selena-style shirt and I jokingly said she ordered a Bidi Bidi Bom Bom when she couldn’t pronounce Bibimbap.

First came the sides, and I appreciated the waitress explaining each small dish.

We received six refillable side dishes. It included classics like kimchi and fishcake. My favorite side dish was the spicy tofu, I even asked for more. It was a bit spicy and sweet but had so much flavor. Don’t be afraid of the hot red color it has, it was on the very low end of spiciness level.

Both side dishes came out and were sizzling, steaming and looked delicious.

The beef Bulgogi was out of this world and easily the best I’ve had in the Valley. The fire meat was seasoned perfectly, were thin, tender and juicy. Paired with onions and a white rice bowl, I devoured every last piece on the plate.

Bulgogi is my go-to Korean dish and I’m happy to say Kokiri Korean Bistro’s is easily my new favorite.

The Stone Bowl Bibimbap was also amazing, especially since my girlfriend left me all the soybean sprouts to eat from the bowl. Of course the stone bowl is really hot but I love when the rice sticks to the bottom giving the food some crunch to it.

You can’t go wrong with our two choices and I would recommend picking from one of them if you’re new to Korean cuisine.

For experienced Korean foodies, I can’t wait to try the other dishes the restaurant has to offer but It will be a bit hard not to just give in and eat their amazing Bulgogi every time I go.

Kokiri Korean Bistro is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

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