Since opening BulGoGi Sarasota—Sarasota’s only Korean BBQ food truck—nearly six months ago, Charlie and Soomi Chi have learned a few things. Love makes the food truck run, says Charlie, the former PGA instructor at IMG Academy who now runs the customer service side of BulGoGi Sarasota, not just trying to make money. And, surprisingly, there is such a thing as being too generous with portions, especially when people are on the go. But one thing Charlie and Soomi knew for sure was how to make a mean bulgogi.

As with any barbecue, success largely comes down to the meat. Whether pork, chicken or beef, the key lies in the marinade. “Here [in the US], people just grill,” says Charlie. “They throw on some lime, some black pepper and grill.” But at BulGoGi Sarasota, meats are marinated for at least 12 hours and sometimes as many as 20, soaking in Soomi’s house-made combination of Korean red pepper paste, sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, rice wine, onions and apples. Emerging steeped and tender, each thin slice explodes with a tantalizing combination of sweet and spice, begging for another mouthful despite the simmering burn. There is such a thing as too spicy, and Charlie and Soomi temper the heat for American palates. Served in a crinkly aluminum pan over a bed of steamed white rice, the inclusion of a helping of chewy, slightly sweet and translucent sweet potato noodles adds a new dimension and a fun bit of novelty. In a masterful twist of taste combinations, Soomi finishes the dish with the simple addition of lettuce, which, in combination with the sweet potato and rice, creates a peanut-like flavor in the dish without the potential allergens. Easy to find, BulGoGi Sarasota posts up most weeks, Wednesday through Saturday, at West Coast Church of the Cross, 3005 South Tuttle Ave., for lunch and dinner. With a new truck under construction to give Charlie and Soomi more room to work and cook, they hope to introduce the bulgogi burger soon.