It's been months since this sensation of Web 2.0 marketing hit the streets of Los Angeles, when that evening one of the members of the Kogi BBQ team had to tell people passing by, "Anyone want Kalbi Tacos?." Apparently there were still people that hadn't heard of the latest food fad to hit Los Angeles - the Koreanized taco truck known as Kogi. Abby of Pleasure Palate showed me the first blog review. Early marketing efforts pounded Urban Daddy and Thrillist while the last remnants of Eater LA's restaurant news (it's since been neutered now that Lesley left) have extensive coverage of the Kogi's activity. The team recently received glowing reviews from food demigod Jonathan Gold in his column in LA Weekly. I actually love his prose in that piece. Jessica Gelt also did a feature on the truck in today's Food Section of the Los Angeles Times, hopefully one of the sections that don't get axed in the coming months.
I got an early endorsement from friend Daniel, who used to work with Chef Roy Choi in the Beverly Hilton and Rock Sugar (though the gig at Rock Sugar was shorter lived). Daniel told me to check this place out within the first few weeks of it roaming the streets (to my understanding). I ordered almost every meat on the menu to sample:
I started out with three of the meats in their signature tacos: kalbi or grilled short rib; dwegi bulgogi or grilled, spicy-marinated pork, and chicken. The meats were all seasoned or marinated like traditional Korean meats, but perhaps a bit sweeter for the American palate. The additions of citrus-based sauces that load up on sesame oil and seeds, as well as the chopped green lettuce very much remind me of ssam or wraps, which are eaten every day in Korean BBQ restaurants. However, the kicker with these babies is the thick, lightly-grilled tortillas, which craddle the meat and juices quite well. Radishes and slices of lime, customary on the standard-issue taco truck, side the tacos.
Chef Roy provided a sample of the "vegan" tacos which are wrapped in slightly bitter and distinctly flavorful sesame leaf (called kwen-neep) and filled with chunks of tofu, sliced scallions, and chopped lettuce. Healthy, to be sure, decently flavorful, but probably not something I would order.
I also ordered the special of the night, a chicken quesadilla topped with a red spicy taco sauce and pomegranate seeds. The quesadilla's cheese wasn't fully melted and the whole thing didn't work because. Novel idea, reminded me a bit of chiles en nogada with the fruit seeds.
The other special of the night was a Kalbi Slider which came in a soft bun filled with kalbi, spicy sauces, and some greens. The first one I had was not well proportioned, with too little meat and too overwhelming bun. I remarked this to Chef Roy and he offered another one that came with better grilled buns and more proportionate meat ratio. Much better. I could munch on a few of these for lunch.
Afterwards Chef Roy asked me honestly about what I thought about the whole concept and all of the food. I didn't give him a straight answer and a conversation with Daniel later revealed to met that Chef Roy told him I had a "poker face". I think I was just trying to figure out what I had just eaten - was it Korean food? or Mexican food? Obviously it's a fusion, but it's not one that hasn't registered in my mind like other fusion cuisines (Korean-Chinese is one I'm still trying to fully figure out, though I've been eating that for years). I like the concept because it's a combination of two of my favorite foods. I lived off of taco trucks during my college years. My friends and I have actually made tons of kalbi tacos after picnics and church events when surplus Kalbi meat is aplenty.
We stuffed our version with better, fire-grilled chunks of meat and diced kimchi. Of course we didn't have Kogi's superb, sweet sauces. My suggestions for Kogi's version? Grill the meat a bit longer to give them a nice char, add in chunks of kimchi (or at least offer them as a side), and make sure the cheeses are all melted. My friend Daniel loved the burrito while my girlfriend thought it was dreadful. I have to make the judgment for myself next time I'm at the truck (whereever it is). I actually remember fantasizing with Daniel about doing a fusion Korean-Mexican food venture but we thought no one would like the stuff. How wrong we were...
I visited Kogi on a more recent occasion and found the execution not as sharp as the first time. I didn't see Chef Roy in the roach coach so that might explain it. The truck is now a full time mob scene a la Pinkberry circa 2004. There are lines and there's even coverage on New York's Serious Eats blog. Now with a brick-and-mortar location in The Alibi Room and a projected 100 trucks to hit the streets in the coming years (per Chef Roy's admission), who knows how far Kogi will go. You can track the truck's status on Twitter, or check it out through updates on their website. I would get there earlier, as the post-bar scene will probably have scores of followers lined up. Still, I'm a bit scared, I think the mobscenes at the trucks could get dangerous and the dramatic hype that the truck is getting overblown. Seriously people, it's a taco with Korean meat in it. Calm down. But if you're feeling whimsical, or depressed in this quasi-Depression of ours, I think a few hits of these tortilla bound babies could help.
Kogi BBQ Truck
http://kogibbq.com
