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After several hours total spent checking Twitter Kogi updates, standing in Kogi lines, and devouring and licking my fingers clean after consuming numerous short-rib tacos ($2 each) with verde sauce... I decided it is time for a review.
Yum yum yum!!! Kogi = obsession and I am proud to admit that I need to sit in a circle with other Kogi obsessors and anounce that "My name is Orsolya and I am obsessed with Kogi BBQ". The short rib tacos are amazing and excellent with the perfectly tangy green sauce. The only down side is that the shell gets too soggy if you let it sit but that is only because it is so over-stuffed (in a good way). The short-rib burrito ($5) is nice and plump but not as delicious as the tacos, my opinion. Also suggested is the quesadilla ($5).
The ONLY thing I don't understand about Kogi is the obsession over the chocolate Tres leches cake.. I make homemade tres leches cake that I have been awarded over and I think their cake doesn't nearly compare to mine. In fact, I think it's crap.
Once you go Kogi, you can't go back. Trust me, you will NEVER stand in line for another taco truck again...
So KOGI popped my foodie truck cherry!
I remember when I was checking my Twitter and realized that a truck was serving nearby.
My bf and I made a quick U-turn and stood in a quick line for our Kogi tacos! We ordered every kind of taco (Korean short rib, chicken, and spicy pork), except the tofu choice. We also ordered the SPecial of the day (some yummy sandwich w/ pesto) and the dessert of the day (melt-in-yo-mouth chocolate cake!).
We actually spent $18 @ the Kogi truck (including drinks) that day! But it was worth it because my boyfriend was happy and it started my stalking of L.A. Foodie trucks!
YaYer.
:*)
So I officially have eaten from the Kogi truck and I was surprised that it was actually good. I had 3 tacos, 2 short rib & one chicken.
Now for the price I expected a bit more, that was kind of disappointing but it was something I have never eaten & actually has me full for the moment.
I really got lucky because I just happened to walk out of the SM Courthouse & it was parked right outside the Rand company so I jaywalked my butt over & waited in the short but fast line.
I would eat it again, I would like to try a few other items but I am not chasing the truck down over the internet to get it.
Our Order:
1. (4) Tacos .. Kalbi, Pork, Chicken & Tofu
2. Slider
3. Kalbi Burrito
I wasn't too sure what the hype about this place was all about.
Standing in line for over an hour didn't sound too exciting. But tonight our friends asked us if we can go with them to the Kogi truck.. It being a Fri night and we had nothing going on we agreed too.
The line was pretty long. We waited in the cold for over an hour just to give our order. We waited another 25 minutes to get our food.
Wow, there food was Scrumdilyumcious!
Whatever secret sauce they add in there tacos is unbelieveably good!
The prices are reasonable for the taste and quality of there food.
The food is 5 stars, but had to deduct to 4 because of the long line.
But overall this is some good ass grub!
I am very happy to report after all this time of searching for one, I FINALLY had my first taste of what Kogi has to offer last night.
Believe the hype!
They offer various Korean BBQ'd meats (Chicken, Short Ribs, Pork, even tofu) in various forms such as tacos ($2/each), burritos ($5/each), specialties such as quesadillas and even sliders ($3-$7/each).
I tried their Kogi chicken burrito and a short rib taco... and I want more..
Follow them on twitter for their next plan of action!
http://twitter.com/kog...
Wow! The kogi pastrami sandwich from a couple of weeks ago was so good that I checked back to see what the current special is.
The line is, fortunately, moving here At the new 'naranjo' truck in the O.C.
Two guys, who had not previously met, are freestyle rapping... That sh!t don't happen at Jack In The Box!
Well the Spam/Kogi sandwich wasn't as good BUT the sliders always deliver!
Thanks, guys for adding an OC truck. I'll be back...perhaps tonight.
Please keep up the good work. See you soon.
Not my first time to the Kogi truck...noticing some trends.
Each time I am quite excited to be…
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Delicious. And over-rated.
If you're still waiting hours in line for galbi in a taco shell, go to the Alibi Room instead. And wait in line* there.
*but at least at the Alibi Room you can drink.
Oh yeah, one drunk night as a grad student in Pittsburgh I invented the kim chi hot dog almost a decade ago. I just wish I took it the the next level by getting a taco truck and a twitter account.
But seriously. Hats off to you guys! I will talk smack and order your food just the same!
Long as hour and a half wait.
The tacos were good, but not as good as as I expected from all the hype.
Not really worth the hour and a half wait unless you don't mind.
I will try it again when it comes to my town...probably another month
Who's ready to shell out some cash??
For months I've heard the clamor about the famous Kogi truck. Not being in the LA area during the work week, I always missed opportunities to meet up with friends to grab some of this fabulous fusion. Luckily, this past weekend, I found out that the truck was going to make a stop in my hometown of the Heights.
My little bro and I set off about 15 minutes before the arrival of the truck and manage to get a good spot close to the front of the line. I liked how the truck was playing some 90's hip hop to entertain hungry and cold consumers. Since I wasn't planning on standing in line again for a while just to try out Kogi, my brother and I order practically one of everything.
We ordered the Spicy Pork tacos ($2/each), Short Rib tacos ($2/ea.), the Sliders ($5/two tiny sliders), the Blackjack quesadilla ($7), and a Short Rib burrito ($5/ea.) Everything tastes pretty much the same (spicy meat with plenty of chopped veggies), just in a different platform (corn tortilla, buns, etc.) The Spicy Pork was pretty tasty, def. made my nose runny! Out of everything, I really liked the Blackjack quesadilla. A toasted quesadilla filled with spicy meat, drizzled with guacamole and sprinkled with sesame seeds.
To be honest, the food from the Kogi truck was just okay. I'm not too crazy about the Korean BBQ meets Mexican food fusion. I like Korean BBQ and I love Mexican food...just not together at the same time.
I've never heard of Kogi until I attended a 4th of July party at Chef Nancy Silverton's house. She had the truck catered at her party and it was parked out front and boy was there a line! lOl
They served the beef short rib & spicy pork tacos & the beef short rib slider. I think a lot of people at the party was quick to judge (Can't blame them, it was a house full of chef's! lOl) and didn't like it, but I thought it was the best! It was very flavorful, tender and juicy! I don't know how much they sell for because they were free for us at the party, but whatever the price, I bet it's worth waiting in line for. =D
Oh yeah, the Kim Chee Quesdailla looks too yummy! Would definitely love to try that sometime! =]
The food is literally an explosion of flavors so intense and powerful it's like getting kicked in the skull. In a good way...if that's possible.
Favorites are the Kimchi Quesadilla and Short Rib tacos, and those delivered the power packed flavor punch in the jaw we were expecting. The two "newcomers" to my own personal Kogi truck experience, the Blackjack Quesadilla and the Spicy Pork Tacos, were so tasty they made me want to curl up in the fetal position and weep openly.
Great service, nice people and the food is to die for--what more could you ask for?
If you haven't tried it yet, follow them on Twitter and check them out. You won't be disappointed.
Long live the King--the Kogi Truck rules!
I finally tried the Kogi. I didn't realize they were parking a block away from my office building once a week at lunch. Apparently, they are on Broadway near 26th in Santa Monica every Wednesday.
I tried the spicy pork taco and the short rib taco. The spicy pork taco wasn't too spicy for me (and the guy was kind of pissed at me for asking how spicy it was) and I don't like things very spicy. It was much more flavorful than the short rib taco, but that was good too. Two tacos were plenty filling for lunch.
My coworker suggested getting the spicy pork burrito ("No egg, because that's weird") because you get more food for less money.
food is good but whatever. here's a star for that, you boners. their pr/blogger chick either has to shape up or ship out. i don't care if she's choi's sister. she writes like she's 14 and she's the reason i don't follow kogi on twitter. im not asking for AP style but just stop capitalizing your goddamn L's!!!!!!!! that's worth two stars right there.
ALSO: i live in long beach, ever since kogi brought in the naranja truck they all of the sudden seem to think they don't need to come here anymore. guess what! i'm not driving to westminister or torrance just for your stupid expensive tacos! what shit!
Tonight I went to The Brig on Abbott Kinney with my bf and another couple - to stalk the Kogi truck. Bf and I had it once before - we were on Sawtelle on a Fri evening and ventured across the street to see what the crowd was all about. That was our first taste and it was a.m.a.z.i.n.g........so of course we had to TELL ALL OF OUR FRIENDS!
Most wouldn't believe us, it can't be that good. Some had never heard of the recent rash of gourmet food trucks around town. But this couple was up for trying it out with us!
Verdict? We were officially labeled FOODIES for introducing them. They can no longer say that they are virgins. We were all staring at each other speechless, with jaw-dropping joy-filled googly smiles - and all we could say was "I KNOW!".
The first time I tried the kalbi taco and the kimchi quesadilla and man, they were amazing. But tonight I found a new love - the spicy pork taco (tender and juicy meat with cilantro and salad and a sweet and spicy sauce) and the blackjack quesadilla (pork and cheese and green salsa). Okay, TWO new loves!
Every item that I've tried from this truck is like an EXPLOSION of flavor combos in your mouth: smoky-sweet-spicy marinated meat, ever so slightly fishy (in a good way) spicy kimchi, cilantro, tamarind?, lemongrass?, sesame seeds, garlic, onion, ohhhhhh. SO GOOD.
We also tried the Kogi sliders, which were a chopped mix of their spiced and dressed greens and chopped kalbi and cheese on adorable little grilled buns. Our friends had the kimchi quesadilla that we loved the last time. I don't know how many times I will use this word, but these were both *amazing* too!
You know what? I gotta add that both times I've had Kogi it's been super high quality food, excellent portions, very friendly service, and even though there was almost a 30 minute wait to order the first time (tonight we caught them as they were pulling up so we scored 2nd in line heh heh) it WAS worth it and the food came up fast. AND they are all SO friendly on the truck!
Do yourself a favor. Check out the Kogi schedule and GET SOME. : )
Its amazing what this food truck has started...an entire mobile food scene across the country!! Food truck nation! I first tried Kogi after reading about it online last December. I remember going Lil Tokyo on a Sat night and there was NO line at all!! This was way before they got uber popular I guess. I tried one of each of the kalbi, pork and chicken tacos. Thought they were amazing! Loved the saucy salad mix. After that I've been to Kogi a dozen times, many times had to wait in a long line, boo. I've noticed that some days they're not as good. I think it was so good the 1st time because the original chef was in the truck making the tacos. Now that they have like 3 or 4 trucks, the chef making the tacos may not be as good as the original guy. Also tried to kalbi and kimchi quesadilla (they dont serve this all the time though), good stuff.
Who knew cheese and kim-chi could be besties?
Sounds really unappetizing actually, but omg it was SO GOOOOD. I'm not from so-cal, but everytime I go down to LA I always hear the raves of the kimchi quesidilla. Me, my boyfriend and his friend were driving aimlessly around Downtown LA trying to find Santee Alley when all of the sudden I spotted the Kogi Truck! Even though we had JUST finished lunch, we HAD TO order SOMETHING. No tracking them down on twitter, and no hour plus line! We totally lucked out! Too bad we were already full or we would have ordered more =[. They were just about to leave and told us we had 30 seconds to order.
Me: What?! But we never been here before!
Friend: And we're from nor-cal!!
Kogi guy: Oh really? Okay then 5 minutes.
Yay! The two guys got the tacos which were kinna small for 2 bucks each? ( didnt matter, we weren't hungry) But my kimchi quesidilla came with 5 generous slices! Yumm! The meat on the taco was also good.
I think I'd gross myself out if I tried to make the kimchi quesdilla myself... cheese and kimchi... who knew.
I would give it 5 stars if I went on a empty stomach. But since I had to stuff myself, it became painful.
sorry Kogi... but you guys suck now...!!!!!
What happened..?????????
Why are you so damn Yummy.........!!!!!!!!
I ate here a few months back before they started getting…
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So I've caught the truck twice now. This is what I've eaten so far:
Short rib burrito
Short rib taco
Spicy pork taco
chicken taco
kimchee quesadilla
last week's chef's choice
prior week's chef's choice
Everything I ate tasted awesome, though I wouldn't wait two friggin hours like some crazy people would. The best had to be last week's special: all three meats, mayo and CHICHARRONES!! My friends laughed at me b/c I ordered practically the entire menu.
My one complaint: line jumpers. Seriously, they suck. Other than that, I am loving me some Kogi, people.
Korean BBQ taco truck in LA!
Oozing out greasy goodness with every bite
Grab LOTS of napkins
I liked: korean short rib taco, and black jack quesadilla
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I flew back to LA for the weekend. My flight was a bit delayed. No drink service on the plane because of turbulence? I hadn't eaten dinner and I didn't get back home until past 10pm last night. I was not a happy camper. Luckily, my friends called and asked if I wanted to grab korean bbq tacos because the truck was going to be on Sawtelle & Olympic that night from 10:30pm-1am! Yay, my first time visiting the Kogi truck!!! :D
When we got there at around 10:40pm, there was already a long line! O_O Crazy asians in their mid 20s wanting and waiting for their piece of Kogi! haha Music beats in the background from the taco truck. This was the place to be! But the line was even longer when we had left (11:30pm)!
I was craving a burrito, like I always am! haha But luckily my friends convinced me not to get the huge thing and stick with the assortments of soft tacos.
I tried...
+ Korean short rib taco ($2): Pretty good, pretty greasy, and pretty small! I liked the mixture of chopped veggies and sprinkled sesame seeds! The cilantros were refreshing! YUM! If I were to get the tacos again, I'd only invest my $$ on these suckers! :D
+ Black jack Quesadilla: It was WAY better than the kimchee quesadilla! I like!! :)
+ Kimchee Quesadilla ($5): I'm not a fan. It needs a bowl of rice to complement the meal. =\
+ Spicy pork taco ($2): I took two bites of the pork... it was SPICY for me!! Leaking nose! Teary eyes! T.T
+ Chicken taco ($2): ehhh... chicken tasted sour, like chicken adobo. =\
Tips...
+ CA$H! some trucks only accept paper and not plastic
+ water (food is quite salty) or pay up $1.50 for drinks there
+ hand santizer or wet wipes cause your hands will be drenched in oil after consuming those tasty tacos and quesadillas!
KOGI: It's a very unique concept, especially with the trend of food carts/food trucks. I think it's great that the taco truck is always at a different location! Fusion food of Korean and Mex prepared in a truck! Awesome! :D And you can eat and hang around with other locals! The tacos are a bit small and pricey for being $2 each, but I think the $5 burritos and quesadillas are more bang for your buck! haha I only wished they had a handwashing station, and also served a side of rice with their foods! Follow them on twitter or at their website (http://kogibbq.com) for their weekly locations!
Hmmm... I think I still want to try the Korean short rib burrito! :( Oh well, something to look forward to the next time I'm in town! :) Thank you Brandon A. for treating us out! woot woot! Good times! :D
Well, well, well Kogi you and I finally meet. After a few months of battling myself on whether I would brave the long lines to partake in the phenom I finally gave into my urges and my friends and decided to give it a whirl.
First and foremost there wasn't really a line. We ordered almost immediately and waited only a few minutes for our food. Their menu is pretty basic with tacos, burritos and a special black bean quesadilla that looked delicious. We decided on the beef short rib and chicken tacos and a spicy pork burrito. When we received our tacos i started to devour them immediatley noticing the crunchy yet soft delicate quality of the toasted tortillas and the spicy juices of the pork melding with the tangy kim-chi esque slaw.
Wait a minute!? We didn't order pork tacos! oh no! Lucky for us they gave us the wrong order therefore we got 4 tacos for the price of 2! yay! All delicious. Spicy pork was definitely my favorite with the short rib a close second. ...the chicken was chicken but still moist and seasoned well. The pork burrito was also a nice treat. It honestly tasted almost exactly like the pork taco except there was a delightful addition of egg. Which gave the burrito a hearty, belly filling quality.
Although the Kogi truck is a touch more expensive than your average taco truck it is well worth the price( $2.00/taco) because of its attention to detail and layering of delicious flavors and ideas. But I'm not convinced it is worth the wait, unless you have an unsatiable craving. Get there early and enjoy :)
Okay party people.
If there is ONE THING YOU MUST GET, whether it's your first or hundredth time, if you haven't already, for the LOVE OF GOD, order the Blackjack Quesadilla. It will make you cry over what kind of sad, pathetic quesadillas you've been eating all your life.
And thank god I got my order right the first time. It was my first visit with the bf and one of the first things we tried. Talk about a hole in one.
Truly, there is nothing in the world quite like it. And I'll tell you why: this baby has their not-to-miss spicy pork (which isn't really that spicy, for you spice-weary eaters) and onions, joined together with Cheddar & jack cheese, brought beautifully under splashes of salsa verde. The sauce somehow seals the deal, and in all honesty it wouldn't be the same without it.
In my opinion, it beats the burritos...and the sandwiches...and the tacos...there is definitely a reason why these take about an extra minute or two to make than the rest of your order. It's probably all the love and TLC they pour into that heavenly, tortilla embraced goodness.
On top of that, the servers were always polite and helpful. My boyfriend always takes us to the truck next to the Hanam market, and the lines aren't nearly as bad there as other locations usually fare.
And yes, his favorite is the blackjack too :)
I been trying to catch the illusive Kogi truck for quite some time now.
I checked my twitter yesterday and was excited that kogi was gonna be in my area from 10pm-1am. I was really excited!!! so later that night, i decided to get some kogi for the 1st time. I got there and there was about 3 people in line. I ordered the Burrito spicy pork ($5) . Waited about 5 mins for my food. the burrito was actually pretty good. was it worth the drive? yes. i would definitely grab something from the kogi truck next time its in the area.
its cheap. quick. delicious. innovative.
Seriously, this is all hyped up. Maybe it was even more hyped when we got all excited that they were coming to Orange County. When we got to the location around 11:00 pm on a Friday, there was a super long line! Thinking that we already came this far, we might as well wait in line to taste the hype. So we cringed; our stomaches growled for a good 40 plus minutes before we got to order our food.
We ordered:
* 4 Korean beef short rib tacos - it was okay, but we did not like the sour cabbage and lettuce. If you order the tacos, I suggest getting a side of it so you can taste it before topping it on your tacos.
* Blackjack quesadilla filled with spicy pork and caramelized onions - best tasting item we ordered; worth ordering
* Tres leches dessert - looked like a mound of nothing and was tasteless. Do not waste your $$.
* Mini burgers with chopped beef - do not order. It was not good at all.
With all the great reviews they are getting, are people eating this after a night of drinking because everything seems to taste better when you're all liquored up?!
Also, the photos of their food on Kogi's website do not look like how it is really served.
I think this concept is new to everyone and that's the reason why it's getting so many reviews. I seriously can make better Korean tacos at home and I'm probably basing my reviews on the Korean tacos we make at home. But if you're looking to try something different, then just order the Korean short rib tacos and black jack quesadillas. Also, if it's a long line, don't wait in it. I've heard that if you go during the week days at a reasonable time, the lines aren't long at all. On the weekends, the lines are really bad.
Get lots of napkins because it can get pretty messy!
I don't want to go into too much detail, to save everyone the horror of what I experienced this afternoon after eating Kogi last night.
Here's what I ordered: Short Rib Taco, Chicken Taco, Short Rib Burrito.
Result: Massive runs this afternoon, I've never shitted clear water in my life until today. I want to stick a plunger onto my ass and start pumping because I know there's still food backed up in there.
To top if off, there was a piece of unchewable cartilage in the beef, it looked like it was curved in shape, so I hope it wasn't a piece of eyeball.
If you ever see this truck on the streets, DRIVE THE OTHER WAY!
:( = How I'm feeling right now.
Mainly I know the prices as:
$2 / taco; $5 / burrito; $5 kimchi quesadillas; $5 / special; $5 / kogi dog; $1.50 / soda or water...and some other stuff..they even have dessert!
Yes, it's true, this truck is way hyped up, but damn I gotta admit, their food is DEEEELISH!
So it was 10:45pm when I told my boyfriend that we had to go to the Kogi truck in Carson (next to Ikea). He and I have been needing to try this place for a very long time. We exited off the freeway around 11:30pm, and we spotted the truck as we were pulling up. We saw a little crowd, but as we kept driving, we noticed there was a HUGE ASS LINE. "DAMNNNNNNN.." we both said. We had no choice; seriously it was freezing like hell outside, but we were having serious munchies! So we waited..an hour and a half out..us playing Connect Four on my phone...engaging in conversation with strangers like the wasted dude in front of us. It was the first time for a lot of people because this is one of the first times they started coming to Carson (they closed Torrance early that night). We didn't get our food 'til almost 1am. The guy who took my order was really nice although he wrote my name down as "Kelly"..hmm, I get that often. They accept cards as well & I didn't expect that especially because it's a truck. Anyways, once we got our food, we literally ran to the car, turned on the light, and started eating right away. I was not gonna allow myself to wait any longer driving home..I had to EAT! it was worth the wait because once I put that short rib taco in my mouth, it was like an explosion of yummy goodness in my mouth, all put together in one tiny little taco. It is sooooooooooooo good! I ordered 3 tacos (2 short rib, 1 chicken) and a short rib burrito (I saved it for later). Dayum. That stuff is delicious. My boyfriend couldn't stop with the "mmm...mm...mmm.." after every single bite. That lime just makes everything better than it already is. Oh yeah, and the tacos aren't big at all, I literally took 3 bites to finish the whole thing (2 for others, I bet). I say that..if you get to the front of the line and you're really hungry, order as many tacos as you'll need because going back in line won't be fun.
I got sick with a cold & sore throat the next day, but it was worth the good food! We're going again..and again..nommmers.
It's pretty exciting to have to track your fave restaurant on twitter, find out they're in your area, drive FAST, only to find out they got hassled by the man and were relocating. Kogi is worth the chase!!
Hubs brought me some Kogi home for lunch today. I thought the concept of Korean Mexican American was good in my head, but when I put it in my mouth, meh. Pac-man hamburger was cute, tacos were okay and the burrito was probably the best.
If the line was 5 minutes, I would get it again...perhaps I'd wait a little longer if I were drunk and I could easily stumble to it.
Drove to the truck, waited in a small line, ordered, listened to mindless banter from the other people waiting, received food, drove home and savored tasty tacos.
Total time: 34 minutes [it did take me a couple of minutes to get some ice and a Diet Coke together from the refrigerator].
Awesome!
These things are freakin' delicious. I had the pork, beef and chicken tacos. The pork was sweet and just a little fatty....the way pork should be. The beef was slightly smoky, juicy and there was lots of it. The chicken was good too! Just the right amount of kimchi, sauce, grease and cilantro. I am not sure any of this could be improved upon.
My only regret is not ordering other tasty stuff as I am sure the whole "34 minute thing" is a fluke.
I will definitely be stalking Kogi again.
ALRIGHT. After hearing all the hype and being stuck in norcal for school for a while, I finally visited home and had the chance to try out some of this mixing of Korean BBQ and Mexican.
The first thing I realized was, DAYUM THE LINE IS LONG AND TAKES FOREVER. My more veteran experienced friend made sure we got there early and it STILL took about an hour. We were at the FRONT of the line too. I'm sure everybody else here mentioned it as well, but sheesh. Make sure to bring friends or something to do. Preferably both.
Also, it seems that more people nowadays lack any respect or manners. Who decides to cut in line after the rest of us have waited for several hours in the cold? A whole bunch of us in line heckled the crap out of some line cutters and what did these guys have the nerve to say? "The line is too long, we don't have time to wait, you'll get your food anyway". WTF?! And they had the gall to act offended as if WE were the ones who were in the wrong. EXCUSE ME?
If I ever see them in trouble, lying on the ground with a broken leg, I'll just go up to them and say "Oh I would aid you kind sir, but I unfortunately don't want to spend any time to assist you. But it is certain you will be helped in the future, good day". *Ahem*. Ok, maybe the two situations aren't really the same and maybe I'm being too harsh (not). Onwards ho!
On the recommendation from a couple of friends, they told me to try the tacos first, as they distribute the individual flavors better than a massive burrito. I tried the beef and the pork, which frankly didn't taste same exactly, but were still very similar. The burrito was pretty good as well, along with the kimchi quesadilla (which I had SERIOUS reservations about at first). I have to say though, as a Korean myself, I loved how they put kimchi in everything. So goooood. :B
Other than the line cutting bastards which I despise with every fiber of my being (I must add I appreciate that once we complained, one of the Kogi guys talked to the scumbags, although to no avail. Nice try anyway, as its nobody elses job to really police the line, although I hoped people would have more common decency), the taste of the food was amazing and really does live up to the hype. Make sure to get the short rib taco! DO IT.
It really boils down to if its really hours-long-wait good. The answer is simple. If you never have gone, you're already thinking too much. You should be at the taco truck waiting RIGHT NOW. If you already ate there, why are you reading this? Write your own review! Jeez.
UM!
It seems like the food may have been good -- the tacos maybe even had *potential*. But, I guess I'll never find out now. The wait was so ridiculously long that I didn't even bother trying to wait another hour to get a few tacos and burritos that many people have claimed to be "just alright."
Let's just say, that in the time that you spend waiting for this truck to come and actually serve you food (including the long, LONG line), you could:
1) watch a movie
2) exercise
3) watch another movie, probably
I'm thinking that this truck has the same concept as Kula or Kura: novelty. Something you'd only visit once in your life. Well, I'm sure I'll never visit again unless they're right outside my apartment. Or if they actually commit to their Twitter-declared time of arrival.
After standing so long with no sign of food, Mark S. and I happily ventured to Sobahn Express (in H Mart), where I got my food served to me in less than 10 minutes.
By the way: In my whole 1 hour and 30 minutes of standing mindlessly in line for the truck, I only saw ONE person who actually HELD food that was purchased from the truck.
Typical roach coach with an Asian flare and much higher prices. they were smart to latch on to the party scene and the twitter craze, without it, I doubt they would have flourished as they have.
Interesting food but the corn tortillas were a bit stale and the wait was enormaoulsy long for roach coach food.
I came I saw I tried. It was essentially what I expected and not much more. I would recommend the Black Jack Quesadilla but the short rib tacos were a litle too gristley for my tastes.
Maybe after I try something else, the pastrami perhaps, I'll see things differently, for now the rave seems somewhat undeserved, at least in terms of the food. Marketing however is another story.
After first hearing about this new Korean taco craze a year ago, I FINALLY found the truck with a short line (20mins). I tried their chicken, short rib, and spicy pork. While they were all pretty decent, my fav was the spicy pork. If I ever come across the truck again, i'm going straight for the spicy pork burrito. This week there was talk of a special pacman burger with all 3 meats paying tribute to the pacquiao x cotto fight. Unfortunately, I didn't see it at the truck I found. Sorry SFand SD, kogi is only available in LA for now.
It's Friday. Ryman has a big dinner with a group of friends. Ryman goes to a bar. Ryman drinks scotch. Scotch is Ryman's preference. Ryman sits outside of bar with one of Ryman's friends smoking a cigar. Ryman sees a truck pull up outside of the bar. Ryman smells Korean bbq. Ryman likee kbbq. Ryman see... Kogi truck. Ryman wants sample. Ryman is... impressed. Ryman wants more. Ryman's girlfriend reminds Ryman that Ryman is supposed to be on a diet. Ryman is... sad.
TODAY'S FRONT PAGE HEADLINE: Somewhat Portly Foodie Breaks-Up with Supermodel Girlfriend Over... Korean BBQ???
-Reporting from Los Angeles: The foodie known as Ryman was reached for comment, "A few drinks down, and the meat was so tender and tasty (albeit a little bit salty), so I wanted more. She said no. I said then forget you, I have a new love. And I followed the truck around for two weeks. Stalker? No. Just in love. People just don't understand. Kogi and I, we have something special, we're different. And then I found out that Kogi has many lovers. Thousands of them. What a slut. So I went back to my girl, but she had abandoned me for... Al Watan Halal. My life is over. Damn you Kogi, DAMN YOU!!!!"
So I wanted the burrito, but the girlfriend reminded me that I'm supposed to be on a diet, so tacos it was. We split two. $1.50 each, not bad. We had the spicy pork taco and the short rib taco. The spicy pork was tender and had a good kick, nothing crazy, but a little stirring of the taste buds. The short rib was also tender and had a flavorful marinade. The taco shells (soft) were perfect.
I'm probably the last person in LA to try the Kogi truck, but I have to say that Ryman was impressed. I've read some mixed reviews about Kogi, but this past Friday night the meat quality was good enough (and no I wasn't wasted, although I was a few drinks down I will admit). For the price, the quantity, and the flavor, it was a no-brainer... I wouldn't wait in the long lines that I've witnessed accumulating around Kogi in the past, but if I didn't have to wait in line (like I didn't the other night) I would definitely eat there again.
Portable kbbq? Word. 4 stars. Should've tried this ages ago!
After all the Kogi Truck hype I finally ate their food. I actually didn't stand in line. Luckily I have a boyfriend who was kind enough to get it for me. Kogi is parked right near my house on Eagle Rock & York all the time so we finally got it and yes it lived up to the hype. I had no idea that kimchi could be good in a taco! I had the tofu taco and it was soooo good. I didn't think it would live up to the hype, but Kogi proved me wrong.
Dear Kogi,
thanks for making a vegetarian option. We are grateful! I will see you on the corner, this time I will be there in person.
omfg they came to lake forest tonight. Best truck food evar.
It was *so* good. The short rib burrito was good, the short rib taco and spicy pork taco were better. The Kogi sliders were *the best*. The meat was well marinated, it was flavorful and moist. The short rib could have been more tender, but otherwise the pork and whatever is in the kogi sliders was *awesome*. I really like the cilantro/green onion/lime relish. All the flavors come together so nicely. The sliders have a nice buttery flavor to them too that only enhances the omg goodness of the meat.
I only heard about the Kogi truck last night, my friends were telling me how awesome it was. I checked out the website and low and behold they were due to come to Lake Forest tonight. I also checked twitter and they were there an hour early!!. YAY! I *stalked* this truck tonight. We left early, got there on time (after not being able to find the "gypsy den" where it was staged behind), and we were literally first in line :D
The guys in the truck were quick and friendly, and they make some damn good food.
Go find you some Kogi!
The bf and I had tried Kogi food before at Alibi room and loved it, although it had been towards the end of the night. So when the truck decided to park itself close to work, a large group decided to try it out. The special for the day was a banh mi hot dog. I immediately got excited until he said that it was on a regular hot dog bun with the banh mi sauce. What banh mi sauce? Mayonnaise? Needless to say, I didn't order the hot dog topped with mayo and cilantro.
However, I did order the Kogi Dog. I guess that I had pictures of little hot dogs dancing in my head. The dog was on a regular bun but this hot dog was covered with their sauteed kimchi. The dog was perfect, I may never want to eat a regular hot dog with mustard and the like again. I didn't try the tacos or sliders this time but I remember how good they were the last time. Besides, it gives me reason to go back!
Pro: It comes to your neighborhood! Quick service, decent price for the food. Crazy Korean Mexican food.
Con: It's outdoors, smokers will be there. Could use better description on where they will be.
Kogi is a magical silver bus that brings strangers together to wait in the cold for food. We got there early to be the first in line around 9:45, only to be greeted by a police squad car there ready for crowd control. That give me a good sign of how much madness will be generated by this bus by midnite.
Tried the slidera and hot dog, both a bit pricy, but consider the expanse of the bus and fuel, it's all worth it. The relish was especially impressive, making the everyday slider and hot dog so much better.
btw. crazy korean guy that doesn't speak a word of coherent english will be calling out random things that may or may not be your name. pay attention to the food he is holding if you want to receive what you ordered.
Ok. I Totally Get The Hype. Really.
It helped that they came to my watering hole- Jimmy Bones. It ReallyReally helped that us regulars got line-cutting rights.
Great Googly Mooglies. This is seriously good eats.
We got a lot. 'cuz that's what we do. But we're in our second living room, so we'll give the leftovers to someone.
The Blackjack quesadilla is off the charts. So good.
Tried the short rib and spicy pork tacos. I was scared of the kimchi, but it was tasty as all get out!!!!
Oh yeah, the 'dessert', whatever it was, was super too.
And the KogiDog...... there are no words for this one. Honest.
I'm old and grouchy. I'll wait in line. It's that good.
They need to sell their sauces.
6 tacos, quesadilla, dog, dessert, $30. Worth every bloody penny. All day, every day.
I know I'm beating a dead horse here, but I must say...the short rib and spicy pork tacos are ORGASMIC. Seriously, skeet skeet skeet.
If you have yet to try this taco goodness, then what's your damage, Heather?
Finally, fate led me to the Kogi truck!
When I wasn't even trying to look for it, I happened to come across it in the parking lot of Hannam Chain in Ktown! I got super excited because it was lunchtime, the line was short and I'd been dyinggg to try it for myself after all the hype!
But sadly, it didn't live up to all the excitement. I ordered a spicy pork burrito and I think I expected it to be AMAZING but it was just mediocre. I wish there was more lettuce in my burrito or more kazaam!! It tasted like it was missing SOMETHING. If the burrito were a melody, I'd describe it as monotone. It was just boring and meh.
Would I eat this again? Only if I'm hungry and the lines are short and I happen to come across it again, but it's definitely not worth hunting down.
Yelpers Special on Fridays
Neighborhood: Downtown
We Are Now Open For Lunch!
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Torrance
Category: Korean
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Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Echo Park
Category: Food Stands
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Venice
Category: Bars
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