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What isn't awesome about Kogi? The answer is nothing. Absolutely nothing isn't awesome about Kogi. So long as you're willing to track their whereabouts on Twitter, and deal with the trucks showing up a few minutes late, you're in for a taste-de-force.
The food is unbelievably delicious. The short rib tacos and kimchi quesadillas are two of my favs - but the real secret is to ask about whatever specials they have that day. When in doubt, just order a little bit of everything!
I heard one of the big wigs at Kogi went to Boston University, so I don't know why they haven't tried to bring their DELICIOUSNESS over to the east coast. They'd make SO much bank.
Anyway, I think I'm a lucky charm because when Nia M. and I hunted down the truck there were less than 10 people in line. In the name of research, I tried all 3 tacos they had: short rib, chicken, & tofu. I'm doing a Homer drool right now just thinking about them. I wanted to take home the bag they came in because it smelled so good. The ingredients were fresh and I didn't feel that "ugh" feeling you sometimes get from "fast" food.
The guys making the food were really nice and it all came out quickly. We ate right there standing by the truck. Bad idea. I definitely encouraged Nia to go up again. heh
And blah blah.. so they don't take credit cards. They're running the show out of a truck slash the tacos cost $2. Hell, next time you see me I'll buy you a taco. Deal? ;)
Follow them on Twitter to figure out where they are! @kogibbq
8 Cal.4th 298, 830 P.2d 888, 11 Cal. Rptr. 3d 3
Supreme Court of California
Ted Hsu, Plaintiff and Appellant represented by The People v. Kogi, Defendant and Respondent
No. S8808808
November 23, 2009
MINDY, Justice.
In this case we face the question of *888 proper application of the "appropriate wait time" doctrine.
I
We begin with the summary of the facts of this case, as set forth in the declarations and deposition transcripts submitted in support and in opposition to defendant's motion for summary judgment.
On the night of November 10, 2009, at around 11:15 PM in the evening, Plaintiff stood in line at the intersection of Valley Blvd. and _____ in a parking lot in the city of Monterey Park, CA.
Plaintiff did not see the front of the line until approximately 1:00AM on the following morning of November 11, 2009. Upon approaching the front of the truck, Plaintiff purchased two chicken soft tacos, two spicy pork soft tacos, two kalbi (short rib) soft tacos, and the sliders. His two companions ordered one chicken soft taco, two spicy pork soft tacos, and the kalbi soft taco. In response to the food, Mr. Hsu stated that the tacos were "good" but not "worth the nearly two hour wait" for them.
Since then, Plaintiff has instituted the present proceeding, alleging that the "appropriate wait time" doctrine has been breached. After filing an answer, defendant moved for summary judgment.
II
[portions of the opinion have been omitted]
III
As a general rule, persons will wait at most ten - fifteen minutes for an average restaurant. For restaurants that are above average and beyond, the appropriate waiting period will be increased by increments of five minutes for up to an allowable period of one hour. Basically, the time spent waiting should be proportional to the quality of the food being served.
Arguably, a taco truck is what it is - a truck. There are no seats, no service, and no "ambiance" to speak of as in a restaurant.
Therefore, the issue before the court is: should the appropriate wait time doctrine be applied to a taco truck?
We find that yes, the appropriate wait time doctrine should be applied to a taco truck. Despite the differences, taco trucks and restaurants do have one inexplicable similarity, and that is both serve food to the community at large. Taco trucks are meant to be quick, fast, mobile, and most importantly, efficient. The court does not dispute that defendant is not quick, fast, mobile, nor efficient; however, is the wait time proportional to the quality of food being served?
In precedent cases, price can be a determinative factor in whether the food is "worth it." This may not speak for the quality of the food, but in an economy such as ours today, price can be an inexorable factor in whether or not to purchase a food item.
Thus, the court has reviewed the prices of defendant's menu items and found that the prices are in fact, to an extent greater than other taco truck pricing, but since defendant is a "specialty" food truck, the court will abide by their regulations.
Convenience is also another factor that other cases have mentioned in regards to whether a restaurant is "worth it." This includes ease of parking, access, and stability of location. Since Kogi's trucks are nomadic and move about constantly, the ease of finding their location can depend on whether or not you have internet access. Parking can also be a problem.
Finally, we come to the discussion regarding the quality of their food and whether waiting in exorbitant lines is worth it. Since Plaintiff and witnesses have already attested to Kogi's tacos being "good but not worth the wait," we conclude that the appropriate wait doctrine has been breached. A wait at any taco truck should not be more than a few minutes, and for a specialty taco truck such as Kogi, no more than five - ten minutes. It may even be more worth it (in terms of cost efficiency, time saved, etc.) to make your own Korean soft tacos at home.*
The judgment of the Court of Appeal, upholding the summary judgment entered by the trial court, is affirmed.
Concurring opinion by Justice Jennie T. to follow: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
*Footnote 1 : I know, I need a life.
Waiting with less than 10 people in line, I felt so lucky that we don't have to wait any longer for these Korean Mexican midnight snacks in chilly weather. I have to say that these tacos are good but not specTACOlar!!
Ordered:
Spicy pork tacos & short ribs tacos. Outburst of spicy and sweet flavors so intense and kick-ass.
Short ribs sliders. Buttery toasted buns with sweet juicy beef short ribs and stack of crunchy fresh veggie.
Kimchi quesadilla - cheesy + spicy = explicitly lip-smacking
To all the Kogi followers and worshipers who waited for two hours, calm down people, it's only tacos. But if they were in your area and line is short, bring some cash and give it a shot! It won't disappoint..
pics - http://www.yummycrave....
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.
I guess I am not really in the social "What's hot" loop as I didn't hear about this Kogi Bbq truck until about a week ago. My Wife has had it a few times at work and told me about this mystery truck that is such popular phenomenon, people track it's every move on the Internet. I admit that I got caught up in the craze and decided to follow them Twitter. Now, I don't know if this is pure coincidence or an act of devine intervention. But, the day I started tracking the truck, they were coming to the Ikea in Carson, 5 mins from my house. So I took the sign for what it was, a calling for me to experience one if the best cultural mix up creations ever. Korean BBQ'ed meat served in the Mexican creations that we love being southern Californian. Burritos, Tacos and Quesidillas.
The truck arrived right at 10:30 as it advertised and droves of people stampeded to the front of the line. Not experiencing the truck yet, we had no validation for the running yet, next time I think I will run full speed giving forearm shivers to anyone on my way.
I had Short rib burrito, Spicy Pork Taco and Spicy Chicken taco. Chicken was ok, Pork really good, and the short rib was phenominal. My wife had the black Jack quesadilla which was out of this world!
I absolutely loved the Kogi Truck. Living in the southbay, I wouldn't drive to Santa Monica, Hollywood, or Downtown (places it frequents a lot). But anytime it comes to my part of town, I will definately get me a short rib burrito and black jack quesadilla.
I went there, cause my brother tell me about this place, definite a unique way to do business. Unlike most taco truck, this one definite has huge fan base mainly young peoples. The Internet(facebook etc..) definite has them help to boost their imagine.
Before the truck came, there's aleady about 20 people line up in a cold evening. Unlike most truck, this one take like 20-30minutes to prepare prior start serving when their came to parking lot. I think only 1 person there is korean while the cook are hispanics.
The menu selection is very limited, probably the least selectoin of food from any taco truck I had see. Price is definite higher than most taco truck. I order the short rib korean bbq burrito, that one suppose to be their signature item. It was okay, definite tasted like bbq but a bit too sweet. Portion is small, I probably won't come out again, for $5 you can get nice burrito from chipolete which i think is much better choice.
Is annoying that they charge tax should had been include, had to mess with the coins, only drink and no other snacks that would help use those coins.
You has to spend about $10 in order to get it full which i think is over price especially for taco trucks.
This was a novelty, and of course like all novelties you get food that is more expensive than it should be, and small amounts of it.
The food was tasty enough, but for $32+ dollars for a couple of burritos, tacos, and a quesadilla you can do better. However like all of those weird novelty places... I've done this one now, and now I have to try the next one I suppose.
Be aware, THEY DON'T TAKE CREDIT CARDS and you can rack up a large bill rather quickly so pack your wallet and good luck.
Orange County Kogians, UNITE!
Let me break the bad news to LA: we've got the better Kogi truck. No, seriously, our tacos come out faster, the food is way tastier, and the truck is HUGE! The line is shorter. In fact, my friend returned for a second helping, and there was no line! It was packed when we got our food, but cleared up by the time we went back for seconds. Awesome!
Love, love, love ordering myself 3-4 short rib tacos in the middle of the night. Took my friend Ron (who served in Korea) on a Kogi run, and he (I quote) "was brought back to Korea with this one bite." Hahahaha. I know, right? I also took my friends Mikey, Maggie, and David on their first Kogi run as well... they are officially hooked.
I cannot stress enough how much better Naranja is tastewise. I love it when the truck is really close to my area. Why? Other than the obvious reason, I really like being able to bring my tacos home and eating in my dining room rather than on a concrete slab in some random parking lot. GO KOGI!!!!
By the way, stay away from the rice punch? Weird bits of rice in it....
I recently learned of this mystical taco truck via the news. I saw the feature story one night… Read more »
Ever since I've moved back from NYC there has been a consistent buzz surrounding the Kogi truck, so I decided to join my friend who lives in Little Tokyo and see what the hype has been all about. On Thursdays, one of the trucks stops in front of the Japanese-American Musuem, and a DJ is set up outside of the museum to provide a source of entertainment as the people wait in line and eat their food. We decided to go early and beat the crowd, but unfortunately there were people already waiting for the truck to arrive. In fact, the line grew exponentially as time came closer to its scheduled arrival. There could have been at least 50 people in line when the truck finally arrived, and it seemed as if the line grew longer from the time when we ordered to when we left after finishing our meal. Los Angeles definitely likes Kogi, but why...
California is well known for its culinary fusion of food and Kogi is proof. What makes Kogi famous is that they have seemed to merge a union of utilizing a Mexican tortilla as a serving medium and use Korean influenced short rib as the focus of the meal. Having already made Korean bbq kalbi tacos before the Kogi truck hype came about, I came in having some expectations of what I wanted out of a Korean short rib taco. My first taste of their short rib taco was truly a disappointment. The marinade of the meat comes no where close to a Korean bbq marinade, rather, it is overly saturated with sesame oil. Even the cabbage is drenched in sesame oil, all of which overly obscures the taste of anything else. With every following bite, my taste buds try to discover a familiarity with a Korean marinade. Where is the acidity? Where is the flavor and saltiness of the soy sauce? Where is the sweetness? I want some kim-chi. Maybe I expected it to be real Korean bbq inside the taco, but the marinade of the beef just didn't do it for me. If it is advertised as Korean bbq taco then the taste should at least have some familiarity with Korean bbq other than sesame oil. Yes, sesame oil is a key ingredient in a Korean marinade, but too much can over power, and seems to be the case at my first tasting at Kogi. I respect the fact that Kogi has introduced and inspired culinary creativity. There are now random trucks sprouting up fusing the taco with other ethnic cuisine. However, to wait in line in excess of 30 minutes for tacos and burritos, it is more hype than anything else.
1 star for originality, 3/4 star for food, 1/4 star for the hype. 2 stars total.
After a second tasting, this will be an amendment to the first tasting. The kimchi quesadilla is money, a great execution of Mexican and Korean fusion. However, everything else still doesn't do it.
1 star for originality, 1 star for food. Still 2 stars total
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!
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…
Read more »
They were in Walnut one weekend and I decided to go out and give it a try.
Got to the location, the line was crazy. I waited for an hour and 40 total, that includes getting my food. First of all - there were people cutting in line, and then lil wannabe gangsters getting all postal about the cutters. I thought I was gonna get shot over some tacos.
Got my food, I drove home to eat it since I didnt feel like getting shot.
Food was really good. I dont think Im gonna wait for it though. if you want to try it and dont wanna wait, you can always goto the Alibi Room in Culver City and get the same food and more. I now go there instead of tracking down the trucks.
Good stuff, good price, just the wait is bad, and the type of kids that go are bad (but thats no fault of Kogi)
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...
When I first tried Kogi, it had only been around for a couple months and they only had a few menu items (tacos and burrito). Now they have a lot to choose from and I am convinced the tacos have taken a back seat.
Previously it was about the short-rib and spicy pork tacos, but now it's all about the short-rib sliders and any torta they may be serving up. I have yet to try the chicken pinneapple torta, but I did have the Pacman special. This sandwich/burger does not hold back, it's got everything. Their website states the following: "Both saLsas! All three meats! Sesame mayo! SaLad! Chicharrones! Jack and cheddar cheeses!" It was created in honor of Manny Pacquiao and the Pacman KO'd me without question. I need another. Now. The bread and the spice and all the meats and cheeses together just killed it (in a really good way).
Kogi is great and they hold true as the gold standard of gourmet food trucks through their ever expanding menu and unbelievable weekly specials.
Now if I could only get my hands on one of their desserts.
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! =]
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!
more for those who enjoy standing outside to wait for pure thrill. It's fun to chase these trucks down but the food is mediocre. But hey if you're bored during the weekdays why not give it a shot.
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...
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
Hmm lets see, it was in Cypress located in a sketchy alley behind a bar.. haha the line wasnt too bad but then again i was one of the last people to line up with a few friends. We all decided to get the burritos. 3 beef and one veggie. Honestly i think i would have enjoyed the tofu more than the meat... The meat was caramelized and everything but... It lacked that delicious smokey flavor you exibit when eating korean BBQ. There was cheese inside but only half was melted, the other half was cold. The abundance of sauces proved fail in this instance too! There was a lot of sauce for the meat and also alot in the salad, this resulted in a salty burrito.. Not too enjoyable. Maybe it was just this time it wasn't good... i'll be back!
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.
Jennie, Justice...
I concur with the conclusion reached in this case by homegirl Mindy, in the application and breach by the defendant of the highly appropriate "wait doctrine, " and in the reasoning insofar as it relies upon the the defendant being a mere taco truck, albeit less ghetto and more bourgeois. But I would like to append another factor with the doctrine stated above: the unsalutary effects of waiting such a period in the perspective of a reasonably starving student. Namely, the defendant was a good 40 minutes late, the line had already stretched the length of the building by 6:00 pm, and the plaintiff was a student having only cereal with soy milk the morning. Furthermore, the defendant, aided by customers, taunted the plaintiff with whiffs of meat throughout the 1.5 hour wait, which served to further amplify the plaintiff's hunger. So much so that when sustenance was finally devoured (kogi tacos + kimchi quesadilla), plaintiff of course knew that the the food was delicious, but fell ill and immediately threw up after. In conclusion, tacos and even a novelty like kimchi quesadillas (which was a mixing of flavors too odd for my taste), when waited upon for so long that the starving student suffers hunger pangs and a little lightheadedness, is not worth the time.
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!
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
This Kogi thing is just hype and is totally overrated. Some of the items are okay, but definitely not worth the wait unless you are drunk or got nothing better to do than standing out in the cold for at least 30 mins for mediocre over-priced food. We ordered the Kogi dog and some short rib tacos. The dog was okay but nothing spectacular. The tacos weren't good at all. The skin was dried and the meat was chewy. And there were only 2 small slices of meat in there. WTF!
All I can say is that at least I have tried it once.
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.
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. : )
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.
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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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!
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.
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!
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.
A lapse of judgment lead me to the Kogi truck. I knew it would not be worth my time once the friends of Kogi started throwing themselves in traffic to save a parking spot for the beast.
The good news is that it tastes Korean. I was expecting to be punked with a run of the mill Mexican taco. The bad news is it's just a mediocre taco from a truck.
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.
After 1/2 a year of reading about the Kogi truck in Newsweek, the New York Times, my friends' twitter and facebook statuses... I finally got the chance to try it myself on a recent visit to LA. It took awhile to track down the truck. There was no line when I went (on a Thursday night), so that made me happy. I got three tacos: Korean short ribs, spicy BBQ chicken, and tofu. Each had a unique flavor and they all were very good. I like the tofu the most - it was slightly sweet which was unexpected. I wanted to get more food (kimchi quesadilla? dessert??) cause when would i get an opportunity to return? But unfortunately, I had gone to a potluck for dinner and after 3 more tacos, I wasn't hungry anymore. Oh well. Probably better that I don't stuff myself at 11 pm. But yes, I had high expectations and waited so long to eat here, so I can't exactly say that this place wasn't good, right? =)
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.
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.
Yelpers Special on Fridays
Neighborhood: Downtown
We Are Now Open For Lunch!
Neighborhood: Downtown
Neighborhood: Torrance
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Westlake
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Echo Park
Category: Food Stands
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Korean
Neighborhood: Venice
Category: Bars
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