The meaning of Kogi? Read on.
“An Idea Born From Late Night Hunger
We take the taste of Korean BBQ and fuse it with select spices to create some of the most unique and savory bites in LA. We’re always on the go, which means we’ll be updating our new locations soon and you can always find us live on Twitter. Fusing the taste of Korean BBQ and the portability of tacos and burritos…” @ KOGIbbq.com
Three months in and already a culinary classic.
I personally favor words accompanied by pictures, a la Mother Goose rhymes, so let’s turn the page of culture and see how Kogi has flipped the script on fine fusion…
Jack be Simple,
Jack be quick,
Jack be needing his Kogi fix
Jack jumped high,
Jack jumped low,
Jack peeved all, buying nineteen tacos
And some other stuff...
Jack be quick,
Jack be needing his Kogi fix
Jack jumped high,
Jack jumped low,
Jack peeved all, buying nineteen tacos
And some other stuff...
It's Simple, Jack: Kogi m-m-m-makes me happy.
Eric, the bespectacled fellow furiously (yet patiently) jotting down our wish list @ the purchase window, interjected mid-order seeming convinced that I had been neglected on the last decade of Christmas: Man, how much are you ordering???
You’re a good man, E, for embracing the spirit of giving. And I’m just a bastard. Precisely, ChinoTrojan is that bastard up front bogarting 24 Choi masterpieces, while deflecting glares from those still waiting to whisper into Santa's ear as they break the news to tardy friends, "DUDE, they're gonna run out of meat again!"
My condolences, fellow Kogi Freaks, but I had 2 other mouths to feed.
And what can I say, Captain E—Oh, I’m already Hook-ed. ARRRRRR~
Steady As She Goes...
CAPSIZED
Enough of the pregame, yeah? Time for tipoff.
STARTING LINEUP
TACOS – Definitely voted for change. Liberally topped with:
+ sesame-chili salsa roja
+ julienne romaine lettuce and cabbage tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette
+ cilantro-green onion-lime relish
+ crushed sesame seeds
+ sea salt
~Korean Short Ribs~
“This is our signature taco. The best trimmings of short ribs in our own special marinade, chopped up nice and small so the flavors dance on your taste buds. On the grill, the fat melts off & the sugars caramelize to create that soft tender texture and deep savory flavor. This is the Kogi crowd favorite.” @ KOGIbbq.com
~Spicy BBQ Chicken~
“Out of strong demand for something really really hot, we decided to make our chicken spicy. With a little bit more kick than our spicy pork taco, this one should get the fire burning.” @ KOGIbbq.com
If they knew that the hereafter would mean immersion in Kogi’s liquid love, cluckers would clamor at the chance to be Foster’s favorite come draft day. Free-range or crammed in cages, domestic fowl would downright prison shank each other for the honor of being cured, cooked, chopped, and then cuddled by the divine embrace of two maize comforters. Ahhh, hold on, I have to check Twitter for that truck…
~Spicy Pork~
“Spicy and sweet, but all attitude. Our pork first is chopped and is marinated with sweet and spicy flavors. It has so much kick, you’d think that you were running a Korean BBQ in your mouth.” @ KOGIbbq.com
~Tofu~
“We offer tofu as an alternative to those who don’t like meat. The tofu is pan seared and topped with all the fixings. [Heck], it’s so good you should try one even if you’re a strict carnivore.” @ KOGIbbq.com
-thx LA Addict-Not unlike an acne-tattered teen wielding discipline to abstain from picking her ripened whiteheads, my lovely sister—radiating a beautiful, porcelain complexion*—nary messes with curdled soybean. Oh, how true it was, until Kogi thawed her frosty disregard with its vegetarian offering – one so delectable, that the Trojan linebacking corps would devour these blockheads of tender protein like the Bruin offense on gameday. (Neuheisel: BRING IT)
*Sis – Make that the white, 16-gig model.
BURRITOS – ¿Por qué? Porque…
“Sometimes, you just need a bigger bite to satisfy your hunger which is why we offer breakfast burritos for the truly hungry. We make our burritos with the same signature meat in our tacos and mix it up with hashbrowns, soft scrambled eggs, shredded cheddar and jack cheese, chopped onions and cilantro, chiffonade romain and cabbage lettuce tossed in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette, a pinch of sea salt, a dash of our sesame-chili salsa roja sauce, and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.” @ KOGIbbq.com
That kind of poetry gives Homer a run for his Athenian coins.
SIXTH MAN
PLAT DU JOUR – DISH OF THE DAY if you say freedom fries
Thursday, January 29, 2008
~Chorizo & Egg Taco~
A kicked up Spanish sausage scramble that’ll have you exclaiming “Olé!” And, “Dayam!”
A kicked up Spanish sausage scramble that’ll have you exclaiming “Olé!” And, “Dayam!”
[sorry - this one wasn't ready for its closeup]
~Short Rib Sliders~
The torta, reinvented. What Jobs did with Apple, Choi did with torta. iLovekogi
~Kimchi Sesame Quesadillas~
Fellow KoAms may ponder, “So simple, why didn’t I think of that before??” Simply, you didn’t. Chef Roy did.
RESERVES
GARNISHES – The usual suspects @ taquerías: Lime y Radish Wedges, pero…
~Orange Wedges~ por gratis???
You mean, the fount of vitamin C that retails for a dollar per, even during weekly supermarket promotions? Indeed. The only thing the gracious folks at Kogi skimp on is compromise.
GAME RECAP
Vegans are yanking out their gluten-free shampoo treated hair, as Kogi rolls through their towns evangelizing with the sweet redolence of caramelized short ribs, like some crusade for conversion. Receive the bounty of love, return some, and spread the blessings around. Bad-ass, black-bandana-sheathed Chef Roy steers the course, and the burgeoning love from the multitudes keeps Kogi in perpetual motion. “Tell your mother, tell your father, send a telegram.” This tribe is set on a quest for something very special, and ChinoTrojan ardently supports this Love Movement.
“When we first started Kogi, we never really thought of ourselves as entrepreneurs. This truck was something that we really just wanted to have fun with. I guess this goes to show that the key to success is passion and love for what you want to do.” @ KOGIbbq.com
Mark Manguera : founder
Caroline Shin-Manguera : co-founder
Roy Choi : executive chef/co-founder
Alice Shin : public relations
Eric Shin : web administrator/photographer
Steve Yoo : promoter
Mike Prasad : brand/partnerships/marketing
ChinoTrojan : big fan
ChinoTrojan humbly salutes you
FIGHT ON, KOGI
FIGHT ON, KOGI
