Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Special Tasting Menu with Kogi BBQ ~ Los Angeles
Ever since I experienced the Korean tacos of Kogi BBQ, I’ve been a fan, but the time and locations of where their trucks are parked aren’t always convenient for me, so I hadn’t been able to have much of their food, except for one time that I happened to be visiting a friend in Eagle Rock and they had a truck parked down the street from where she was. I dragged her along and like me, she was blown away. Periodically, I’d hear about these specials that Chef Roy had been cooking up and they sounded so tasty, I definitely wanted to try them for myself. Finally, I set up a special tasting menu with Kogi BBQ for my dining group down the street from the Taco Truck Depot. How often can you say that you’ve had a 9 course tasting menu from a taco truck on a random street in LA?
The first 3 courses were all in one tray, which included a Short Rib Taco, a Spicy Pork Taco and an Oxtail and Kimchi taco. I’ve had the first two tacos in the past and they were just as good as before, but the Oxtail and Kimchi Taco was something new and wow, was it tasty. The meat was marinated well and had a slight chew to it that I liked and I really enjoyed the slight crunch of the kimchi. The only thing I would have changed is to have a spicier kimchi. It needed more heat, but other than that, the Oxtail and Kimchi Taco was a hit with the entire crowd. I think it should actually be added to their regular menu.

Fourth on the rotation was their Korean Hot Dog with a Kimchi Slaw. I wanted to like this more, but I think it needs some adjustments. First, the hot dog itself was just okay. It could be a preference thing, but I would have liked it to have more of a snap when I bit it into it, plus it could have been a bit juicier. Also, while I liked the bun’s softness, it needed to be firmer. When I got my hot dog, it had already fallen through the bun and while trying to eat it, the hot dog was slipping and sliding everywhere. I did like the kimchi slaw and how it hadn’t been marinated for too long, so it retained an almost green freshness about it.
(Continued)

(6 tacos)



