Thursday, December 04, 2008

Kogi BBQ taco truck (Westwood, Hollywood and beyond)


I heard something interesting today from an entrepreneurial guru. He said that although the national economy may be in shambles, Silicon Valley isn't going down with it. That's because innovation is the entrepreneur's strong suit. They roll with the punches far better than the big three in Michigan, and besides that, they're attuned to what people want.

So when I caught word that a taco truck was going around the town packing Korean BBQ meat into tortillas and keeping customers in tow via Twitter, I thought, cool. That's entrepreneurship for you. It's a brilliant use of new media; letting people know things like your exact location ("Running a bit late. Be at UCLA by 8:30"), what the day's specials are ("sesame leaf vegan taco with asian pear and pomegranite"), and simply maintaining an open flow of communication with customers ("Thanks for waiting, The line was crazy last night!") Check out their Twitters here.


I tried each of the five tacos a la Korea available tonight: 1) short rib, 2) spicy pork, 3) chicken, 4) tofu, and 5) their special vegan mix wrapped in a sesame leaf the size of a large man's hand. At $2 a pop, they made for a tasty and unbelievably filling meal. My favorite was the spicy pork which got me a little sniffly (though I'm weak-sauce). They all run on the tangy-saucy side with the chicken being a tad sweet, but on a cold night out of a Hollywood club I can't imagine anything better than this.

special of the day: Vegan taco

One thing not listed on the menu is their Korean BBQ slider. Didn't try it but it's definitely on my list for next time.

In the News:

Jonathan Gold's take on the Kogi craze here.

Digg this

8 comments:

Wandering Chopsticks said...

Looks good. I've been meaning to try this since I heard about them a few weeks ago. I wish they'd come closer to me.

mattatouille said...

Yeah, I'm going to try and go tonight or tomorrow. We'll see.

Chubbypanda said...

That's freakin' awesome. I like both the Korean taco fusion and the use of Twitter. Rock on, rock on.

gourmetpigs said...

Ohh I didn't know they go to UCLA!!! Sweet :D
I know where I'm eating on the weekdays ...

Anonymous said...

Korean tacos? That I gotta try! I saw an article in the LA Times a while ago where they rated the best tacos around town, and there were a number of taco trucks in their list.

Jessica Gottlieb said...

Your blog is an amazing resource, a twittering taco truck? Who knew?

Lahore said...

i love your work i love your food and truck
Divorce Attorney Los angeles

AL - I love tacos said...

Those tacos look delicious. The first time I heard about them I felt like it was about damn time. Tons of awesome culinary fusion coming out of Los Angeles.

LA created taco truck catering culture. As a hungry customer, I'm proud to be an Angeleno.