i like to eat.

My friends and I had a lot of time to kill before dinner and fortunately, there was a Kogi truck near our hotel. My previous attempt was a failure, so I was hoping this time would be better. Plus, eating some Kogi was my number one mission in Los Angeles. I HAD to get some, dammit!

We arrived at the location 10 minutes before Kogi started serving (6P) and there were already 50+ people in line! I couldn't believe it and was praying it was worth the wait.

Minutes kept ticking as we waited...and waited...slowly inching our way towards the truck. Plus, this time around, there was no music to entertain us, just conversations of "are we almost there yet?!, it BETTER be good and should we jump ship?"

About 40 minutes later, we were at the front of the truck, knowing exactly our game plan of what to order and what we'd split. Jason and I ordered 2 spicy pork tacos, 2 (signature) short rib tacos and we'd split a kimchi quesadilla with our other friends.

OMG.

First bite of the short rib taco, AMAZING.

Both tacos were on two tortillas, filled with marinated, barbecued meat and topped with a tasty sesame-chili salsa, romaine lettuce and cabbage in Korean chili-soy vinaigrette and sesame seeds. The tacos were bold and juicy with the perfect amount of meat and vegetables.

I was skeptical about the quesadilla - cheese and cabbage? Hmm, doesn't sound like a good combination. But wow, the flavors actually work! The quesadilla was golden brown and topped with Kogi's special sesame-chili salsa. I'm not 100% sure what cheese they used, but it tasted like cheddar and was a compliment to the mild kimchi.

Kogi was well worth the wait and delicious. But, I wouldn't wait more than 20 minutes for it. I feel like I have more important (haha, VERY important) stuff to do than wait 40+ minutes in line. Just not my cup of tea with my (surprisingly) low patience, but I'm so glad we didn't jump ship this time.

Mission accomplished! :D

Side note, read this interesting article about Kogi's typical (and long) day.

       

Click here to download:

Second_Attempt_of_Kogi_tag_kog.zip (910 KB)

My only request for LA was to try Kogi, a Korean bbq taco truck. In LA, there's this huge craze of taco trucks reinventing themselves and selling food that's not typical of a taco truck. Some trucks have Mexican/Chinese tacos (Don Chow Tacos), Vietnamese sandwiches (Nom Nom Truck), Japanese rice burgers (Marked 5) and even Indian food (India Jones).

I was determined to try Kogi, the original and granddaddy of them all. Since the trucks are mobile, they rarely are in the same location. So, you have to follow them on Twitter to know the exact location and time. It's a great method of intertwining the internet into one's business. Plus, it's like a game, you never know when and where the trucks will pop up. These trucks are novelty and the idea of tracking them down is fun.

We looked up the nearest Kogi truck and for that day, it was at a book store's parking lot. By the time we got there, there was a massive line (I already expected this - there is usually a long line at these trucks) and music was bumping from loud speakers. I appreciated Kogi had brought some entertainment, while their guests waited patiently in line.

It was extremely hot with no shade and after twenty minutes of moving only a few inches, I threw my towel in and said "let's leave." I thought I was a very patient person, but the heat makes me grumpy and the line was moving way too slow. I also felt bad that my friends were waiting solely for me in a very uncomfortable, hot situation.

As we left the line and walked back to our car, I saw several people enjoying their tacos. I was bitter that I couldn't taste the deliciousness and still determined to try Kogi by the end of the trip.

       

Click here to download:

First_Attempt_of_Kogi_-_Fail._.zip (915 KB)

Yakiniku, Japanese barbecue, is a highly entertaining way to eat your meal. You cook bite sized marinated meat, vegetables and seafood over charcoal, which is encased in the middle of the table. After you cook the meat/vegetables, you can dip it in special sauces.

The very first time I had yakiniku was at Gyu-Kaku in Japan. It was nothing like I've ever had before and was so good. After my trip to Japan, I scoured the Bay Area looking for something similar, but surprisingly, even San Francisco didn't have too many options or it's very expensive. Going to LA, I knew there was a Gyu-Kaku branch, but my friend suggested a better place, Manpuku.

Jason did all the ordering for our table and I engulfed everything in front of me. We ordered a ton of meat, vegetables and seafood to cook over our little griddle. I can't even remember all the food we ordered, but we had prime beef rib eye, chicken breast, prime beef short rib, assorted vegetables, shrimp, scallop, salted beef short rib and salted beef tongue. Yes, there's offal involved for those that enjoy it.

The food has a robust smoky flavor and a great sear if you cook it right. You can't leave it on too long or you'll burn it! :P I think this is also the reason why I love campfire cooking, the flavors are more intense and an open flame seals in the smokiness.

Since we had a large group, we had to split into two tables and they ordered a cold noodle soup called morioka reimen (thanks Genki) that was amazing. At first, I didn't expect the chewy noodle soup to be cold, but the first bite got my taste buds dancing. It was so refreshing, light and delicious. There was even an apple in it! So many unexpected things in this little dish!

You HAVE to try Japanese barbecue. It can get a little pricey, but the food is delicious and it's a fun way to enjoy your meal.

   

Click here to download:

Things_to_Try_Yakiniku_tag_bbq.zip (484 KB)

Spontaneous Monday night dinner ended up at Everett & Jones in Oakland.

My previous experience was pretty good (see post), but this second time, not so good.

My boyfriend and I split some ribs, brisket and sausage links (it was a combo plate) that came with a variety of sides - cornbread, potato salad, cole slaw, baked beans and collard greens.

The ribs weren't as good as the the first time. It did not fall off the bone and if there's a bone involved, the meat has to fall of the bone. The brisket (my meat choice at barbecue places) was too dry and the sausage links weren't bad, just nothing that outstanding.

In terms of the sides, the cornbread was my favorite, but all the other sides were mediocre. We had plenty of leftovers, but I didn't even eat much of it the next day because it was extremely dry.

Everett & Jones out. Time to find another barbecue place. Do you know any good places?

   

Click here to download:

Meat_Fest_tag_bbq_everett_jone.zip (527 KB)

Not too long ago, I went to KC Barb-Q (see post) and was disappointed that they didn't have any brisket (my bbq meat of choice).

Well, disappointment once again.

The brisket was L-A-M-E. No bbq flavor in the meat and seriously, they just pour the sauce over it - that tastes like it's only made of ketchup. Even the meat was chopped up in weird slices. It's like small, one-inch slices! They should be bigger, thin slices.

It wasn't horrible were I couldn't finish the meal. But, I gave it two chances, hoping for the best and it still left me unsatisfied. Why go to a blah place? I'll never go there again.

For dinner, I went to KC Barb-Q in Berkeley. It was pretty late by the time we got there (around 9pm) and unfortunately, they ran out of brisket. :( Whenever I go to barbecue restaurants, I always get brisket. They had chicken, ribs and sausage left. I rarely get ribs because I don't like eating off the bone, unless it literally falls off. So, my only choices were chicken and sausage, which I got a combo to split with Jason.

The place is super cute and vintage with antiques everywhere. From old pianos, antique ovens and crates to the smallest detail of pictures, teacups and lights. So cute and full of history.

The food on the other hand, wasn't as impressive as the ambiance. I mean, it's OK, but it wasn't amazing (the users on Yelp are highly disagreeing with me right now - haha). The sauce was way too sweet and there wasn't any kick of spice to it. It just tasted like ketchup. The meat wasn't charred or have that smokey flavor. It was literally already cooked meat with sauce slapped on top. There wasn't a unison between the meat and sauce.

The beans were tasted like canned beans, nothing special. The potato salad was OK.

Overall, from this meal, I would not go back. But since they didn't have any more brisket at the time, I'm intrigued and willing to give it another round.

           

Click here to download:

Another_BBQ_Joint_tags_food_bb.zip (1353 KB)

Jason, Mike and I were headed to The Trappist again and we needed dinner beforehand. We remembered there was a TGIF at Jack London Square (several blocks away from The Trappist), so we went towards that direction. To our surprise, TGIF was gone. I'm certainly not a big fan of TGIF, but for some reason was a little disappointed that it was gone. Maybe it was because we had a lot of memories of going there during high school...

It was a toss between Everett and Jones (see my post about E&J) or Tony Roma's. And....surprise, we went to Tony Roma's. I'm not sure why, I would have picked E&J, but we ended up at Tony's.

Tony Roma's was pretty dead because Jack London Square is not so "hip/trendy" anymore and Everett and Jones, "Best Bay Area Ribs," is just down the street.

We started with an artichoke and spinach dip that was OK. Nothing crazy good. Jason and I split a plate of baby back ribs with fries and loaded potatoes. The ribs are as good as I remembered. Moist and literally, falling off the bone - just the way I like it or I wouldn't eat it at all (I hate eating off the bone).

In comparison to E&J's, E&J's ribs have a natural, smoky flavor and a nice charred crust. Both are good in their respective ways. I think I'd pick Everett and Jones over Tony Roma's next time, merely because they're not a chain (less artificialness) and a pint of Saucy Sistah Ale hits the spot.

   

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Baby_Back_Ribs_tags_food_dinne.zip (576 KB)

I've always wanted to try Everett and Jones because of its rave reviews (best Bay Area ribs). I just haven't because it's in Oakland (15 minutes across the bridge) and I don't have a car.

Finally, my friend, Mike was craving for some barbecue so he took us to the Jack London Square location. The interior is made of brick with high ceilings and decorated with an array of old fashioned pieces. The cover of their menus highlighted pictures of famous people that's been there. Mine had MC Hammer on it (sorry, forgot to take the picture!). Tyra Banks has been there and a whole bunch of football players.

For some reason, I felt like a big glass of beer so I ordered the "Saucey Sistah," from a local brewery. By the way, I love the name. ;) It was good. Refreshing, a little wheaty (but not as wheaty as a hef) and light.

I tend to always get brisket at BBQ places because I hate eating off the bone. But Mike persuaded and told me the meat falls off the bone so I ordered a plate of ribs ($9). As you can see, it was a plateful of ribs with sliced bread and a scoop of potato sauce. The meat had a crispy char (a little too crispy at times) on the outside and juicy meat that literally fell of the bone. It was good. The sauce was pretty good too. Not as tangy as I usually like it, but sweet and bold flavor. I snagged some of Mike's cornbread, which I would have traded for my sliced bread any day.

The Saucey Sistah definitely complimented the barbecue well. I wouldn't say it's the best ribs I've had, but it was certainly good and I'd go back.

   

Click here to download:

BBQ_Time_tags_bbq_oakland_ever.zip (683 KB)