Korean Fusion Shines at Kogi Food Truck

The Kogi food truck is the grandfather of the LA food truck scene. Ten years after the birth of a revolution, Kogi food trucks (notice now plural) are still going strong and feeding the greater LA area.

Despite the longevity of the Kogi brand, this week was my first time eating at one of their trucks. We went to the website to track down the one nearest us and headed to Pasadena.

In order to get the most from our visit we ordered all of the following: the Kogi dog; three short rib tacos; a kimchi quesadilla; and the sliders. This cornucopia of street food ended up costing around $36 dollars, expensive but that is the way of the food truck.

I enjoyed Korean fusion aspect, although the flavor of each item tended to blend together.

A look at the cheesy goodness within the kimchi quesadilla.

In particular, I did not find anything outstanding about the kimchi quesadilla. Kimchi is a Korean specialty that is made from fermented vegetables, such as cabbage, radishes and other vegetables you might find in a slaw.

The short rib sliders. Very similar in style and taste to the short rib tacos.

Although I ventured to try the quesadilla, I am usually not a fan of kimchi due to the strong taste from the fermentation process. I was strangely disappointed and relieved to find the taste absent from the quesadilla. Surely the kimchi quesadilla should have been more than just cheese?

Additionally, I was a little disappointed that the short rib sliders only provided two sliders for $8. They were tasty, but if you were planning on getting any of these items as a dinner replacement, it would be much better as a late night snack or light lunch.

The Kogi dog was fine. It definitely had a unique identity, combining a plain hotdog with Asian-style slaw. It was a good combination, but I am not sure I would order it again because there was one item that stood out above everything else.

The tacos.

The famous short rib tacos topped with a very delicious Asian slaw on top.

Oh my god, the tacos.

The short rib tacos were easily the best thing we ordered and will definitely encourage me to come back despite the rest of the shortcomings.

The Kogi food truck was definitely a fun trip to make, and I would encourage those reading who haven’t tried it to give it a shot. Obviously my feelings towards it weren’t fantastic, but it is a piece of LA history and culture, which definitely helps to make the trip worth it.

 

All photos by Julian Mitchell

Modern Indian Flavors in Old-Town South Pasadena

 

The bright red colors blended well with brilliant flavors this dish offered.

Radhika Modern Indian is a small and chic spot in South Pasadena.

Although I am familiar with Indian food, I’ve never actually sat down and enjoyed the cuisine. Radhika couldn’t have been a more fun spot to try for the first time. The modern interior and tasty food brought the whole restaurant to life.

I decided to go with a classic and ordered the chicken tikka masala. “Masala” is a Hindi word that translates to “blend of spices” while chicken tikka is a dish that involves chicken cutlets cooked in a clay oven.

The fluffy naan bread served as an excellent spoon to get all the last drops of the masala.

The dish came with garlic naan, a very fluffy bread used for dips, but also is more than great by itself. Fresh vegetables were served as a side, but be warned pea-haters, this dish is chock full of peas and tastes like it.

All that food, as well as a serving of rice, came in at $13 dollars and was surprisingly much more than I could eat.

 

All Photos by Julian Mitchell

 

 

El Amoroso: Hot and Cheesy

“Hot and cheesy” is also going to be the name of my autobiography. Keep a look out for that, but for now – on to the food!

Two bean and cheese pupusas dressed to the nines. Photo by Sierra Westerholm.

Although Latin American food can often get lumped together, El Salvadoran is a whole different style from Mexican food or Argentinian food. El Amoroso was our go to spot to get some El Salvadoran delights.

El Salvadoran cuisine is best known for the pupusa, thick corn tortillas that are typically  stuffed with beans and cheese and topped with curtido, a cabbage slaw.

The delicious plantains with crema and beans.

I was surprised but pleased to see plantains on the menu, which were served with beans and crema. Beans and crema created asmooth combination that paired well with the plantains. We also ordered steak, which was enough for food four people and left me as stuffed as a pupusa. Luckily all this food was only $40.

Lastly, if you go to any El Salvadoran restaurant, you have to order an El Salvadoran soda called Cuzcátlan also known as “cola champagne.” No it’s not actual champagne, but it does have an astonishing bubblegum taste to it. I was not a huge fan of it and opted for a Jarritos.

The El Salvadoran “cola champagne” and the Mexican “Jarritos”

Remaining photos by Julian Mitchell

Café Beaujolais Brings France to LA

I won’t sugarcoat this one; French food is not one of my favorites.

I love cheese and wine, but I can’t figure out what French cuisine even is exactly.

French cooking has permeated almost all styles of cooking. From sautéing to flambéing, most of us have probably cooked in a French style at least once.

Even the word cuisine originates from France and actually means kitchen.

A glimpse into Café Beaujolais, showing real just how dark it can be inside.

But I still can’t put my finger on it. What is French food?

If you too are wondering what French food might be like, I suggest you try Café Beaujolais, where I learned what French food truly is.

Café Beaujolais (boo-je-lay for us lacking the French accent) is a cozy spot in Eagle Rock that has been serving up some of the best French food in Los Angeles for quite some time.

Aiming to provide the most authentic experience they can, they’ve filled the restaurant with French posters, smooth jazz and candles.

To start off our meals we ordered a cheese plate and French onion soup. There was a great variety of cheese, from sweet to pungent.

This great plate of cheese had five different types on it that was a great way to start off the meal.

French onion soup is comprised of meat stock, cheese and onions. Good French onion soup requires the onions to be slowly caramelized for up to 45 minutes and finished with a thick layer of cheese over the top. It has been a staple in French cuisine for at least a couple hundred of years.

 

For those who want to go truly authentic, Café Beaujolais does offer escargots, aka snails cooked in butter and garlic.

For our entrée fish was the item of choice. A favorite of Café Beaujolais frequenters is the le fletan au champagne, a piece of halibut cooked in a champagne sauce and encrusted with parmesan. It is terrific.

I opted for the special of the day which was salmon that came with carrots and potatoes. Cooked in a delicious buttery lemon sauce, I couldn’t have been happier with my choice. Don’t you worry carnivores, they have steak too.

After all that and a couple glasses of chardonnay, we still had room for their chocolate mousse. I don’t know how they manage to take a solid piece of fudge and turn into an edible cloud, but they do and I would highly recommend it.

All of that turns into $135 dollars, nothing completely unreasonable for this little bit of Paris that has been transplanted into the middle of Eagle Rock.

As an official dessert expert, I can safely say that this is one of my favorite desserts.

 

Take A Walk on the Thai-Ld Side

I’ll show myself out for that title. Thank you for visiting my blog have a good day.

All jokes aside, Thai food has very quickly become one of my favorite cuisines in the Los Angeles area. Having little pockets of cultural centers, such as Thai Town, is one of the many things that makes Los Angeles a great place for culture and food enthusiasts alike.

A few years ago, after I moved in with my Thai roommate, the near weekly trips to Thai Town began. She had introduced us to essentially, the only Thai restaurant we eat at: PaOrd Noodle.

Yen ta fo is a very spicy soup that is generally made with sea food and mushrooms. The red broth should be an indicator of how spicy this soup can be.

PaOrd Noodle specializes in Thai soup. Traditionally, the soups are served on boats that float along rivers and streams in Thailand, coining the term “boat noodle.”

Contrary to the article above, the soups at PaOrd do not come with cow’s blood cubes.

They come with pork’s blood cubes.

“Woah woah woah, wait, what are we eating here?” Yea I know, but don’t worry. Not all of the soups come with blood. My favorite soup, Doo Dee Noodle Soup (or just a number five on the menu if you don’t want to say “doo dee” at dinner) is a pork based soup that comes with your choice of noodle, in addition to cilantro and crawfish.

My personal favorite dish from PaOrd, the Doo Dee noodles, a pork based soup that is just the right amount of sweet. Add a little bit of Thai chiles in fish sauce and it becomes the right amount of spicy as well.

One of the best parts of the soups is adding the delicious fish sauce. The sauce is overflowing with Thai chiles, which help to add an additional layer of flavor.

On the topic of spiciness, DO NOT ORDER ANYTHING ABOVE MILD.

This Thai favorite is the crispy pork and holy basil rice dish. The fried egg is extra, but well worth it.

Even if you consider yourself someone who does very well with spiciness, I would still highly recommend starting with mild, which is the only level of spiciness I will order. I’ve tried medium spiciness, only one step up, and was leaking from all orifices on my face.

Other great dishes at PaOrd include the drunken noodles and pad see ew, both fried noodle dishes. Both dishes are made with flat noodles and your choice of meat. In particular, I prefer the drunken noodles as they come with more peppers, both sweet and spicy, rather than the Chinese broccoli in pad see ew.

All in all, PaOrd serves up authentic Thai food, all of their dishes brimming with bright colors and pungent flavors. I would highly recommend going to try one of their famous soups, as many other Thai restaurants do not have anything even close.

 

All photos by Julian Mitchell

Mexican Minute: Avenue 26

Avenue 26. The name itself brings a certain mysticism and lore to it for those that know it. As one of the worst kept secrets in LA for the last couple of years, Avenue 26 continues to provide a unique dining experience, and of course some killer tacos.

Al Pastor tacos are a speciality of Avenue 26. Tacos normally come with just meat and tortilla, additions are found further down the line of the stand.

The taco stand is usually located right off of Avenue 26 in Lincoln Heights. The exact location differs nightly, but usually strays no more than one block.

With $1 tacos and $2 horchata, this low-key spot is available nightly for those strapped with cash and an appetite.

The stand specializes in al pastor tacos, but also has particularly good carne asada tacos.

Although being one of the most famous taco stands in LA, Avenue 26 has had their troubles. After a raid by LA County Health department on the non-permitted stand,

The famous al pastor slow cooks on the trompo.

many fans, such as yours truly, were certain the stand would be gone forever. Luckily Avenue 26 came back in full force only a few days later.

Despite being hidden away behind an industrial jungle, Avenue 26 is a special spot and definitely one of my favorites. I cannot recommend a better place for an authentic LA taco experience.

Another view of our carne asada and al pastor tacos, complete with delicious toppings such as green sauce and white onions.

All photos by Julian Mitchell

A Cut of Argentina

Argentinian cuisine can be somewhat forgotten in the vast world of Southern American cuisine. Why seek out a place for Argentinian food when I could take a culinary road trip from Colombia to Brazil? Hell just a few couple hundred miles north and we’ve hit Mexico!

1810 in Pasadena answered this question: beef.

The interior of 1810. We elected to eat outside in the fair weather.

Argentina is widely known for it’s delicious cuts of meat, particularly “churrasco” or BBQ. While not saucey and sticky like the name might suggest, the meat is grilled over an open flame and still delicious. One of the more highly recommended cuts on the menu was the entraña, which is a thin cut, low on fat, high on flavor, skirt steak.

1810 opens your meal like any other restaurant, with bread. But wait, this is not just your everyday run of the mill bread. Well, the bread actually is pretty ordinary, but lo and behold, this bread comes with chimichurri. Chimichurri is a terrific mix of parsley, olive oil, garlic and salt. Argentinians began using this to spice up their already delicious meat.

Argentinian chorizo and salsa fresca

For the main course, I went with a classic and ordered flat iron steak. While delicious in flavor and flawless in quality, I would recommend ordering it to be cooked one step below what you would normally order. I ordered medium and got much closer to well-done than medium.

The meal ended with flan, but not just any flan. Dulce de leche flan.

To end the night, flan was a must. However, to put another Argentinian twist on this hispanic classic, 1810 adds an Argentinian favorite, dulce de leche. Dulce de leche is a Spanish twist on caramel sauce, where by instead of just browning sugar and adding vanilla, dulce de leche adds the leche: milk. Adding milk creates a much more creamy and rich texture as opposed to conventional caramel.

All told, the meal for two cost roughly $100, a rather great deal for a complete meal.

As far as its short and simple name sake, 1810 keeps it simple and sticks to its roots. 1810 is the first year that Argentina was able to breakaway from the Spanish monarchy. During this time the Spanish monarch was removed from power by the French army headed by Napoleon. Once the settlers in Argentina found out they said “out with the old, and in with the us” and began their path toward independence. By May 25th, only 12 days after word reached Buenos Aires of Spain’s demise, the new government that runs Argentina today was established.

To celebrate Argentinian independence, 1810 cooks up even more Argentinian delicacies.

All Photos by Julian Mitchell