Kogi Truck

Good to know my love for Kogi hasn't changed a bit ;)

Boka x Bon Chon

I couldn't be in New York and not have me some Bon Chon soy garlic chicken. This called for an evening in the East Village at Boka - and to my surprise, the girls all loved it. Growing up eating all sorts of cuisine, I'm always up for trying new food, and luckily, most of my friends are too. However, I wasn't sure if they were ready to defy Southern tradition and see some fried chicken double dipped in oil. Well trust me, they were ready. We all enjoyed the crisp without the grease in BonChon's crunchy, perfectly seasoned and addictive chicken.

You won't believe it... The delicate crust and tender meat arrived at our table twice, courtesy of the super kind people at Boka. They gave us an extra 10 piece drumstick set on the house! Along with an order of sweet potato fries. Oh, and they also happened to "leave" a bottle of wine on our table. There's no way they sensed our "New York on a budget" trip because we ordered rice bowls [bibimbap] and Korean beef [galbi] too... But they sure sensed our guilty love of french fries and fried chicken. Thank you!!

First Friday's [1 of 3]

The best way to experience Abbot Kinney is on the first Friday of every month, aptly known as First Friday's. Art galleries, retail boutiques and other neighborhood merchants keep their doors open 'till 10pm welcoming in all the foot traffic that strolls by. Not to mention the slew of fun restaurants and lively bars that are also on Venice's most famous boulevard, they stay open 'till what's technically "First Saturdays" - lol.

The newest thang that has made First Friday's more exciting, in my opinion, is the overwhelming amount of food trucks that take over the night. Becca, Eddie and I literally went to First Friday's with only one motive in mind: street food! Looks like we weren't the only ones... The night could have been mistaken as a street food festival, trucks were taking over all metered spots and people were munching away at everything. Tacos, ice-cream sandwiches, hot dogs, mac 'n cheese, dim sum, pizza, rice bowls, you name it.

Our first stop was Kogi - yes I know, we are so predictable ;) Whatever, when I'm into something, I'm into it. For life. Haha. Yay Kogi!

Stems n Seeds

Last week's Kogi Special : Stems n Seeds

"An all beef hot dog with ooey gooey melted cheese, sesame mayo, sticky icky sweet chili sauce, sesame seeds, nori sea weed, and green scallions"

I've never been a fan of the hot dog, I wasn't raised eating them over in Asia... I feel like lots of my friends here are obsessed with any kind of sausage in a bun - but not me. Even at the Kogi truck, never have I ordered the Kogi dog; sometimes, that's the first thing my friends order when I take 'em! Nonetheless, I told myself I would try the specials, so here I am ordering my first 'dog from Kogi. Stems n seeds, you weren't my favorite, but I'm glad I tried ya...

Stems n Seeds

Kimchi Quesadilla

Spicy Pork Taco

Turkey Torta Tango

"Turkey Torta what?!" That's what we said after seeing this week's special online. Rather than drool over the Kogi website and wonder, Chris and I decided to see for ourselves what the triple T's were all about. It's best chat up the Kogi peeps, and this is what they said:

"Grilled turkey and kimchi, refried beans, cheese, salsa azul, sesame mayo, and a soft Salvadorean pillow bun."

If you thought that was mouthful, try tango'ing with such a torta!

P

C

L to R: Kogi Sliders, Kimchi Quesadilla, BlackJack Quesadilla, Turkey Torta Tango

Turkey Torta Tango

Chris made his own special... He stacked the Kimchi Quesadilla atop the BlackJack Quesadilla

Un Big Mac @ Kogi

Speaking of Kogi specials, this is one from a few weeks back with Becca. We tried... drum roll please... UN BIG MAC!! This is how Kogi described it:

Double stacked mulita mayhem! First layer of this bad boy is grilled jalapeno, short rib, and cheese with another layer of spicy pork and cheese on top. Then both mulitas are binded together by a layer of sour cream and salsa roja. And all of this comes on a sesame seed tortilla.

They need to bring this back again - anything that combines short rib and spicy pork needs to stay on the menu. For good.

One for me...

...And one for Beccs

Kogi, Brentwood

I can't help but post about more Kogi! Every time I go, I wanna share it on my blog :) Going through my Kogi posts, I know it can seem a bit redundant... It's like a new arrangement of the menu each time. Then I thought, DUH, I know what can make it different - the specials! Kogi has different weekly features on their website, and now I make it a point to order the "off the menu" item. Look below to see the weekly special that Cordelia and I tried!

Kogi Sliders

Black Jack Quesadilla

* KOGI SPECIAL* Short Rib & Kimchi Quesadilla

Kogi, Abbot Kinney

KOGI

Boka x Bon Chon

I had never heard of Korean fried chicken up until my trip to New York... Let's face it, everything fried is pretty much sinfully delicious. My friends, Bon Chon Korean fried chicken is on a whole 'nother level! It's double fried, crispy goodness, filled with flavor [soy garlic or spicy] is TO DIE FOR. I'm obsessed. Is there Bon Chon anywhere in LA? I need to find it!

Thanks so much Rich for taking Jon and I on our first -of many - Bon Chon adventure :)

Kogi BBQ

My love for Kogi is still goin' strong. Becca and I paid a visit last week. Sooo good!!

BBQ Korean Short Ribs

Lucky for me, I don't have to wander over to K-Town to be able to sink my teeth into moist beef ribs caramelized to perfection. My mom makes these luscious wands of goodness at home :) The sweet/hot/salty/umami notes all combine into one and make for the most amazing bite ever. It's no wonder these ribs get piled high on my plate so quickly...