Aug 03 2009
The Hype of Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Trucks
From a show of hands, how many of you have heard of the Kogi Korean BBQ Taco Trucks? It is the latest LA craze since Pinkberry and Sprinkles! I have to say that I am among one of these people who have never waited in line for any of the above-mentioned fads. But, I do have tremendous respect for the masterminds behind these businesses. To achieve that much hype, attention, and popularity is genius! I just don’t have the patience nor craving to wait in line for yogurt, cupcakes, or in this case, Korean BBQ tacos. In order to find out where these trucks will be, you have to follow their Twitter page. The wait can be as long as 3 hours, and sometimes you may not even get what you want because they ran out. Kogi offers Korean Short Rib Tacos, Spicy BBQ Chicken Tacos, Spicy Pork Tacos, Tofu Tacos, and of course, burritos for the mighty hungry! I would love to try Kogi’s tacos or burritos one of these days – perhaps when the novelty eventually dies down, or when they open a real restaurant without wheels.
In the meantime, we thought it would be fun to try our own version of the famous Kogi tacos by combining Korean flavors with Mexican ingredients. We may not have their super duper secret sauces or their cilantro-lime relish, but we do have the inspiration from Kogi to create our own tacos at home.
Start by marinating 2 lbs of beef short ribs: 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup rice wine (sake), 1/2 cup pear juice, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tsp of sesame oil, 1/3 cup of green onions, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp of sesame seeds, and pepper to taste. Marinate this overnight, or up to 2 days.
We grilled the beef short ribs in our backyard BBQ grill. I bet the neighbors were wondering what was smelling so good...
To make our Korean-Mexican tacos, we packed the corn tortillas with the marinated and grilled beef short ribs, kimchi (which we bought at the market), cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. The meat was tender, juicy, and full of flavor and the kimchi gave it a fresh and crisp texture. It may not be as good as Kogi's, but it was satisfying nonetheless!
If anyone was lucky enough to try the Kogi truck, please leave a comment and let us know about your experience and what you tried!
To view or print-out this recipe, click here: Korean BBQ Tacos
Wow, Korean & Mexican flavors combo…must be explosive with great taste and aroma! I can see the pieces of kimchi there. Wish I cld have at least just one bite of your tacos! The kimchi reminds me that I must get my usual group of friends together soon & head out to our favorite Korean restaurant, called Manna, here in S’pore.
Well, I haven’t tried anything from the Kogi trucks, but I do think your dish looks fantastic! Those short ribs look so flavorful and tender.
Hey hey!! So I read about and saw the Kogi food truck on the news a few weeks ago. Are they still that popular? I would line up for your version of tacos any day. Love the green onions. Can I ask what brand sake did you use? Thanks!!
I am really impressed!! Good Cook
looks delish!
I have never tried the famous version, but looking at your pictures of your version makes me definitely think it would be worth a 3 hour wait. These look absolutely divine! I’m going to have to make them this month!
Been to the truck and waited about 25 minutes. It was worth it though. Now, if someone is going to cook it for us, we’ll take that option for sure. Much better!
I’m waiting for TheFoodAddicts BBQ Taco Truck to open up!!
I love barbecued meat. I’ll place them in taco next time I make it. It looks oh so good. Kalbi ribs are my favorite in Korean cuisine. Check my version at http://www.phamfatale.com/id_154/title_Pan-Seared-Korean-Beef-Short-Ribs-with-a-Maple-Glaze-Maple-Syrup-Kalbi-Marinade/
Sarah: The brand we used is actually shown in the post below this one. We used it to marinate the cod fish. It’s Sho Chiku Bai.
Jackie: Thanks for sharing your version with us! It looks fantastic!
urs look way better than KOGi!! go food addicts!
looks sooooo good, i’m so going to have to try it.
Thanks Diane! I don’t think ours taste as good as Kogi’s though! We’ll definitely have to try theirs one of these days to see what all the HYPE is about!
Lan, I really liked the combination of the KBBQ and the Kimchi. It goes so well together! Delish!
Oh man, I have read about these korean bbq trucks in CA, and look forward to being seen with some of the taco hanging out of my mouth when a fellow blog spots me! Yours looks to die for, and I can imagine the kimchi in this…on my list!
I have had the pleasure of trying Kogi’s catered at a work party. I would wait an hour for those tacos, and they make an amazing slider too! When you see the truck do not let it pass you by! Your tacos look wonderful! YUM!
Hey Janet – thanks for letting us know about your Kogi experience! Sounds like it’s worth the wait!
Oh my I want this now! I love Korean bbq and this is an amazing version. Gonna try this too!
Kogi is very very much over rated. We would much rather have your version any day!
I haven’t had them either, but they look crazy amazing, and I still haven’t tried grilling short ribs, a good excuse I think!
Wow, this would be awesome with some fresh homemade corn tortillas!
My uncle tried Kogi recently and he said the wait was ~2 hr. I stood in line for an hour to eat at Pink’s a couple days ago and that was enough for me. I’ll take the do-it-at-home version any day.
if you live near culver city, a bar called “the alibi room” also serves kogi truck tacos from their kitchen. never a wait, just saddle up to the bar
[...] Photo and recipe courtesy of The Food Addicts [...]
your tacos look amazing and might even taste amazing. Kogi is the original idea. Everyone else is a biter. Worth it for the people who found it before the hype.