comet ping pong

comet ping pong
5037 connecticut avenue NW (at fessenden street), washington, DC 20008
tel: 202) 364-0404
hours: tuesday-sunday 5pm-10pm

what was consumed: arugula salad, the smoky (smoky mushrooms, garlic, smoky mozzarella, smoky bacon, melted onions), the hottie (jalapeno, comet sauce, pepperoni, fontina), the philly (as a pizza, not calzone - house-roasted pork, garlic, red pepper, grilled broccoli rabe, provolone), stanley (our own italian fennel sausage, comet sauce, mozzarella, roasted peppers), and the one with the egg (as had by guy fieri on 'diners, drive-ins, and dives', but isn't on their online menu!)

i've been to comet ping pong a number of times, but have been there to try their pizzas only once. in fact, i was very excited to have pizza and chicken wings, but they were out of chicken wings when i went! sigh. our server did profusely apologize (though it's not her fault) and even stated that this sort of thing (not having their famous wings) hardly ever happens. oh well. anyway, their woodfired pizza (is that what this style is called?) is simply delicious, though it does take some time for your order to come out (be patient - it's totally worth the wait). comet ping pong's ingredients are fresh and the combinations of flavors are well thought out, while not ordinary (they have ordinary combinations and allow you to make your own pizzas as well). i also like that comet ping pong has a nice selection of libations - they have dale's for $4 a can! good pizza with some good beer is wonderful (granted, i'm partial).

comet ping pong, as depicted in their name, also offers a number of ping pong tables for you to play on. not being a ping pong afficionado myself, i'm not sure what the rules are for using the tables (is there a fee? do you have to purchase food/drink? do you get in line? do you bring your own ping pong paddles and balls? etc.), but i have seen quite a few people play ping pong. some even bring their own paddles (does everyone have to bring their own?) which i find funny. for whatever reason, i equate that to the people who bring their own bowling balls and shows to the lanes. and i laugh and laugh and laugh ...

i've also been to comet ping pong to hear bands play (yes, this is where i saw this one band where there were more people actually in the band than there were audience members. the band was huge!). they clear out the area in the back where the ping pong tables normally go and the musicians set up there. it's not really an area with a stage, but the space is large enough while being intimate at the same time.

guy fieri also visited comet ping pong on his show. i looked it up and saw that he had a "fresh from the farm" sort of show, which then made sense (i wouldn't call comet ping pong a diner, drive-in, or dive). i'm happy that comet ping pong has gotten some well deserved national attention.

i can't wait to go back to comet ping pong. this time, they'd better have wings. can't wait!

online: http://www.cometpingpong.com/

levante's

levante's
1320 19th street NW, washington, DC 20036-1610
tel: 202) 293-3244
hours: monday-thursday and sunday - 11:30am-10:30pm, friday-saturday 11:30am-11:30pm

what was consumed: the day's special (stuffed tomato and pepper with fries and salad), baked zuccini (zucchini filled with ground lamb and rice, topped with tomato-yogurt sauce), fries, bread ...

i'd passed levante's a number of times in my back and forth in and around dupont circle. and when it was time to consider a place for a "going away" lunch, levante's came to mind - lots of food variation (i.e., for all omnivores, herbivores, and even carnivores), space to accommodate large groups (though it sort of gets loud as a result - be sure to speak up when you order as to be clear about what you want), and they take reservations. since the first lunch, i've been back 2 more times - it's turned into a pretty popular selection! i'll have to say that the good food options definitely puts levante's on my list for places to visit. the wait staff is attentive and will even do separate checks for your large group! on my first visit, we stated which reservation we were with, were quickly shown our seats, drink orders were taken, and we began to peruse through the menu and make our selections.

the beginning of the meal begins with bread. i always find myself eating far too much bread at the start of my meal, partly because i'm so hungry by the time i make it to levante's, partly because the bread is so yummy. warm and delicious, especially dipped in olive oil. i'm not a sucker for bread, but i just can't resist when it's warm and placed right in front of me. on this day, i opted for one of the daily specials (levante's usually has a few daily specials that the server knows about and is not written on the menu. if interested, be sure to ask! though the server will probably say something about it). the special of the day was stuffed tomato and pepper. which was delicious. the tomato and pepper were stuffed with seasoned rice and meats (beef, i think. levante's does have a lot of lamb) covered in a tomato sauce and yogurt sauce (i think). the meal came with a side of salad or fries. i asked for both and they were happy to oblige (thanks!). a subsequent time, i had the stuffed zucchini, also stuffed with seasoned rice and meat (lamb this time) covered in a tomato and yogurt sauce. yum yum yum ... every time i leave levante's, i leave very very full (and happy), worried about the food coma that will have already set in. sigh. darn food coma.

i have yet to visit levante's for dinner, though i imagine it's good for dinner as well. especially when the weather is good (they have a pretty large outdoor seating area), i will have to think about visiting levante's for some good eats! yum yum yum yum yum ...

online: http://www.levantes.com/

zengo

zengo
781 7th street NW (between G street & H street), washington, DC 20001
tel: 202) 393-2929
hours: monday-thursday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-11pm; friday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-12:30am; saturday 5pm-12:30am, sunday 5pm-11pm

what was consumed: pork belly steamed buns (with grilled pineapple and salsa verde), wakame-hijiki seaweed salad (with cucumber, carrot, daikon, apple, ginger vinaigrette), carnitas rice noodles (with pork shoulder, mushroom, cashew, soft egg, hot 'n sour sauce), roasted scallops al mojo de ajo (with bacon, corn, sushi rice, and yuzu-sriracha)

zengo zengo zengo ...

everytime i pass through chinatown, i see zengo. for the longest time, i wanted to try it out ... and i finally got a chance (thanks tom!).

in the (now) bright and shining area of town, zengo is right outside the chinatown exit of the metro, right on the 7th street strip next to so many other restaurants, bars, and other places to go. in passing on my way to the metro, i was fascinated by their decor and curious about their fare. it has that sort of chic metropolitan and contemporary feel, appropriate for the area (and perhaps the clientele).

tom and i went for a quick dinner before seeing the trans-siberian orchestra at verizon (the show, btw, was AWESOME). we didn't have reservations, though the host asked. luckily, we were there relatively early, so there wasn't too much of a wait. we were shown to our seats and our drink orders were taken. zengo has a pretty extensive cocktail menu. there were quite a few things one the list that i'll have to say i would like to try, but maybe not an entire glass of (primarily because i'm not a huge fan of adult beverages that have pineapple and/or mango juice in them - not that zengo's menu was filled with it, but cocktails often are). their beer menu (which is usually my focus) was unfortunately not as extensive as i am growing accustomed to. does this make me a beer snob? i hope not, especially since i usually end up selecting a pretty light lager - ha!

we started with some pork buns and seaweed salad, the followed up with rice noodles and scallops on rice. while these sound very asian, the accompanying flavors were very latin - carnitas, salsas, etc. i can see how a lot of asian flavors may meld well with latin flavors. i particularly enjoyed the noodle dish. i love rice noodles! the hot 'n sour sauce coupled with the pork was quite delicious and flavorful. i wish the dish had more veggies and peanuts (and maybe even a bit more spiciness), though that's usually what i say about dishes with veggies and peanuts. all in all, yum. the rice the scallops sat on was cooked well in that sort of "fried rice" sort of way, which is good. unfortunately, i felt the scallops were a bit overcooked, making them a little rubbery (i imagine this was an isolated event?). of course, this didn't prevent me from consuming far more than my share. oops. oh, and while i understand and appreciate the role of green onions/scallions (and actually love their flavor), i'm not a fan of consuming them. so, i spent a lot of time picking them out (i know - so un-lady-like. oh well~).

after having had dined here, i don't know if i would regularly go back. then again, i'm not one to protest (i.e., i'd probably go back if someone else wanted to go). maybe it's just that i'm not the biggest fan of asian fusion (except for, maybe, kogi tacos - ha!) or maybe i'm just a pure-ist (i'm really not). thanks for the good time, zengo! perhaps i will see you again~

online: http://www.modernmexican.com/zengodc/index.htm

da moim

da moim
7106 columbia pike, annandale, VA 22003
tel: 703) 354-3211
hours: sunday-thursday 11am-11pm, friday-saturday 11am-2pm

what was consumed: galbi tacos (korean barbecue tacos are served on warm tortillas with sesame-chili salsa, a slaw of julienne lettuce and scallions, and a sprinkle of crushed sesame seeds), kimchee quesedilla (caramelized kimchi and perilla leaves with cheddar and jack cheeses), ddukbokki (rice pasta, (gnocchi-like), sauteed with vegetables in spicy sauce), korean fried chicken (wings)

i have a soft spot in my heart for bars, restaurants, and all other things korean-style-esque (despite my "harsh" criticism of them, of course). as much as i kick and scream about not wanting to go to "those" kind of places, it's just a part of who i am, figuratively and literally, and i really love it. then again, what's more awesome than eating and drinking all at the same time?

i heard about da moim and tagged along with friends who were going to check it out. in particular, they mentioned da moim doing their rendition of tex-mex/korean fusion - kogi tacos, kimchee quesedillas, that sort of thing. so exciting! friends and i were quickly seated (in any empty place, by the way. admittedly, we got there pretty early - way before drinkin' time. mind you, we were there to try their tex-mex/korean fusion more than the booze) in their main dining area (i think they also had a few private rooms towards the back ... or maybe i'm getting this place confused with some place else). da moim has the same "look and feel" that you get from a lot of other korean/korean american places. anyway, da moim's server was really attentive and did his best to answer all of our pesky questions (and, per usual, we had quite a few).

the korean fare at da moim was pretty tasty. nothing is as good as the food you get in korea (of course), but if you have a hankering for ddukbokki, go for it! nicely chewy dduk in a spicy spicy sauce - yum. i wished there was soon-dae to go along with it. ahhh~ their tex-mex/korean fusion, however, left much to be desired, unfortunately. the kogi in the taco was marinated well and was quite fitting for such a fusion dish, but i was a bit disappointed with the "mission tortilla"-esque flour tortilla (i like corn tortillas better), though perhaps the flour tortilla was intentional (???). but now that i've had the tacos at the kogi truck, and have made home-style versions of kogi tacos (in super yummy cork cakes!), really, my bar has been set much higher. my expectations were pretty high, which definitely affects my opinion of the place. i did really enjoy the kimchee quesedilla. i want to pull one of those "oh, i could totally make that," which may be true (and has already been done), but da moim's was still pretty tasty. when i visit again, i will order it! oh, and their korean-fried-chicken was pretty good, but took a long time to come out (which they warned us about, so we were ready for it). but really, what compares with bonchon? very little. no offense, of course.

i will add da moim to my list of places to visit when out in annandale (it is on that annandale strip 'o places, more or less) for imbibing and consuming, korean style and recommend you try it out and draw your own conclusions. but remember - you can never really have too many korean places to visit!

online: http://www.damoimrestaurant.com/

food for thought

food for thought (at the black cat)
1811 14th street NW (between S street & swann street), washington, DC 20009
hours: monday-thursday 8pm-1am, friday-saturday 7pm-2am
tel: 202) 797-1095

what was consumed: vegan nachos!

i just have to make a quick comment about 'food for thought.' while i'm sure there are other delicious option, i have only had the vegan nachos and often only remember that 'food for thought' is there when i'm at the black cat (sorry).

but let me tell you, the vegan nachos are totally yummy! and definitely something different that's worth a try (in the least). instead of cheese, they use a lemon tahini sauce (which food for thought is famous for) and add other fixin's (mushrooms, olives, onions, and peppercinis) on top of corn tortilla chips. when you're sitting at the black cat, beer in hand, the vegan nachos are a salty plate of deliciousness.

i understand that 'food for thought' has a whole history behind it (i really only found out about as i searched for information for this post). point is, i'm glad that it's around, especially for when i visit the black cat. i will have to get myself a plate of these nachos more often - yum!

online: http://www.blackcatdc.com/food.html

northside social

northside social
3211 wilson boulevard, arlington, VA 22201
tel: 703) 465-0145
hours: monday-tuesday 7am-10pm, wednesday 7am-12am, thursday-friday 7am-2am, saturday 8am-2am, sunday 8am-8pm

what was consumed: soy latte, crispy pork belly sandwich (broccoli rabe, olio, santo, smoked mozzarella, salsa verde on italian feather loaf)

in the old murky coffee spot (or so i'm told - i never got a chance to visit murky in arlington as i frequented the (at the time) capitol hill location instead), northside social is an awesome place to grab a good cup of coffee, some delicious sandwiches, and just hang out with friends. if you can get a seat (it's seemed super popular, but also high turnaround, so it's worth the wait). christine had been before and friend seth works there as well, so when friend m suggested we go, i was totally up for making the trek over the river into virginia (yes, food is a great motivator).

after tutoring on a rainy saturday, i hopped on the metro out to clarendon to visit northside social for the first time. friend m had been there already for a half hour, so 2 cups of coffee and a breakfast sandwich in is when i finally arrived (i guess that doesn't really matter - haha). anyway, friend m got the bacon and egg breakfast sandwich and when i joined him, he swore to me up and down that that's what i should get. next time, m, next time. i was on a mission to try the crispy pork belly sandwich ... and i'm glad i did! it was DELICIOUS.

the sandwich: the bread, baked right at northside social, was nice and chewy, not too hard, not too soft. the crispy pork was wonderful. not too salty, and cooked so that there's a significant crunch from the crisped pork that you can feel when you bite into the sandwich. yummmm. i liked that they used broccoli rabe instead of other sorts of greens - the slight bitterness took away from the potentially overwhelming greasy feel that pork can sometimes have. and a bit of smoked mozzarella which seemed to ooze from the bread. served with a side of your choice (i chose potato salad, upon the recommendation of the woman who took my order), this was just want i wanted for a delicious saturday lunch.

the coffee: my latte was really delicious. i didn't see too much coffee art that people have been speaking about, but maybe that's because i got my latte "to go" and messed it up between the counter and my seat (not likely, but who knows). i hear that northside social uses a special sort of soy milk that has a better consistency (i.e., more like milk) and works like the real stuff when heated. all know is that my latte was creamy and rich, not bitter and not too bright. just the way i like it! friend m's note: if you're going to order drip coffee, be sure to order the large "to go." apparently, the discrepancy in size of the "here" vs. "to go" was too much for him to handle (haha), or maybe there's just a secret that he doesn't know.

ahh, northside social, maybe it's a good thing you're so far away. otherwise, i would visit you far too many times than you would like. but for the rest of you, make it a regular part of life! i can't wait until my next visit~

online: http://northsidesocialarlington.com/

meridian pint

meridian pint
3400 11th St NW(between N Park Rd & N Monroe St) Washington, DC 20010
tel: 202) 588-1075
hours: sunday-thursday 5pm-2am, friday-saturday 5pm-3am

what was consumed: beer! fries with this gravy sauce thing, pulled beef short rib sandwich, buffalo wings.

housemate tyler told me about a new beer place opening up in columbia heights weeks ago. so exciting on a number of different levels: new eateries near home AND libations! hooray! a bunch of us finally got a chance to visit meridian pint, within a few weeks of their opening at that ... and i'm super duper happy that we did!

meridian pint has a street level dining area and a basement bar area (with 2 pool tables, a table shuffleboard/shufflepuck, some booths and tables, and a lot of standing room). christine, et al, got there first and saved a booth downstairs. as i head down the stairs, i was happy to be greeted by a nice chill in the air (yay a/c! especially on these hot hot hot DC days/nights). when i met the rest of the party, i was happy to see that we got one of the tables with beer taps right on the table (hooray!). what a great idea! more about this in a little bit ...

food: meridian pint has a series of dishes for whatever you're craving, anywhere from light appetizers and things to snack on all the way to full on entrees. this time around, i tasted the fries and buffalo wings. i love that the fries were served with this gravy sort of dipping sauce that was delicious! the buffalo wings were ok, but i prefer mine fried and without any sort of sauce (though, i guess, then they're not buffalo wings, but rather, just fried chicken - haha). i also didn't finish the wing i was eating because the meat started getting redder and redder the closer i got to the bone. i'm sure it was ok (and i felt ok afterwards), but i refrained from continuing. and, per usual, i wished they'd put more celery sticks on the plate. i didn't get a chance to taste the pulled beef short rib sandwich as i wasn't too hungry. but, quite a few people at the table ordered it and raved about it. that's a good sign, right? there was quite a pile of beef short rib in the sandwich on a nice sized kaiser roll. and that it's served with fries is always a plus! what should i have the next time i visit?

drinks: at meridian pint, you can order beers from your server or bartender (and they have quite a great selection of beers and a lot of liquor options as well) or you can pour your own pints straight from the table (and i hear you can reserve these tables, but that this is something new? shoot, the entire place is new). our table had sam adams and hennepin by ommegang (which i love). i hear that they are going to rotate the table taps - can't wait to see what they put in next! anyway, you pay based on the amount you drink, not necessarily per glass. having experienced bartenders at our table (i.e., christine) definitely helped with avoiding foam. friend jenny made a really good point - even if the beers on tap at your table are not your favorites, you can pour yourself a little glass as you wait for the server to bring you your preferred beverage. on top of that, because you can pour short glasses of beer, it's sort of a way to ensure that your beer will always be nice and cold - excellent! one thing to note: they have a pint maximum (i think it's 12 pints) as to cut people off from going overboard. this makes sense and i think is a pretty good idea (and we only ran into it because our party was so large, not necessarily because we drink a lot. or is it ...). the actual/real downside: it was hard to divide our bill as no one could remember how many pints of beer each consumed (especially as we started pouring partial pints) and we were all over the place with our ordering from the server. then again, we had a pretty big group (12 of us at one point!) and that added to the confusion. in the end, we figured it out ... i think. lucky for us, our group is a pretty generous group, so we were far from short when it came to closing our tab and tipping our server.

oh, meridian pint, welcome to the neighborhood! i'm glad you are here. i imagine you will see me again. and again. and again ...

online: www.meridianpint.com/

blt steak

blt steak
1625 eye street, NW (between 16th street & 17th street), washington, DC 20006
tel: 202) 689-8999
hours: monday-friday 11:30am-2pm, monday-saturday 5:30pm-11pm

what was consumed: bar snacks (popcorn, olives, almonds), chicken liver pate, popovers, himachi (with avocadoes, tomatoes, jalapenos), and (of course) delicious beverages

there are quite a few steakhouses in the dc/metro area, but i've been to very few of them (i haven't been to ray's the steaks yet!) if any. i think it's because my friends and i find ourselves grilling our own steaks instead. anyway. on one of those illustrious bbq days, there was some conversation about popovers. one thing lead to another and we agreed to meet and enjoy popovers at blt. not steak. popovers.

so, friend k and i met up at blt steak post work (and all other "fun" stuff) to sit at the bar, enjoy some good libations, and have some yummy eats. we started off with some bar snacks (delicious salted and roasted almost, seasoned olives (omg, DELICOUS! i wanted to eat the entire bowl, but agreet to share with k ^^;; ), and flavored popcorn - YUM) to accompany our drinks. i had a refreshing and delicious house cocktail (fruity, but not sweet, with a spalsh of club soda) that came with a garnish of candied ginger and mint. yum~ perfect for the hot hot DC summer day that was tuesday (100+ degree weather! yikes).

after we put in our order, we were served a small mason jar with a bit of chicken liver pate. i love pate and was super excited to see that this was a part of the meal at blt (and secretly wished for more). in fact, k and i contemplated asking if we can each get a jar. hahaha ... the pate was so smooth and creamy, i wanted to slather it on everything that we were served.

our (hot) food began coming out (yay!), starting with the popovers. bw (the bartender) suggested that we share one popover. our response was to look at him with eyes that said, "but there are two popovers. and there are two of us. why should we share?" he just walked away, laughing. we kept looking at him, confused. now, about these popovers. i'm usually not a huge bread person and usually go easy on the bread when available, especially if i know that carbs will appear in another form. but there's something about these popovers that are just so delicious. they're light and fluffy, but super moist (i think it's the guyere cheese that is listed within the ingredients - yes, the popovers came with a recipe!) and not rough-ish in texture (as bread sometimes is). they came out, warm, smelling delicious, and just melted in my mouth. i went between slathering my popover with the chicken liver pate and butter with salt (on an aside, blt has some really rad, albeit rustic looking, salt shakers! k and i wanted to smuggle one out of there, but opted against it as these salt shakers literally were the same size as pint glasses).

we ordered the himachi to share as neither k nor i were super hungry (despite ultimately eating what ended up being boatloads of food). the himachi wrapped a sort of seasoned avocado mash, topped with jalapenos and some other veggies, in a small pool of a light citrus (though a bit too citron-y for me) soup. citron-y or not, totally delicious. as k said, the fattiness of the himachi and the avocado just brought out the creaminess of the entire dish, that ultimately just melted in our mouths.

my stomach is growling (again) as i write this ...

k and i opted to sit at the bar. and i'm glad we did! bw was awesome, as were other members of the bar staff (though we kept hiding our dish of olives from one of the guys as he insisted on taking it away! hands off, mister, we're not yet finished). great conversationalists who know their food and drink (that is the best!). in addition to everything else, they totally made me want to go back and visit them. i will!

one day, i'll have to go back and actually try the steak. rib eye, please. but in the meantime, i will dream about the chicken liver pate and delicious popovers that accompanied our meal. mmmmm~~~~

online: http://www.bltsteak.com/

rogue states

rogue states
1300 connecticut avenue NW (at N N St), washington, DC 20036
tel: 202) 296-2242
hours: monday-sunday 11am-5am (yes, that's 5 in the morning ...)

what was consumed: ciao down (garlic, tomatoes, basil) burger (pink), fries, soda

recommended for: lunch and/or a casual dinner

i was sitting at my desk at the office one day and friend dave handed me a 5x7-ish flyer for a "new" burger place (thanks, dave!). he had been out during lunch and received one of the flyers as 'rogue states' began their grass roots marketing for their upcoming opening. i began anticipating their opening ... only to have that date slip my mind (i guess i'm not that much of a fan of new places to eat. hahaha - i laugh as i type that). no matter - i soon got a chance to visit rogue states (and have been a few times since then).

so, this is how it works at rogue states. you walk in, select the sort of burger that you want (and decide pink (yes please!) or no pink), appropriate toppings, fries (yes please!) and soda options. then you sit (while sipping on your selected beverage - yes, they have beer & wine here) while waiting for the wait staff to bring your food. once your food arrives, enjoy! repeat as necessary (though i've never had a desire to repeat immediately after completing a meal). simple, eh? here's where it gets complicated. the variation of burgers is not necessarily related to the additions that you add to your burger; rather, the variation has to do with what you add to the burger's patty. i.e., if you order a 'ciao down,' then they mix garlic, tomatoes, basil with the ground beef and together, those ingredients make your burger's patty. YUM. a bit different from other burgers, especially in that others try to maintain the purity (?) of the patty. rogue states offers variation (they also have a more 'purist' patty option as well), which i most definitely appreciate. the patty, then, coupled with their deliciously toasted bread and fresh toppings (lettuce and tomatoes, please) creates a delicious burger!

and be sure to try the different dipping sauce options for the fries! i can't remember what the options were off the top of my head, but there's one that i really liked. i think it's the old bay mayo (or was it the chipotle one?). shoot - i don't remember. i'll just have to go back to refresh my memory (yay!).

among the other things i like at rogue states, one thing i really appreciate has nothing to do with food. rather, it has to do with options. i love it when eateries (a la rogue states) offer a few variations of the same and you choose from that menu. wonderful! now, i love options. i love having options and will sometimes even go out of my way to make sure there are a variety of options available to me (though this is turning into a sort of harrowing existance because i often cannot/will not choose from my options). but when it comes to food, more often than not, restaurants have too many options. shoot - i've already gone through the arduous decision making task of selecting a restaurant (what cuisine? what mood? indoors or outdoors? drinks or no drinks? quick or sit down? options options options!), it is tormenting to then decide what it is that i'm going to eat. granted, part of the distress is because there usually are no less than a dozen thing on those menus that i want to eat (but i digress, per usual). understandably, there is a time and place for eateries that offer everything under the sun (especially if you want to eat one thing and the people you are with want to eat something else or are unwilling to try new and different things (boo!)).

when i teach facing connecticut avenue, i can see 'rogue states' from my classroom. this will remind me of the yummy burgers i've had (which often causes me to digress from the lesson. sigh. you can see what my priorities are - ha!). i'm sure i will find myself at rogue states again ... soon please!

online: http://aburgergrillingcompany.com

kogi truck

kogi truck
multiple locations
tel: 714) 697-4683

what was consumed: short rib taco, spicy pork taco, short rib burrito

the craze of food trucks is not just on the east. out in so.cal, it's the kogi truck that has been calling out to interested parties for some time now. while in so.cal, i made it a point to look 'em up (i was even willing to drive up to LA! luckily, they also have a truck in the irvine area) and finally got the chance to try the infamous kogi taco from the taco truck ... in one word: YUM (yeah, yeah, i say most things are delicious). for real, the tacos are de-licious!

so, they were in my neighborhood (or rather, towards my neighborhood) today, so i made it a point to head out there to check out the truck. i get in line around 1:10pm (their schedule today was to be in irvine between noon-2pm) and be overwhelmed with the line that wrapped around the truck area in the parking lot of the car wash the truck had parked in (apparently, the truck and the business have some sort of deal? i guess that's a great way to do business?). i seemed to be waiting and waiting and waiting, all the while taunted by the korean bbq being cooked in the truck. after what feels like hours and buckets of sweat (it's dry, but hot in so.cal today), i finally make it up to the front of the line. once there, and my order is in, i wait again for my food. while i'm glad that my food is made fresh to order (more or less), the wait is a killer.

here's the other thing. i put in my order and the guy asks for my name. i say "grace" and what does he put down? crace. really? REALLY? in asian infiltrated irvine? maybe it's because he was overwhelmed with the massive number of graces that visit the truck on a frequent basis (no, we do not all look the same)? or maybe he's just hard of hearing? or maybe he was just tired. in the end, it doesn't matter, but i thought it was funny. i proceeded to take a photo and post it here. i digress ...

the kogi truck has a number of different options, besides their more famous kogi tacos. a variety of tacos, burritos, sliders, quesadillas, even hot dogs! and dessert! all seem to have some sort of korean flair (e.g. kimchee) and most definitely mixed in with texmex. they even have tofu as an options! yes, they're thinking of the non-meat eater (though i'm not sure how it is that they cook the tofu tacos and burritos. they seemed not as popular as the other options). i ultimately opted for the beef short rib taco, the spicy pork taco, and the beef short rib burrito.

at around 1:35 (while i was waiting patiently in line), someone came out with a little sign and gave it to the guy standing just a few people behind me (see photo) to indicate that no one behind him would be served kogi. and let me tell you, there were people who came even closer to 2pm and were (pretty much) out of luck ... too bad! the guy at the end was really nice about it when people came to ask about the line (and the sign). he must be a regular. i can see how some people may take it over the top, a sort of indication of power (and luck?) in that he/she is the last one. people in line were also saying that the last person is also often rewarded with free leftovers in appreciation for holding the sign. i didn't pay attention to what happened to the guy behind me, but he looked more happy to have made the cut than anything else (man, if i came later, as i had thought to, i would've been so disappointed! and maybe even a little bit angry ... even though it's my fault).

so, when i finally got my food, it was well over an hour since i had gotten in line. people started to get really irritated because of the wait, because of the heat, and because despite the huge line behind there were people who were all, "umm, i'm taking this home. will you package this for me?" hello! self service, people! anyway. about the food. tacos = delicious. i would probably wait in line again if it means i could have these tacos again (granted, i say this now that i've cooled down and my stomach is full. had you asked me while i was in line, my answer might've been different). the meat was well cooked and spiced, both the beef and pork (though i think the spicy pork could've been more spicy. to the kogi truck's defense, they did have a bottle of siracha sauce available for consumption). the lettuce in the taco was also seasoned, with a light almost soy sauce-y flavor which complimented the meat beneath. all of this was on top of 2 corn tortillas that weren't too dry and just right. a note to the hungry: the tacos are small, probably 2 1/2ish inches in diameter (though also about 2 inches piled up). nevertheless, i thought they were pretty hefty for their small size. but at $2 a taco, i think it's worth dishing out a few extra bucks for 3 or even 4 tacos (honestly, i would've been ok with just 2 tacos. i know! me!)

the burrito was good too, though i would opt for the tacos. i had the beef short rib burrito and felt that the seasoning on the beef was too ... sweet. the burrito was wrapped in a flour tortilla and then toasted on the outside (which i think is great!). the burrito was also filled with some of the seasoned lettuce as well as some rice (i think?) and eggs. normally, i'm a fan of eggs, but for whatever reason, i wasn't expecting them in this burrito, so it sort of too me by surprise. i think next time, i'll try to spicy pork one. or be sure to ask them to hold the eggs (haha). or maybe just load up on tacos and think nothing of the burritos. who knows! of course, this is just a personal preference, as there were loads of people walking away with burritos. definitely worth $5!

be sure to check out their where-abouts online and get there early! you don't want to be the one right behind the guy with the sign ^_^ kogi truck, come to us on the east! thanks in advance~

online: http://www.kogibbq.com/

in 'n out

in 'n out

multiple locations

what was consumed: usually, set menu #2 - cheeseburger, fries, soda.

i love five guys, don't get me wrong. there's something about being able to pile your burger high up with loads and loads of extras, making your burger as high as it is wide. but i'm a so.cal girl at heart ... and my heart belongs to in 'n out.

i've been the the first ever in 'n out (that is, i've been to the one that they say is the first - in westminster). the simplicity of the burger, the freshness of the burger ... what more do i need to say?

from what i understand, there are no freezers at in 'n out. nothing is frozen; rather, everything is delivered fresh, cooked fresh, eaten fresh. DELICIOUS.

the burgers at in 'n out are fresh and delicious. in the words of christine, they have a clean flavor - agreed! you can get your burger made just the way you want - lettuce tomatoes, sliced onions, grilled onions, special sauce, ketcup, mustard. you can get it animal style (extra of all the toppings) or even the protein version (bun-less). i usually get my burgers with extra lettuce and extra tomatoes only.

and then, there are the fries. when i first tried them, i didn't think that they were anything out of the ordinary. that is, until i realized that they were so similar to my mom's - fresh cut, fried just right, delicious. i hear you can also get the fries special - covered in the special sauce or with cheese or with grilled onions or ... but i have yet to try it like that. yet.

i also remember the first time someone mentioned to me that the owners of in 'n out held steadfast to their christian beliefs. there's a note of "john 3:16" on the inside rim of all of their beverage cups. for whatever reason, in my youth, i thought that was a grand idea (though now i see it on the 'forever 21' bags as well as spray painted on many a freeway wall (what does that mean!??!)). now, even though i'm less comforted by those few letters/numbers (that's a whole other conversation), there's a part of me that is still intrigued, and almost amazed, by such an existance.

i miss in 'n out so much when i'm not in california. and when in california, i go out of my way to ensure that i have it ... at least once.

online: http://www.in-n-out.com/