[dropcap size=big]T[/dropcap]aco trucks in Los Angeles are often divided into two groups: those founded prior to 2008, and those created after. Because 2008 is when Kogi launched and changed the game. Roy Choi is world famous now, but when he decided to sell a Korean-Mexican street food mashup, he was a former hotel chef looking for something a little, or a lot, more interesting. The Korean short rib taco was the first menu item, followed by things like spicy pork burritos and chicken mulitas. (The sweet chili chicken quesadilla somehow isn’t as well-known, but it’s the most delicious option.) The food, of course, is good, but Choi and his team also harnessed the power of the then-new Twitter for marketing, and parked the truck strategically outside bars. Kogi takes all its cues from the taco trucks that have been part of L.A.’s landscape, and it brought new energy to the whole industry.
3500 Overland Ave., Palms
(424) 326-3031
Kogibbq.com
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