Bocca:  Steakhouse Fusion Lounge
Encino, CA

I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon then relaxing over lunch and a glass of wine.  And save a few minor drawbacks, Bocca in Encino, offered just that.

My boyfriend and I got to Bocca around 1pm and found the restaurant e-m-p-t-y…empty!   I felt sad for the place.  With it’s clean line, modern feel and inviting atrium and patio, this spot is perfect for a leisurely lunch (and probably a romantic night out too.)

We were greeted right away, and since we had our choice of tables, picked a nice spot by the window.  The wine list was decent, if not overly inventive.  I had a glass of Savignon Blanc, a perfect choice for a balmy Sunday nosh.

We browsed the menu, and while I’m always a little scared when the offerings are all over the map, as was the case with Bocca, they call themselves a “fusion” steakhouse and lounge, so I reserved judgment.  I just wondered how well one can do Antipasto, Tuna Tartar, and Mini Beef Tacos. Instead of a standard appetizer I started off with the Creamy Wild Mushroom with Hazelnut Soup.

For $6.00 it was a decent portion. I wasn’t in love with the way it looked, but then again, it is pureed mushrooms, what can you expect? The flavor was really nice.  Rich, meaty, earthy.  If I had eaten nothing but that, I would have left satisfied.

We also ordered a sandwich which came with a side salad.

It was a very decent sized portion.  While it was a very simple salad, I will say the greens and veggies were exceptionally crisp and fresh.  The balsamic vinaigrette was also creamy with a good tang.  Since their sign says they are a steakhouse, and since we weren’t prepared to scarf down a full steak meal, we compromised and got the Steak Sandwich. For around $12 we thought it was a pretty nice size.  They also served bbq and steak size on the side.  And if you love sauces, for the dippin’, like I do, this is a nice touch.

We ordered it medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. The roll and veggies were also really good.  I just found the seasoning a bit lacking, there was nothing about the flavor of the meat that made it a stand out.  I felt I could have seasoned it better at home.   

Since we only tried 3 things, I can’t truly give this place a 100% thumbs up or thumbs down.  I liked the feel of the space, but do love the energy of a bustling restaurant, which Bocca lacked.    I will certainly give it another try, going on another day, at a traditionally busier time.  And next time maybe I’ll get crazy and order something Mexican, something Italian and something Asian inspired!  When I do I’ll report back here asap. 

Bocca - Steakhouse/Fusion/Lounge
16610 Ventura Blvd.  Encino, CA 91436
818.905.5855

Step inside this restored 1928 Spanish mission-style cottage, located on Riverside in Toluca Lake, and you might think you’ve been transported to somewhere in the exotic Spanish or Latin American countryside. D’Caché is a lively restaurant where they serve modern Latin-fusion cuisine, tapas and fine wines and great drinks. Try a fresh Columbian mojito made from Aguardiente and fresh mint or raspberry, melon and strawberry mojitos and margaritas.

The converted house has medium-sized dining rooms and secluded patios with comfy sofas to lounge on underneath white draperies. The back patio also has a pretty fountain. Out there, the two-seater tables are made from huge, polished discs of wood, hand-hewn from a large tree they had to lop down in the backyard. These beautiful tables are remarkable!

D’Caché also has a smoking patio and inside there is a small private room with a ‘U’ shaped couch and a TV. Perfect for a laid-back board meeting.

Before I get to the outstanding cuisine, one feature of the experience is the Rumba Gipsy and world music performances every night. The live entertainment starts at 7pm and goes until 9.30pm or so, Tuesday ’till Saturday evenings.

I went on a Wednesday evening and the musicians were incredible. Bandidos de Amor, a talented trio of flamenco-style guitarists and singers, sounded a lot like the Gipsy Kings and played plenty of boisterous music of that flavor.

So, to start with drinks, any Spanish restaurant worth their salt had better offer sangria. At D’Caché they concoct an exotic blend of three wines with gin and perfume it with cinnamon and brandy infused apples. Also their wine list is fairly extensive and features wine from Chile, Argentina and Spain as well as domestic varieties, all priced at around $8-9 per glass, bottles also available.

We started with the soupe du jour – wild mushroom soup ($9). This was unctuous and incredibly rich and delicious; a caramelized-sweet, smooth soup that was fragrant with truffle oil. Just fantastic!

With only twelve appetizers and eight entree dishes on the menu, you can tell the kitchen does it all well. We started with a serving of three large empanadas ($12) filled with slow-cooked shredded pork and dressed with a confetti of mango salsa. Lovely! Other appetizers to snack on include tapas such as Patacones con Cerviche – shrimp cocktail over fried plantains – or a variety of pizette.

Main courses include Spanish classics such as a smoky and seafood-packed Paella ($32) and Pollo Catalan. They also offer seared blue fin tuna with a cilantro crust and a warm salad of asparagus and greens.

Brazilian-style Lamb chops, crusted with pistachio pesto ($42), were perfectly cooked. The basil and truffle oils almost gild the lily, but the red wine reduction cuts through the rich sauce like Zorro!

Everything was very rich, so order wisely, but like a siren’s song, the best flavors of all Latin cultures at D’Caché will call you to return again and again.

Valet and street parking available.

D’Caché Restaurant, 10717 Riverside, Toluca Lake, between Lankershim and Cahuenga.
(818) 506 9600.
Open 5pm ’till midnight, Tues - Sat.
Sunday and Monday – only open for special events.

One of the favorites at Las Fuentes is the Burrito Pollo Con Rajas ($6.15) topped with their salsa de rajas and cheese (for an extra $1). The inside is filled with large strips of chicken breast, chile peppers, beans, and onions. There is also avocado in the burrito, but it is scarcely there. I certainly couldn’t taste any, but I did see a little in one bite. Fortunately, my friends and I ordered a basket of chips ($0.95) with guacamole ($1.10). I merely added the guacamole to my burrito to compensate for the lack of avocado. The burrito itself is a huge meal, and half of the portion was more than enough for me. One thing I liked a lot about this burrito is chicken itself. The meat was very tender and moist. The only thing I did not like about my burrito was that I happened to bite into a piece of bone (which I’m guessing was the keel bone because it was a very thin and flat). The burrito is supposed to be spicy, but the only heat I felt at dinner was from the lack of air conditioning in the restaurant.

We also ordered a soft taco ($2.50), a tamale ($2.45), and tostadas ($6.75). The tamale and taco were not very impressive or unique. The tostadas, on the other hand, stood out if for no other reason than they were, as one friend exclaimed “monster” sized. The shell does not seem to much larger than ones at other restaurants, but everything inside the shell is filled to the very top. In addition, I like the fact that you can choose between a flour or corn shell. Most restaurants I’ve been to don’t give you a choice. One of my friends said she usually gets a tostada when she dines at Las Fuentes. If you don’t eat the whole shell, it seems like it’s a fairly light meal. A different friend, however, disagreed. He felt that the tostada was extremely heavy, but I think that was because the shredded beef in the tostada did not sit well with him.

Other items we tried were the horchata (small $1.69, medium $2.09, large $2.45) and the flan ($2.15). The horchata (sweet rice milk) is made from scratch. I can’t tell the difference between homemade versus store-bought horchata. I did like the strong presence of cinnamon in this batch of horchata. Usually when I order horchata, I have to add some in myself. Las Fuentes offers refills on their soft drinks for $0.30, but unfortunately, there is no refill on the horchata. The flan was a pleasant way to finish the meal, but it wasn’t anything special. In addition, the caramel was very watery. In fact, my friends and I made a run for Red Mango immediately after leaving Las Fuentes. Nevertheless, the food was overall good and everything we ordered was under $7.

There are a few negatives about Las Fuentes, though the faults do not lie with the restaurant. As the restaurant has been around for almost 26 years, it has quite a following. People really pack into the restaurant. There is a parking lot, but it gets filled rather quickly, and with cars coming and going, you might be better off parking on the street. The line to order moves fast, so don’t be discouraged if you see a lot of people. Tables get snatched up in the blink of an eye, and regulars are aggressive in pouncing on one as soon as one is available. If you try Las Fuentes, you definitely want to go with at least one additional person so that someone can take the order and pick up the food while the other goes to find a table. This is also a little uncomfortable for diners, as hungry customers are circling their tables like vultures. No one likes to be hovered over while eating. The staff is extremely nice, friendly, and helpful, which truly contrasts the sour attitudes of many customers who probably got irritated by the heatwave and the hunt for available tables. If you are not a very patient person, you might want to try Las Fuentes during off-peak hours.

Las Fuentes
18415 Vanowen Street
Reseda, CA 91335
(818) 708-3344
Sun-Wed: 8am-10pm, Thurs-Sat: 8am-11pm

In a rather savvy cross-promotion (actually, a no-brainer, when you think about it…) the delightful ice-cream parlor and café on Beverly, Milk, teamed up with the Got Milk? people (namely, the Cali Milk Processor Board) to host an open house last night.

I spotted a handful of fellow bloggers, including the gorgeous Kristy of Best of LA and met Javier the teenage glutster who is going to have to change his blog name any day now, once he ‘comes of age’ - lol

I met the gal who writes Mikey Hates Everything and she even came with two - uh - robot dudes in biz suits…

I also got to catch up with the dashing and daring Eddie Lin of Deep End Dining fame.

A few people asked after you, Jonah, but the words ‘new baby’ and ‘Westside’ seemed to explain your absence (!)

Over the past year, Bret Thompson (former Corporate Executive Chef of the Patina Restaurant Group, Michelin trained, and now owner and executive chef of Milk,) has been tantalising the palates of Angelinos with his delectable treats at Milk. Through this unique partnership with the Got Milk? campaigners, Thompson has adapted and now shares the secret recipes to some of Milk’s most divine sweet desserts – from the ever-so-popular Milky Way Melt (which I did not sample) to the pan-Latin-inspired Berry Tres Leches, which was out of this world!

Bret’s recipes can now be found on their really cool little site.

Other yummy desserts that were being passed around were:
mini ice-cream cones with a fantastic banana & dulce de leche filling and dipped in crisp caramel;
a petite meringue ice cream sandwich;
malted milk shake with teeny choc-covered malted balls within;
a feather-light cornbread cake with raspberry filling and kernels of corn that was truly sensational
also an elegant plastic goblet of a creamy, dreamy and lightly spiced pumpkin squash soup with smoky toasted pepitas on top;
and of course the Berry Tres Leches, which has to be hands down the best version of this classic Mexican dessert I’ve ever tried.

The cake is infused with berries until it is purple-blue and then layered with white cake. The custard parts are not too sickly sweet at all (as is sometimes the case) - it’s simply perfect. Topped with fresh berries and you have a winner. I got to chat with Bret about his Berry Tres Leches dessert, by the way. He explained that it was tough to perfect the genoise or French-style sponge cake part of this delectable dessert so that it doesn’t collapse under the weight of all the three milky ingredients, namely evaporated, condensed and fresh milk.

I also talked to Steve James, the head honcho of the (actually two-person) Got Milk? team and learned how the Got Milk? campaign was created, about fifteen years ago. Legend has it that apparently some creative minds from the advertising firm Goodby, Silverstein and Partners – who they’ve been with ever since – were waiting outside the conference room door, ready to make their pitch. They’d surreptitiously filmed people in their own office reacting, with varying degrees of frustration and anger, to deliberately minuscule amounts of milk left in almost empty containers. They had the campaign and strategy all worked out but no punchy, hooky catch phrase. The team were brainstorming right outside the door, saying, ‘But we need something really simple, like, I dunno, ‘Got Milk?’

Such goes the legend of one of the most enduring food-related ad campaigns you can name.

It was a really fun event.

TIP:

Feast on superb Italian fare at Angelini Osteria across the road, then walk to Milk for dessert.

Milk
7290 Beverly Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 939-6455

But if you are looking for authentic, unpretentious, delicious Mexican food, that will often surprise you, then look no further then Salsa Y Beer.

The space is small, and decorated with large, brightly colored murals of suns, moons an rustic scenery. We were greeted warmly but then had to wait for a table. If you go on the weekends, expect a wait because this place is almost always packed.

After sitting down we were served fresh, warm tortilla chips along with a spicy bean dip.

If salsa is a bit more to your liking, check out their small salsa bar. Their offerings range from your standard salsa fresca, to an unusual spicy orange salsa with coffee and chocolate notes, much like a mole. Or they have a spicy green, creamy avocado salsa that has terrific pepita and cilantro flavors.

Our drink order was taken pretty quickly and I should tell you that they serve only beer and wine, so if you are looking for tequila, you won’t find it here, although they do offer wine based margaritas and sangria. Our drinks came quickly but then our server dashed off to take care of another table. We noticed that the service was a little slow, but what the waitresses lacked in speed, they made up for with great attitudes.

While we noshed on chips and sipped our beers we check ed out the menu which serves food from the Jerez, Zacatecez region in Central Mexico. There are your traditional menu items and others that sounded a bit more unusual, like the Carnes con Salsa de Molcajetes. Vegetables, rice, beans and potatoes are served with your choice of meat and topped with Molcajetes sauce. A molcajetes is a stone mortar and pestle used to crush the fiery red peppers that are the base of the sauce.
This dish is not for the faint of heart. The flavors were delicious, the adovada, or cubed pork meat was beyond tender, but the heat of the dish was intense.
Another word of warning: don’t overindulge on chips and salsa at this place because the servings are huge.

The carnitas, grilled pork, was also pretty damn good.

It was steaming hot and practically falling off the plate. The meat was incredibly moist, rich and flavorful, with that perfect caramelized crisp on the outside.

We also ordered the Steak Torta. The portion was easily enough for two. The crusty white bread was toasted to a golden brown and the cream sauce dripping off the sides was so good that finger licking was definitely in order.

Spicy Green Enchiladas also did not disappoint, in heat or in taste. The all white meat chicken wasn’t dried out as is so often the case. The green sauce was creamy, sour cream based, not tomatillo as I had expected. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was.

The Fajitas Tostada came with shredded carne asada, some of the best I have ever had, along with freshly grilled onions, peppers and zucchini.

We also tried the Tortilla soup. For the price, $3.99, the portion was more than generous. The chicken was, again, all white meat, the veggies just tender enough without being mushy and the broth had a nice kick to it without being too spicy.

Like I said, Salsa Y Beer might not be the right call for a first date, a romantic evening or a night on the town, but it’s certainly a good choice for a family dinner or a casual evening out. It’s for sure a great choice anytime if you are looking for delicious, quality food, friendly service and a reasonable price.

But before you tell your friends about Salsa Y Beer, make sure you ask them that one question: “What are you looking for in a Mexican Restaurant?”

Salsa Y Beer
6740 White Oak Ave.
Lake Balboa, CA 91406
818.609.8877
Hours: Sun-Thurs: 11 am - 9 pm
Fri - Sat: 11 am - 10 pm

He was a little confused when we walked up to the restaurant, and he saw the awning in front of the restaurant labeled as Institute for Urban Research and Development. It turns out that IURD sponsored the non-profit cafe. In addition to providing excellent food and good service, the restaurant provides job training for many every year.

Once we walked into the restaurant, we saw a sign that said to wait for Mama to be seated. My friend asked, “Well, where’s Mama?” As soon as he said that, Sandi “Mama” Romero appeared. She was friendly and welcomed us to pick our own table. We pretty much knew right away what we were going to order - the two tamales combo ($7.50). Basically, we pick two tamales and then we choose among tortilla soup, salad, or rice and beans. (If you want to skip the extras and just fill up on tamales, they are $2.75 each, but if you order 3 or more, the price becomes $2.50 each.) Since it was raining outside, we both opted for the tortilla soup. I really didn’t expect such a large bowl, but the tortilla soup could have been an entire meal for me. The soup arrived piping hot, in both temperature and spiciness. I do typically enjoy tortilla soup in general, but one of my pet peeves about this soup is when the tortilla strips in the soup are already soggy by the time I have my first taste. This definitely wasn’t the case at Mama’s. In addition, I had one spoonful that almost made me feel like I was having chips and salsa. The tortilla strip was still crispy, and in the same bite, I had some tomatoes, onions, cilantro, melted cheese, and the slight kick in the broth.

I could go on and on about the soup, but let’s get to the real action. Just so you know how popular Mama’s tamales really are, I had initially picked the beef in adobo sauce. I was disappointed to hear that someone had already purchased and picked up all of the beef tamales they had! Thus I wound up choosing the pork (Honduras style and wrapped in banana leaves) and vegetables and cheese tamales (wrapped in corn husk). The tamales were as good as I remembered. The masa was so moist and delicate. While I liked the pork tamale, it wasn’t my favorite. I like potatoes but not necessarily in the center of a tamale. That definitely threw me off on this tamale. The mixed vegetables in the second tamale were not impressive (literally one kernel of corn, one piece of diced carrot, 2 peas, one mushroom, etc.) but what was impressive was how the cheese was nice and gooey. While the veggies and cheese tamale appears plain, it was actually quite delicious. This is why I like Mama’s tamales.

We finished off our meal with an orange flan ($7). Basically it’s your typical flan with a good amount of orange zest in every bite. This was a lovely ending to a wonderful meal. I think one of the tricks about Mama’s food is that they look simple, but they are packed with flavor.

Mama’s Hot Tamales Cafe
2122 West 7th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90057
Phone: (213) 487-7474
Hours: 11am-3:30pm Daily

In all honesty, I don’t think I have ever had bad Carne Asada from my grill. Therefore, I feel pretty confident strolling into any carniceria to pick up some pre-seasoned meat. The risk of getting something foul is low.

Memorial Day weekend I stroll into one such random (to me) carniceria on the Westside. At the corner of Venice Blvd and McLaughlin sits Aqui es Oaxaca (Here is Oaxaca). They carry a slew of Oaxacan goods, including a variety of meats — and their own marinated Carne Asada.

I do get small pleasure out of using my limited Spanish when I’m in a carniceria. At Aqui es Oaxaca, not only is my Spanish not needed, I don’t have the chance to use it, as the friendly Señora behind the meat counter greets me in English and we talk about how much carne I want.

She weighs out five pounds of carne ($5/lb) and after she marks down the price, throws in some extra goodies like orange slices, onions and a few small pieces of meat. While she is doing that, I am eying the salsa containers in the refrigerated cabinet. My new friend pulls out a few of the containers and seems to be guiding me towards the salsa roja, which turns out to be an amazingly thick smoky chipotle salsa.

I walk out happy with my new find. The service is friendly, the meat counter is clean and I like how the carne asada seasoning is on the dry side. Sometimes when I buy carne asada, it is swimming in half a bag of marinade. I still like that style, but if the meat sits in the marinade too long, it can become a bit chewy.

So how does it cook?

I fire up the grill on fairly high heat and slap the meat down with a sizzle. I’m tempted to munch on some carne tartar, it looks so good. A few minutes on each side and then on to the chopping block to be cut up for tacos. The meat is juicy, charred on the outside and moist on the (thin) inside.

So here I am, staring at my taco. So far my Carne Asada de Aqui es Oaxaca experience is first rate. I get ready for my first bite. Yeah right! I totally ate chunks of carne while I was swinging my cleaver. It is awesome. A taste of Oaxaca right in my backyard. I’m the hero of the grill. The crowd is clamoring for carne. I’m passing out the tender morsels while my guests lick their lips and then close their eyes and sink their teeth into the flavor bursting meat.

Need I say more? Aqui es Oaxaca is a homerun in the carne asada department.

Aqui es Oaxaca
11614 Venice Blvd
Los Angeles, 90066
(310) 313-4813

I wouldn’t call myself a hot chocolate expert, per se, but I would definitely say I am a hot chocolate afficionado…

Mere sematics.

I know what I like when I try it, but I cannot say I’ve sampled all the best the world has to offer.

But I have certainly given it my best shot!

At Angelina, on the rue de Rivoli in Paris, they serve their steaming, molasses-thick Chocolat Africain with a tall parfait glass on the side, full of whipped cream with which to dilute your chocolatey drink. It is, by far, the richest, darkest, and sweetest hot chocolate available in the city – so thick, you could pour it over ice cream.

At Café de Flore, at St Germain des Pres (also in Paris), their chocolate chaud is still quite thick and wonderful, but easier to pour and drink. It comes served in a silver pot that remains hot as your dreamily sip your way through two full tea cups of luxurious chocolate. The creamy, light chocolate is made with melted chocolate pieces, whole milk, and a touch of caramel. This one is definitely my all-time favourite.

You can sip Mexican hot chocolate here in LA at Senor Fred, but they thicken it with cornmeal. I do not care for this grainy version of my favourite morning indulgence.

A bit of history: Drinking chocolate originated in the ‘New World’ (now Mexico).

From wikipedia –

Moctezuma introduced Hernán Cortés to his favourite drink, “chocolatl”, which he served in a golden goblet. “The chocolatl was a potation of chocolate flavored with vanilla and spices, and so prepared as to be reduced to a froth of the consistency of honey, which gradually dissolved in the mouth and was taken cold.” Moctezuma consumed his “chocolatl” in goblets before entering his harem, leading to the belief that it was an aphrodisiac.
Cortés returned to Spain in 1528 with galleons loaded with cocoa beans and chocolate drink making equipment. The court of King Charles V soon adopted it, and “chocolate” became a fashionable drink popular with the Spanish upper class.

Later, in 1828, a Dutch chemist and chocolate manufacturer named Coenraad Van Houten invented a way of making chocolate into powder. He reduced the fat from chocolate liqueur and made what was left into a hard cake. The cake could be crushed into a powder, which would dissolve easily into liquid. This was the genesis of powdered hot chocolate, as it is generally known today.

When I was researching my story on the wonderful Big Sugar Bakeshop, I came upon this marvellous product from MarieBelle New York

Outside of Parisian cafés, I proclaim MarieBelle hot chocolate to be the most perfectly divine hot chocolate you can find AND concoct in your own home. Their Aztec Hot Chocolate is made with rich, single-origin Colombian cacao.

Made with milk, it’s creamy, it’s dreamy and super chocolatey. The granules of pure chocolate (see below) melt into the hot milk. Actually, sometimes there is a sludge of almost melted chocolate at the bottom of your cup to scoop up with your spoon. Mmmmmmmm!

I strenuously recommend picking up a can of MarieBelle’s Aztec Hot Chocolate. Just don’t gobble it by the spoonful from the tin or you won’t have any left to serve with your organic croissants (from Le Pain Quotidien) at Sunday brunch!

Hmmnnn, think I need to buy some more.

$22.00 for a 20 oz tin.

Big Sugar Bakeshop
12182 Ventura Boulevard, between Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Laurel Grove Avenue,
Studio City
818-508-5855

Open 10am–6pm Tues – Saturdays, 10am–5pm on Sundays
Closed Mondays

Anyway, after we finished, we were famished and thinking about food. One of us said, I know this hole-in-the wall taco place on Olympic and 14th.

We got there at about 8 P.M. when according to the sign on the store they close. However, since it is a small business (the engine of the economy!), they weren’t going to turn away hungry looking paying customers! In fact, 3 other people came after us to order take away.

Anyway, we ordered up a feast from up and down the menu: taquitos ($1.55), soft tacos ($1.90), burritos (varies but the mole burrito was $5.60), enchiladas combo plates (price varies but chicken enchilada plate was $5.85) and quesadillas (with mushroom, $4.70). The food was tasty and reasonable portions (I took home 1/3 of my burrito). My personal favorite was the burrito laced with mole inside and covered over with it. To use a Rachel Ray-ism, Yum-O! I also liked the mushroom quesadilla a lot.

The atmosphere was, shall we say simple, as the selling point of the place is the food and the price!

As we were enjoying our food, I told the group, I wonder if Bandini of Great Taco Hunt has been here? Indeed, he has and gave Tacos Por Favor 41/2 tacos out of 5.

While I was checking, I figured, has one of our other LAFB reporters checked it out? Well, one year ago, Jeff gave his thumbs up to TPF.

Since I wasn’t setting out to write a LAFB item, I didn’t have my camera with me, so be sure to check out the other posts and enjoy the food pictures. But I did snag a take-out menu and photograph that!

Tacos Por Favor
1408 Olympic Blvd.
Santa Monica
310-392-5768
310-392-8978 (fax)
Mon-Sat 8 A.M. to 8 P.M.
Sun 9 A.M. to 5 P.M.
Deliveries 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. with a minimum order of $7 for a $1.50 charge

What I like best about living in LA is the accessibility to almost any type of food you crave. The SGV is home to many cantonese, chinese and taiwanese establishments. Little Tokyo and the South Bay are home to delicious japanese food. Thai food in Hollywood, etc. But Koreatown has to be one of the largest ethnic enclaves in Los Angeles. Within Koreatown, there’s also a growing population of Latinos. Mmm… korean food and mexican food - such good stuff. We’ve all heard of musical mash-ups. An old 80’s song with a current hip hop track, i.e. Same goes with fusion food, which has been the culinary trend of late.

Back in college, bbqing was something that we did frequently. At this one particular bbq, we had a mix of korean bbq ribs and carne asada tacos. A few hours later, after constant binge drinking and eating, we found ourselves left with no carne asada but a gang of ribs. Yet we still wanted tacos. I thought, hey why not use the korean bbq meat. It’s still beef. Keep in mind, I wasn’t very sober. Without salsa, the only spicy thing in sight was either the trusty Sriracha bottle that never seemed to run out and the jar o’ kimchi for god knows how long it was first opened. I chopped up the korean bbq beef and added some chopped kimchi, cilantro, green onions and a nice dollop of guac. Honestly it was good… for being drunk.

And how does it taste in a sober state? I had to find out again after nearly 5 years. I marinated some beef with soy sauce, coke, black pepper, garlic, onions, scallions, sesame oil and water. I wasn’t able to find good kimchi and had to resort to the Cosmos brand - bleh. So watery. I grilled the meat at J’s place and prepared a kalbi taco the same way 5 years ago. Beef, kimchi, cilantro, green onions, guac… and to add more of a korean flair - sesame seeds. Although my korean bbq marinade sucked, it still tasted good because of the large mix of ingredients. I had to give it to Miss Taco Hunt for the final verdict.

Miss Taco Hunt: “It’s good.”
Me: “Yeah, and?”
Miss Taco Hunt: “Tastes like a cross between a carne asada taco and a pupusa. They use a pickled cabbage similar to kimchi.”
Me: “And?”
Miss Taco Hunt: “Meat is too red.”
Me: “Would you eat this again?”
Miss Taco Hunt: “Yeah… maybe.”

Would these do well in the LA/Koreatown area? Probably not. Bandini of Great Taco Hunt would probably look at me like I’m crazy. Hey! Guys like weird food. We like Yoshinoya - girls don’t! But, one day, if you happen to see a shoddy taco truck running on one spare tire, spitting out black exhaust with Korean & Spanish written on it… it’s probably yours truly. Thanks for reading.