PISH POSH AVENUE

Title: Koja Kitchen at OtG
Date Taken: February 16, 2012

The picture you see there is what happily sits in my stomach. Koja Kitchen is a fairly new food truck, and I was lucky enough to catch it at Off the Grid (OtG): Civic Center UN Plaza, San Francisco today for lunch.

11:15AM: a few coworkers and I hopped on the underground MUNI to avoid the crowd at OtG. And yes, it gets crowded. I heard about this truck from a friend, and I have to say I wasn't disappointed. Behind the cut you'll see close-up shots of the drool-worthy Korean-Japanese fusion dishes pictured above.

Be prepared to be hungry.




Criss-cross cut fries topped with kimchi, beef, onions and a "special sauce." Absolutely tantalizing and spicy - it was impossible eat only one. Nonetheless, the four of us shared it since we reckoned we'd regret it if we ate one order each, but that's besides the point...



The main attraction! This is essentially bulgogi (Korean-style marinated beef) smothered between Japanese-seasoned lettuce, onions, and two toasted rice buns. Pure perfection in every aspect: presentation, flavor, and hunger satisfaction. The hand-made rice buns remained crispy, and did not become soggy despite the juicy, saucy meat. Just writing about this is making my stomach growl.

They had a limited edition KoJa with kalbi (Korean-style marinated BBQ short ribs, $6.50). My coworker ordered it and I tried a piece. The meat was tender and flavorful, similar to that of the version above, just thicker cut.

The one peeve was that it was so tightly wrapped, the last few bites were exceptionally messy... but I guess we can't all be prim and proper when eating bomb street food.



The hidden gem! Or not-so-hidden, since they display it in the truck window... (self-serve after you pay, how dangerous!) The half-strawberry at the top was sweet despite being out of season. The dessert itself was tiramisu with a twist: mochi! It was pleasantly light in the middle, with layers of chocolate and awesomeness. BUT WHY IS THE RUM GONE. I slipped into a food coma shortly after finishing this, but it was a perfect finish to a fabulous meal.

Overall, five stars for Koja Kitchen, I'll definitely be hunting for the truck again soon...

♥ Vicky