Weekend trip to LA- Kogi Tacos and Umami Burgers…

Posted on | May 28, 2009 | No Comments

Kogi Korean BBQ:

tacos

I’ve been wanting to get to LA to try a few new places to eat (oh, and visit friends and family, of course!) So memorial day weekend it was. My first stop? Kogi Korean BBQ. Literally a few hours after I arrived in LA, I met up with my BFF Amy, and we headed to the Alibi Room, making sure to get there RIGHT when they opened. As much as I love food, waiting in line for 3-4 hours for the Kogi roach coach did not sound like my idea of fun. Plus, with the combined bad luck of myself and Amy, I knew the chances of us waiting in line that long, only to get to the front and be told “we’re all out of tacos” was pretty high! The Alibi opened at 5:30pm, and we were the second to arrive. The kitchen opened at 6pm, so we staked out seats at the bar, ordered a couple of drinks, plus our food, and chatted while we waited. Not a bad way to pass the time! By 6pm, the tiny bar was packed… and everyone, it seemed, was there for the tacos! Pretty amusing, and a smart move on the Alibi’s part.

Honestly, another reason I didn’t want to do the roach coach chase was because I was afraid the tacos weren’t going to be any good. Anytime there’s this much hype over anything, I fear the worst. But of course, I have to find out for myself. =D

We ordered three tacos each, I opted for the Shortrib, Chicken, and Spicy Pork, and Amy got the Shortrib, Chicken, and Tofu. All of them pretty much had the same seasoning, with that great, garlicky, spicy, and slightly sour flavor. Uh, yeah… Yum! They were definitely much more Korean tasting than I expected. Much like after eating Korean BBQ, I kept smelling it until the next day. But it was SO worth it! These tacos are really, really good!

sliders

We also ordered the Shortrib Sliders, which were basically the same meat, but with less of the Kimchee flavouring (probably because there was less greens in the sliders), plus of course bread and a mayo based sauce. The sliders were much less spicy than the tacos, and equally as good.

fries

The fries looked a lot spicier than they actually were. They did have a Korean type seasoning on it, but it was subtle. The fries were cooked really well though, nice and crispy, just how like I like them.

By the time we left, the Alibi was absolutely packed, and I imagine a lot of people had to eat standing up, which would be pretty messy! Do what I did. Get to the Alibi early and wait a bit. Trust me, the food is worth it!

Cost: $

12236 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066

www.kogibbq.com

Umami Burger:

burger

The next day, I went to my second food destination, Umami Burger. Again, a small place. We had to wait about a half hour for a table, plus another 20-30 minutes to get our food. But again, it was worth it! These burgers were SO tasty. The meat was on the soft side, incredibly juicy, perfectly pink in the middle, and just bordering on being greasy. I had the Umami Burger, which contained a parmesan ‘slice’, seasoned tomato, and shitake mushrooms, and I loved it. The burgers are not huge, rather, they are just the right size. There are 8 to choose from:

We also tried the Sweet Potato salad, which I really liked. The sweet potatoes were very lightly cooked, and mixed with green onions and raw sugar snap peas in a creamy dressing. Very refreshing!

potatosalad

The fries were tasty, but I have to admit, I liked the fries at Kogi’s better. Then again, I’m not a fan of steak fries. The onion rings however, were awesome. They were actually tempura fried onions, so they were light, crispy, and quite good!

friesonionrings

Cost: $$

850 S La Brea, Los Angeles, CA 90036
www.umamiburger.com

Phone: 323 931-3000

Ok, time to start that diet now….

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Kristi

Vegas Musings

Food adventures in Las Vegas and Los Angeles

Weekend trip to LA- Kogi Tacos and Umami Burgers…

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