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It was only a matter of time. The Kogi KBBQ taco truck, Southern California's latest food fad, has found itself some flattering attention from other budding restaurateurs -- and imitation, as we all know, is the sincerest form of flattery.
On an evening stroll through Westwood a few Fridays ago, I discerned from afar a familiar white taco truck with its signature flaming orange and red sign, and NO LINE.
"The Kogi truck!" my boyfriend exclaimed, and went running down the street after it. The Kogi truck? With no line? But how? Did they plan an un-Twittered stop by UCLA, or were we just lucky enough to beat the two hour rush for a few delicious kalbi tacos? Impossible.
Well, not impossible, if the Kogi truck is in fact the Calbi truck, which looks remarkably -- and probably not coincidentally -- similar to the original. Calbi BBQ, which started its two taco trucks rolling on April 30, features a logo that bears not only a similar color scheme, but a similar flame icon and cursive font as Kogi BBQ (for a side-by-side comparison, check out Eating L.A.'s blog).
May 12, 2009
Edible Finds: The Kogi Knockoff
It was only a matter of time. The Kogi KBBQ taco truck, Southern California's latest food fad, has found itself some flattering attention from other budding restaurateurs -- and imitation, as we all know, is the sincerest form of flattery. On an evening stroll through Westwood a few Fridays ago, I discerned from afar a familiar white taco truck with its signature flaming orange and red sign, and NO LINE.
"The Kogi truck!" my boyfriend exclaimed, and went running down the street after it. The Kogi truck? With no line? But how? Did they plan an un-Twittered stop by UCLA, or were we just lucky enough to beat the two hour rush for a few delicious kalbi tacos? Impossible.
Well, not impossible, if the Kogi truck is in fact the Calbi truck, which looks remarkably -- and probably not coincidentally -- similar to the original. Calbi BBQ, which started its two taco trucks rolling on April 30, features a logo that bears not only a similar color scheme, but a similar flame icon and cursive font as Kogi BBQ (for a side-by-side comparison, check out Eating L.A.'s blog).
It wouldn't be a stretch to assume that that was a deliberate decision,
given the number of people I saw making the same sprint to the
miraculously line-less KBBQ truck. And considering that Calbi's
customers didn't even realize there was a difference (when I asked if they
preferred the original Kogi, most replied with, "This isn't the
original?"), I'd say it's been pretty effective. Unoriginal and declassé, but effective.
But what about the taste? Well, as far as imitators go, Calbi isn't terrible, although it lacks in freshness of ingredients where Kogi strongly delivers. Though the meat is similarly savory, the vegetables in Calbi's tacos aren't as crisp, and the Styrofoam-and-clear-wrap packaging really takes away from the presentation of a freshly made taco. Kogi's tacos win the taste test by a notch or two. But, being a far less elusive find (Calbi makes its Westwood stop in the neighborhood's hub, as opposed to a dark, hilly residential area) with much shorter lines, I'd find it unsurprising if Calbi started eating away at Kogi's business in the KBBQ taco truck industry.
But what about the taste? Well, as far as imitators go, Calbi isn't terrible, although it lacks in freshness of ingredients where Kogi strongly delivers. Though the meat is similarly savory, the vegetables in Calbi's tacos aren't as crisp, and the Styrofoam-and-clear-wrap packaging really takes away from the presentation of a freshly made taco. Kogi's tacos win the taste test by a notch or two. But, being a far less elusive find (Calbi makes its Westwood stop in the neighborhood's hub, as opposed to a dark, hilly residential area) with much shorter lines, I'd find it unsurprising if Calbi started eating away at Kogi's business in the KBBQ taco truck industry.
Posted by Elaine at May 12, 2009 11:41 PM
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