Taqueria La Michoacana...........No, your not dreaming, you've stepped into a Taqueria in Mexico

My regular job is located in Bridgeport CT which is home to the largest city population in the state.  With that many people, there are hungry mouths to feed.  There is a large population of Latin residents and therefore a fair amount of Latin Food.

When you look at the store front, you know you are in a place that caters to the local crowd.  There is not a lick of English anywhere.  The space inside is a narrow almost Pizza joint feel with tables on both sides, a TV in the corner and a Juke box in the other.  Sergio the owner is almost always at the counter waiting to take your order.

The Menu shows that they serve everything from Breakfast to Dinner and everything in between.   Fortunately or Unfortunately, at my office we have only gotten one thing there. Tacos.  The Tacos that they make here are like you would get when you are down in Mexico.  They are simple and they let the natural flavors of the meat and salsas do the talking.  And they don't really talk.  They Scream!!!!

We usually get a mix of the Chicken and the Pork Tacos.   But they offer so much more.  They have Beef, Tongue, Sausage and a whole bunch of other organ meat for the brave.  They serve three home made salsas that are fresh made everyday.  Plus they have a pickle mix that includes Cactus which is full of flavor.  When we get the tacos, we ask to have extra grilled spring onions and Jalepenos. Served in two flour tortillas, with a squeeze of lime takes you to a local stand in Mexico City.

Their other dishes include Burritos, Grilled Chicken Dishes and Pork Dishes, and a Mexican soup called Posole which I saw one day.  Looks like a meal rather than a soup.

Go visit Sergio.  You'll be glad you did.

Taqueria La Michoacana can be found at 1914 Main St. in Bridgeport. 203-366-6590.

The Food Truck Craze with a Mexican/Korean twist

I have learned that as of now the latest craze in LA food is the food truck.  No longer just your regular meat wagon filled with simple flavorless sandwiches, greasy burgers and brown crayon coffee.  These trucks have a following.  I recently read about one in the Gourmet blog which featured Kogi.  Kogi has such a following that they have recently set up a permanent location at the Alibi Club in downtown LA.  On their website, they feature their menu that you can get in the Alibi club and in any of the three trucks that float around from various places in the downtown LA area.  On the right side It shows you the locations that the three trucks are in every day.  Each day, the trucks are in a location from 12PM to 3PM, 6PM to 9PM and finally 10:30PM till 1:00 AM.  Each truck moves to a new location each day and the schedule changes every week. 

I found the one I went to in the back of 5900 Wilshire Blvd in LA.

Menu items are a eclectic mix of Mexican and Korean dishes.  Unfortunately  I was alone so my options were limited to only what I can eat.  So yes, I was a pig but when else could I get this.

I am a huge fan of Korean food.  Its probably the most underrated of all the asian foods served in this country.  Chinese food is almost American with as many opportunities to get fried rice and an egg roll as there are places to get a overpriced Starbucks coffee.  Japanese food specifically Sushi is available almost as much.  Thai food is gaining in popularity but you rarely hear about Korean food.  Specifically Korean BBQ. 

I decided to try two tacos and a something else that looked unique.  I chose the spicy pork taco and the Korean short rib taco.   My favorite Korean dish is Kalbi which is marinated short ribs.  So to have it in a taco was bound to be great.  Both tacos were served using two small corn tortillas.  The meat and vegetable topping was mounded on top of these tortillas so high that you are bound to mess your shirt if you’re not really  careful.  So get a fork if you go there.

Alright so the photo doesn’t show so well.  But let me tell you, it was wonderful.  Especially the short rib.  The marinated meat was so tender and juicy that if I wasn’t eating in a specific angle, it would have dripped all over my arm.  I think I would get the same tacos again the next time.

The other dish I got because It mixed two things I enjoy very much in each of the cultures.  Kim Chee and Quesadillas.  Yes, I present to you, the Kim Chee quesadilla.

 Now before you judge, you have to really like kim chee to enjoy this dish.  There is no way around it.  For those of you that don’t know what kim chee is, it’s traditionally a cabbage that has been marinated in a spicy mix of chili paste and other spicy ingredients.  Alone, it’s wonderful but with other dishes it accents its crisp spicy flavor well with the many meats and fish.  The Kim chee Quesadilla was good and cheesy but the watery kim chee softened up the tortilla it was made in. 

I’m glad I got it but not sure I would get it again.  I think I would get something else to try but I’d still have to get the same two tacos. 

I want to try to find other trucks for my trips out west so if you hear of anything, please let me know what is good out there.

Kogi can be found in multiple areas of LA and you get to know where they are from here:

http://kogibbq.com/