Koja Kitchen Food Truck

Koja.  Korean + Japanese.  I'll admit, I didn't understand the name, or I guess, take time to think about it, until I went to write this post.  I've been familiar with Koja Kitchen, a, yup, Korean and Japanese fusion restaurant, for a while.  They have many outposts in the Bay Area, including one in the Westfield Mall food court, and, the one I visited, at Spark Social, a local food truck park. 

"KoJa (aka Korean-Japanese) is a special gourmet sandwich infused with a unique combination of Korean & Japanese flavors. To step it up a notch, KoJa Kitchen substitutes the traditional wheat buns with freshly made crispy garlic rice buns. 

We take what is best of both cuisines and reinvent them in a way that is fun and delicious to eat for our KoJa Kitchen fans."

Koja has been around for a while, and, the signature dish, the koja, which they describe as "Like a burger, but better. Your choice of protein served between fried garlic rice buns", definitely was unique when it burst onto the scene.  I've nearly tried it several times, but it just never made it to the top of my priority list.  Until now.

Truck Menu.

There are many food trucks at Spark Social, and many are busy, but, Koja was by far the busiest.  The line was constant.  I was there with a very large group, part of a work outing, and nearly everyone wound up at Koja at some point, even after having gone elsewhere.  Orders did take a fair amount of time to be ready, but, they were busy after all.

The menu features the signature Koja dominantly of course, but there are a slew of other options, ranging from rice bowls to tacos to salads, and of course some korean fried chicken and other sides.

Spam Masubi. $5.45.
(No Avocado).

"Avocado, bacon, egg tamago, unagi sauce, rice, nori."

I actually ate at another food truck for lunch, but, decided at last minute to at least get something from Koja.  While I do really want to try a koja sometime, I wanted something smaller, as I'd already had my main meal.  I opted for just a masubi, available in one kind only: spam ... but with bacon, avocado, and egg.  I had them leave off the avocado however as I'm allergic.  

The masubi was more of a traditional style than others I've had lately that are more burrito style, with a rice base, a slice each of spam and tamago, a slice of bacon cut in half, and a nice drizzle of unagi sauce.  The bacon looked flabby and entirely not the style I like, but I still eagerly dug in.

This was ... just not very good.  It wasn't bad I guess, but it certainly wasn't special.  The rice was just rice.  Not particularly well seasoned, not particularly good in any way.  The spam was fine, but, it is just spam.  The tamago was more like just a slice of a regular American breakfast omelette, and the bacon, yup, flabby and greasy and not my style.  I did like the unagi sauce.

Overall, mostly mediocre components, and they didn't combine together all that well.   Perhaps this would make a great hungover breakfast bite, if you really want the bacon and eggs vibe?  It was also pricey at $5.45, at least compared to Sushi Taka, where it is only $3.50 (although, granted this has bacon and usually avocado as well).  I actually really like the Sushi Taka one, and this was many levels below that.

**.

No Photo

Kamakaze Fries. $9.89.

"Crisscut waffle fries, minced korean bbq beef, kimchi, red sauce, japanese mayo, green onions."

Several of my co-workers ordered the "kamakaze" fries, and they looked glorious.  A huge, huge pile of waffle fries, loaded with toppings and sauces ... and, luckily for me, they were willing to share.  I didn't get a photo since I wasn't planning to steal their food, but, once they offered ...

The kamakaze fries were great.  Crispy, battered waffle fries, an excellent base for tons of toppings.  They tasted fresh and weren't oily.  Good waffle fries.  

But really, this dish was about the toppings.  Whatever the "red sauce" was, it was fabulous.  I think gochujang based?  Slightly sweet, slightly spicy, very tasty.   A bit of Japanese mayo (the best mayo!), and flavorful bbq beef, and, well, delicious.  Sorta messy to eat with your fingers, but, I didn't really mind, given how delicious they were.

I'd definitely get these again, although, really, a dish meant for sharing, or, just making your main meal.

****.