I have an interesting truck experience to share with you today, dear readers. I took a new friend, who has shown an interest in the truck craze, to lunch. Actually, it is the friend I met at the Nom Nom Truck a while back. I thought it would be fun to show him the truck that started it all, Kogi, and then to wander down the street and try one of their wannabes, the Bool BBQ Truck. A taste test, if you will. The Pepsi Challenge of trucks! Plus, I had been to Kogi already and needed an excuse to write about this trucksperience. Bringing Bool in seemed perfect.
As I parked in front of the Variety Building on Wilshire I could see my friend standing on top of a wall, reminiscent of Leo, sans Kate, in Titanic. I love a dramatic pose.
Alexander seemed a little anxious that no trucks were parked along that block of Wilshire but I told him not to fret - I had the skinny. So we ambled around the block to the back of the building and lo and behold, Kogi. And even bester, no line!
So I sidled up to the window and asked if they had any specials. Yes. The special was a shot of hot sauce and something else, with a strip of bacon. Huh? Well, okay. Two of those, the sliders and one of each taco, please. “Um, even the tofu?” No, thank you. With two waters, I believe my total was about $18.
As you know, I have covered Kogi’s food, so I will only comment on the bizarre “shot” of hot sauce with bacon. I did not know what I was supposed to do with it, so I just dipped my bacon in and chomped away. I did try a sip, but I just couldn’t hang. Alexander was impressed with the complexity of the flavors in our food: the tangy, the sweet, and the heat. He did find it a bit on the greasy side which I found to be accurate – unusual for Kogi. He seemed to be a big fan of the slider, and who wouldn’t be?
So a bite or two of everything, meeting the adorable Chihuahua, Pixel, a pop into LA Fitness to try to glean a workout by peering, a couple of blocks of a walk and viola! – destination Bool. We had to exert a little discipline as the Dosa truck was next to Bool. I loved the Dosa truck and Alexander, who seems to be excited and distracted by shiny things on the side of the road, was entranced by their colorful décor. But we had a mission.
I ordered a pork and a chicken taco ($1.99 each). I know it’s not much but I figured it would be enough for an accurate taste test. The pork was uninspired and very similar to Kogi but without that freshness or that something that Kogi provides. The chicken was interesting, though. It had a sweetness that none of the other food had that day. And while I’m not a sweet in my savory person, it was a sweetness that I appreciated and did not expect. Both tacos had a nice balance in regards to the meat/toppings ratio but were a little messier than Kogi. I didn't much care for the Styrofoam packaging either.
All in all I would say that Bool easily has it over the other competitors but still doesn’t quite stack up to Kogi. We had a fun afternoon noodling around mid-Wilshire, eating from trucks - Alexander and I considered the experience a success and both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. That’s the point, right?
By the way, everyone - 5 trucks to go!