k-town with roy choi

400 miles north of los angeles on highway 5 last weekend the warnings signs for carmageddon began. packed into a toyota camry with a trunk full of camera equipment, we drove on; passing by the san luis reservoir and finally snaking through los padres national forest before emerging in the hollywood hills. my first trip to los angeles went astonishingly well.

i say this not just because of the anti-climactic two-day closing of interstate 405; but to the nature of our trip. along with three clients and three staff members from la cocina, i experienced a small portion of what gives vibrancy to the city. for five hours on saturday afternoon, chef roy choi  gave us a true taste of koreatown: beginning with rotisserie chicken at pollo a la brassa, ending with the blood sausage and pickled daikon near macarthur park. the nexus of our questions was street food; the fusion of cuisine, and the harsh reality of building a successful business. a short documentary of our day is in the works; but for now i’ll share these images and say thanks to the kogi team. i’m already looking forward to my next trip south, and especially to those views from the 405.