For most food truck operators, going mobile isn’t the end game, and that’s understandable, with countless hours on the road, in traffic, to reach short-lived points of sale. Often times, customers feel like they’re tracking a moving target, and as more trucks hit the streets, some people are giving up the hunt altogether. However, some savvy entrepreneurs are graduating to brick and mortar establishments. Komodo, an Asian café that promises “dangerously good food” in Beverlywood, is one of the leading examples.
It’s not like Eric Tjahyadi and chef/brother Erwin Tjahyadi have turned their backs on trucks. They still have one Komodo truck on the road, and the wall of their glass fronted, fast casual business features a mural of a beachfront line for their food. Komodo, named for a fierce Indonesian lizard, also houses an open kitchen, metal furniture, and a pressed tin ceiling.
Komodo built their following with tacos, burritos and rice bowls, and they’re all available in Beverlywood, plus plates that come with a choice of slightly nutty brown rice or white rice and accompanying mixed greens.
Gambas Al Ajillo Shrimp ($9.50) features plump shrimp sautéed with smoked paprika, chile powder, garlic and fresh squeezed lemon juice, resulting in residual heat.
Asian Marinated Chicken with grilled chicken and Mandarin oranges also doesn’t generate much pop.
Every ingredient on the planet seems to be grist for tacos and burritos in Los Angeles, whether they meld well with tortillas or not.
Komodo tacos could use better tortillas and more thoughtful salsas but some of the fillings are interesting. Fish & Grapes involves flaky, deep fried Alaskan cod served with a grape and shaved almond salad that’s fairly sweet, but good. We enjoyed more of the lip tingling Singaporean style shrimp with cooling sour cream and lettuce salad. Java referred to Indonesian shredded pork rendang braised in coconut cream with tomato and cucumber salad and topped with fried shallots. Unfortunately, the core ingredient wasn’t particularly juicy or flavorful. MP3 was a fun combination of top sirloin cubes, tater tots, garlic aioli and a seared quail egg. Unfortunately, the only condiment we even considered squeezing on the combo consisted of an oh-so-mild tomato based salsa.
With all the food trucks fluttering around the city, good options have become increasingly difficult to pinpoint, but it’s good to know that mobile proprietors like the Tjahyadi brothers are settling down and cranking up the ambition on their offerings.
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