Korean chef Roy Choi who made truck food famous with his kogi tacos in southern California is now about to expand his food empire.  What started a year ago with a single truck and a bunch of Twitter followers has now become an empire of 4 trucks and a soon to be restaurant in west L.A.

The new, still unnamed restaurant won’t use the Kogi name, Mr. Choi says, and he doesn’t plan to serve the taco. Instead he will try to update the rice bowl. “I see bacon-fat-studded chestnuts and fresh herbs on braised lamb; steak with a soft-poached egg and hand-crushed sesame seeds; organic rice, braised pork-belly, fresh-water spinach in a beautiful broth with sesame leaves,” he says, rattling off ideas. The food, he says, will be inexpensive enough that people who normally eat McDonald’s can afford it.

We named Roy Choi as one of the most influential Korean-Americans in 2009 and his impact was truly evident with new Korean taco trucks popping up everywhere and restauranteurs serving up their version of a Korean taco.  Roy Choi embodies the hard working culture of Koreans and many Korean-Americans can relate to his life.  He may not be the most eloquent guy but his focus and diligence has brought him this far and his belief in himself has turned the food world upside down.  ”There is something very Korean about Roy being Roy,” says David Chang of New York’s Momofuku restaurants, who is also of Korean heritage and who met Mr. Choi last spring. “It’s about working your a— off, and not believing that you’re any good.”

Source: Wall Street Journal

Get ready for some Kogi tacos at Baja Fresh.  The fast food franchise is about to start serving up the Korean tacos first made famous by the Kogi Truck.  I guess imitation is the biggest form of flattery because more and more of these tacos are popping up in restaurants.  Baja Fresh is taking it mainstream with its 283 stores.  They tested it out earlier this month with the introduction of the Baja Kogi Taco.  According to the Wall Street Journal, there’s a fight brewing.

Baja Fresh filed for trademark protection for the term “kogi” on May 8th, Mr. Rink says.  Kogi filed its trademark paperwork for “kogi” on December 4th  of last year, but only for narrow use, just on mobile food carts. Baja Fresh is seeking protection for the use of Kogi with everything from tacos and burritos to promotional toys.  Kogi co-founder Caroline Shin-Manguera says a steep “learning curve” when starting the business accounts for the wording on the trademark application.

Ms. Shin-Manguera says she finds it flattering that Korean barbecue-style tacos are becoming so popular. But “the use of the name after we have worked so hard to create a Kogi community through Twitter and bloggers” is “disheartening,” she says.  Ms. Shin says she became aware of the Baja Fresh menu yesterday and isn’t yet sure what the company will do about it. But can you say “lawyers”?