the strEATS: new food truck tracker

Check out the str[EATS], an easy-to-use website launched just this past month to track D.C. food trucks.  The site was started by a hungry group of George Washington University business students.

Q&A with Mike Lenard of TaKorean

TaKorean is one of the newest additions to the downtown D.C. food truck scene.  Mike Lenard is the man behind TaKorean's flavor-packed Korean BBQ tacos.  I had an opportunity recently to ask him a few questions about his background and TaKorean:

What's your culinary background?

My culinary background is based on just a passion for food and cooking.  I have never been to cooking school, or worked for any long period of time in a professional kitchen.  I have a family who loves cooking, and watched A LOT of food TV when I was younger and developed a great knack for creativity and recipe making.   

How did you get into cooking?

 I love food!  Cooking is something I love.  I love the feeling of providing the experience of food to my friends and family and jump on any chance I get to cook for an audience.  

What did you do (school, employment, etc) before starting TaKorean?

 I worked in outdoor specialty retail as a manager for many years.  I ran stores for Hudson Trail Outfitters then was Director of Sales and Operations for Potomac Paddlesports.

What were your sources of inspiration for starting the TaKorean truck?  Was growing up close to Annandale a factor?

 To be honest I never ate at the Korean restaurants growing up at all.  I really love the idea of fusion (that works).  The "fusion" concept is sometimes abused, however when I saw what was going on on the west coast with Korean Tacos I knew they were going to be awesome.  Right when I saw them, I knew that I loved the concept, however I wanted to do them my own way.  

What was the process like for determining your menu?  Did you do a lot of experimentation in the kitchen before you settled on the right combination of ingredients?  Travel to Korea / Mexico?

 Just a few days after hearing about the Korean Taco concept for the first time, I bought ingredients and created my first batch of tacos.  I'll be honest, the first batch was AMAZING and it was only me there to taste them.  I still have photo documentation of the first session.  Over the next few weeks I perfected things (however I am still perfecting) and decided that my take on this concept was awesome enough to give business a shot.  

How would you say your truck stands out from other food trucks across the nation that serve Korean and Mexican ingredients on tacos?

 To my knowledge I am the only Korean Taco truck that uses any sour cream and my slaws are very unique.  Of course on BOTH "real" Mexican tacos and Korean food you won't find any sour cream, however the sour cream mixed with lime and honey balances the flavors of everything on the taco so well.  It really just ties it all together, and I think that sets me apart more than anything.  My slaws are unique as well compared to the west coast folks.

What are your aspirations for TaKorean?  Would you like to expand to more trucks, start a restaurant, something else?

 I'd like to grow the business to accommodate more trucks, however my real goal is to open different sorts of truck.  My second truck might be a completely different brand, and the third as well.  I have a lot of interest in other types of foods as well, and I would love to be able to express some other ideas.  Brick and mortar establishments are never out of the question depending on the opportunities that arise, however I am focused now on bringing the quality of my current truck to the best it can be.  

Was it tough to start TaKorean?  What were some of the obstacles you had to overcome?

 It was VERY tough!  Dealing with DC was hard, however I fully support the program, and I believe it is all necessary.  Starting any business is tough, especially if you're just one person.  I have a great team now that helps me, but the creating of everything you see was done 100% by me.  I still don't feel like its really "started."  Still a lot of improvement and settling everything operationally that needs to happen.

Why did you choose D.C. as the location?

 I was born and raised in DC growing up in Cleveland Park.  I love this city, know it like the back of my hand, and love the people.  DC has been deprived of any sort of palatable street food options for so long and I am so excited that me and the other trucks are around.  I really like the other trucks in DC too and eat at them any time I get the chance.

Is there anything distinctive about Washingtonians that makes you think they will be especially receptive to your menu?

 They love good food, and they are educated enough to be into something a bit "edgy."  People are very "worldly" here which I love.

Do you feel that being a native of D.C. helps you get an edge on the food truck competition?  Hometown favorite?

 I like to think so, however the non-natives that run food trucks know the city well and are a great addition to the streets.  I don't really try to get extra points for that line on my passport, but I love where I'm from.  

What are your top 5 favorite restaurants in the D.C. area?

 City Zen

Kotobuki

2 Amys

Central

Rasika

and MANY more.  

What's your relationship been like with the other food truck owners?

 Every interaction I've had has been terrific.  We have been working together to overcome our largest obstacle.  The brick and mortar businesses and larger interests are lobbying the city counsel to get us off the streets for good.

What's been your most memorable experience so far in running TaKorean?  Any particularly interesting people you've met or experiences you've had that you didn't expect?

 Today at Navy Yard I had my first return customers and it was a truly amazing feeling.  

Have there been aspects so far that disappointed you?

 I strive for perfection and I'm sure that in the mass quantity that we are serving and it being our first time executing something like this out of a truck, there have been some "so-so" tacos that have come out.  That is an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.  

I also don't particularly like getting "flack" for not having "authentic" korean food.  I've never advertised having an "authentic" Korean experience, and clearly there are no tacos in Korea which should have alerted people of the concept.  If folks don't like my food, that is a large concern to me and I'd like to hear all of that feedback, in order to improve and because consumers have the right to publicize that.  I do urge customers to reevaluate their expectations by reading the menu and understanding the concept before complaining that the food isn't authentic.    

You mentioned your creativity, which is definitely apparent with your tacos.  Any other ways you express your creativity outside of food - through hobbies, art, music, etc?

I play guitar, ukulele, and piano several times per week.  I also have a deep passion for the outdoors and do many outdoor recreation activities.  

Any other interesting aspects of your story that you think people would be interested to learn about?

During my years in outdoor retail I was inspired by Patagonia's pledge to return 1% of all total sales to environmental causes around the globe.  I have taken a similar stand, although on a local level.  Each month I will give 1% of total sales to a local charity that we support and blog about it on our site.  

Spanish Platter in Retiro Park

Santceloni and Pan de Lujo were fine dining extravaganzas with food prepared by two of the top chefes in Madrid. But I found the perfect madrilinian meal at a hole in the wall diner a couple stores down from Gran Via.
.
The platter combined a few of the best of Madrid's culinary traditions: jamon (dry cured Spanish ham), croquetas (deep-fried rolls with mash potatoes and minced meat - technically, this one is French), potato salad with alcaparrones (huge Spanish capers), and fresh local eggs and tomatoes.
.
We took our food (Marcy was rocking some Spanish yogurt) in a kayak on a pond in Retiro Park. Retiro is the "lungs of Madrid" and the city's "green heart" analogous to Central Park in New York. In the 17th century, the pond was used for mock naval battles, but it was peaceful on this day especially with the occasional light rain steering the rest of the bustling tourist crowd into the nearby art museums.

I passed the oars off to Marcy as we floated past the monument to Alfonso XII and I took my first bite - greasy, salty jamon with some of the pickle studded potato salad. Alfonso was the king of Spain in the late 19th century before dying when he was 28 from tuberculosis. I was feeling a bit regal myself as Marcy did all the work to propel us through the water while I ate superfluously. The pond was rippled by light raindrops. Alfonso checked us out from his concrete horse and I took a big bite of juicy tomato.

Mercado de San Miguel

Marcy and I went out in Madrid last night and learned a few things that Madrilenians don't care for: sports other than soccer (my attempt to tell a guy named Gustavo about lacrosse in drunken Spanish was met with an unapologetically blank stare), staying away from the bars of the Latina district on any night of the week, and Mercado de San Miguel.

"Is for tourists," Gustavo said about San Miguel. "The best markets in Madrid are on little side streets," he added before returning to his favorite topic of the night: the three novias he is seeing ("in Madrid, this not big deal").
.
I was disappointed to hear about the local verdict on San Miguel because Marcy and I found the food at the market interesting enough to justify spending two hours there - thereby establishing ourselves as the stereotypical tourists that people like Gustavo try to avoid.
.
Although my foreigner mindset should be a source of shame, I still think our experiences eating at San Miguel were a cut above the likes of Hard Rock Cafe.  I'm forming a theory that resident Spaniards avoid places that draw a lot of tourists, even if those places are high quality.  Sort of like the band you stopped liking once everyone else found out about them.

Percebes and Langoustines.

Percebes, or goose barnacle, is a delicacy harvested in northern Spain, especially Galicia. At San Miguel, I made the mistake of asking a Madrilenian customer about these crustaceans, and next thing I knew, he was shoving his juice-slicked fingers with some percebes towards my mouth so I could have a taste.  I had no choice but to accept his offering despite my general policy to avoid old man saliva. 

me and an overly friendly Madrilenian

We were also standing next to a Galician man named Carlos who said he thought the percebes in Madrid taste even better than the ones served in his hometown, which is known for its percebes.  He also explained why percebes are so expensive: to catch them you have to do some dangerous galavanting over oceanic rocks and flotsam. It's worth it, not just for the fresh saltwater flavored hunks of meat.  Just as nice a perk: getting to snack on something that looks like the back of a stegosaurus. Check out the imprint of the skeleton on the flesh.

The tiger langoustines are like shrimp but even more sweet.

Carlos was having baby eel for the first time because he'd heard they were good, but he didn't recommend them. "Take pasta with a bit of butter and you have the same thing, no?" he complained.

Pickle sandwich with sardines and huge Spanish capers (alcaparrones) on the side.

Veal cheeks in what they call a "brik" roll.

Papas y Mojo Picon. The woman vending these potatoes said they were prepared in a style typical of the Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of northwest Africa.  Canarians serve mojo picon with the majority of their local dishes, and I completely understand why.  I'll be making this recipe soon.  The potatoes are cooked in salty seawater to go with the piquant sauce.

Hot Chocolate with Churros.

Botin Restaurant

Last night we checked out Botin Restaurant in the Latina District of Madrid.  If you've ever watched the Travel Channel or read any tourist guides about Madrid, you know that Botin is the oldest restaurant in the world.  It dates all the way back to 1725.  Goya supposedly worked here before becoming a painter, although our waiter did not seem aware of this rumor.

Over the last couple days in Madrid, Marcy and I have been playing a game: spot the Americans (they tend to be the ones not wearing florescent Gucci shoes).  At Botin, though, nearly everyone's a tourist.  Our room had four tables: two other American couples, a Dutch group, two Asian-Americans - and a total of three cameras.  Just when you start feeling like a traveler in the days of Cervantes - the building that houses the restaurant was built in the sixteenth century - the pops and clicks of the 21st century bring you back to the present.

Still, the food was authentic and, for the most part, very good:

Sangria

Andalucian Gazpacho - Basically every restaurant we've seen in Madrid has Andalucian gazapacho, or "liquid salad."  Andalucia is a region in southern Spain, and gazpacho is it's signature food.  The original version of gazpacho probably derives from a Roman gruel of bread and oil - with no tomatoes!

Morcilla - Aka blood pudding or blood sausage: rice, spices like garlic and paprika, and rice.  Oh yeah, and pig's blood.  Buen provecho!  According to locals, the best place to get morcilla is a city called Burgos.  Marcy, the vegetarian, loved them, but my efforts to convince her to take a day trip from Madrid have yet to succeed.

Squid in its ink

Everyone talks about Botin's suckling pig, and the menu says it's the house specialty.  A few months ago, I went to Maialino, Danny Meyer's NYC trattoria, and got to try the Roman version of "little pig from the oven."  What's so memorable about Meyer's dish is the skin: it's greasy and crunches like a rosemary and bay leaf potato chip.  But the chefs in Spain like the skin less crunchy, and, while the meat of Botin's suckling was moist, the skin was unremarkable: no thunderous flavor.

Still, it was cool to check out Botin's 200 year old tile oven where they roast the pigs.  After our meal, the manager invited us into the kitchen to watch the oven in action.

Fine Dining in Madrid: Santceloni

Preparing for my trip abroad, I read some Carlos Ruiz Zafon, who writes hyper-real, intense thrillers that take place in Spain.  My first eating experience in Madrid occurred in a dining room that would have been a good backdrop for the climax of one of Zafon's books. 

The drama took place at Santceloni, a restaurant with two Michelin stars that belongs to Santi Santamaria, who is probably one of the top three chefs in Spain (the others, from what I understand, are Juan Mark Arzak and Ferran Adria).  Some say that Santceloni is likely to become Madrid's first restaurant to earn three stars.

As we walked in, square-jawed waiters in crisp tuxedos rushed to greet us, and when we sat down the chairs screeched as the ultra-energetic waiters pushed the seats under our butts before rushing back to the kitchen to guzzle another can of Roboosto.
.
The server was no match for our middle school level espanol.  Much to his distress, he didn't understand our Spainglish question about the origin of the ox crabs that were listed on the menu.  He apologized with the shame of a defeated Samurai and hustled to the bar to get someone else who could help.

Santamaria, the chef, has ragged on his rival, Ferran Adria, for using too many modern cooking practices, saying that, "The table is not an art gallery," and referring to his own approach as "traditional."  But a lot of the dishes at Santceloni were high-wire acts.

First they brought out six amuse-bouches: fried pasta with a creamy filling of fish and cheese, a pastry, an apple compote and beets, mussels, and raw shrimp wrapped in fried breading.

At one point I took a break from plowing through my amuse-bouches to glance around, and in the each of the three directions I looked, there was a waiter watching me attentively, as if for years he'd dreamed of doing whatever he could to please a random guy from America who wasn't dressed for the occasion.

After the amuse-bouches, each dish was spectacular:

Leek Soup with Mackerel.  They brought this out on-the-house.  The white leek broth was foamy and had fresh corn on the bottom, and the mackerel was ultra-delicate.

Scorpion Fish with Hog Snout.  In addition to being one of the world's most venemous fish, the scorpion fish looks really cool.  They live in the shallow sandy sea beds of Spanish waters and are considered by Spaniards to be luxury-eating.  Santceloni pairs this opulence with commoner food: unctuous hog snout.

Ox Crab.  Ox crab comes from Northern Spain.  The dish was served cold as a gelee with big chunks of the exotic crab meat hidden in a sweet onion cream.   A waiter said the meat came only from the tastiest part of the ox crab: its head.

At some point, someone with responsibility for naming things looked at this and said, "Just like an ox!"

Eataly Pics

A few months ago, I got excited about the opening of a nearby Whole Foods just because it had a shish counter.  I had yet to meet Eataly, the Italian gastro-emporium that opened on August 31 in the Flatiron district of New York.  Man I loved that shish counter.  Ignorance is bliss.

No, bliss is florescent langoustines.  Bliss is Dave Pasternack personally making me a plate of crudo.  Bliss is glistening strings of mozzarella hand-stretched like taffy until they cool while you salivate a few feet away. 

Last weekend, Marcy and I visited Eataly.  The hype about Mario Batali’s Piedmont wet dream is deserved.  It’s just as much an exhibit as a market.  I could spend a day strolling around Eataly like an Italian art museum, taking in such scenery as giant clubs of prosciutto drained and cured as they hang from creaking suspension hooks, or a butcher from the Italian Alps skillfully slicing jamon (okay, the guy looked Mexican, but still).

Here are my pics:

Lots of reserves, jams and marmalades, although only Amare Stoudemire can actually reach them

Bite sized dolce, croissants and pastries

Who's that guy giving the pep talk to the fish squad?

It's the guy on the wall - Dave Pasternack!  Aka, fish-whisperer and James Beard award-winning chef at Esca.

I think he was qualified to make my crudo

Speaking of fish, check out the color on these langoustines.  I wanted to take them home and cook them but that idea was deep-sixed by Mr. and Mrs. FFJ.

I don't see these at my neighborhood Giant

There's an awesome-looking restaurant in the market called Manzo that's cheffed by a Batali protege.  Beef tasting menus are getting popular.  I'm jumping on the meatwagon head-first.

They have rows of all kinds of spicy salumis like these

Prosciutto hanging from the ceiling at the cheese station

Making mozzarella

If only they had something that goes well with cheese ... a couple pounds of jamon!

Pasture-raised, free range chickens and a fire

Marcy models the fresh produce

The pasta station