Chego (www.eatchego.com)
From the creator of the Kogi Truck comes this new brick-and-mortar outpost of Korean-inspired street fare on Overland Avenue, Chego. As I walked up to the counter to order, I spied two white college kids, three hipsters of various cultural backgrounds, and a black guy wearing cool plastic-framed glasses waiting for their food.
This sight made me happy and illustrates how far we’ve come. Not to get all swollen with misplaced ethnic pride, but I used to get made fun of for bringing eight tupperware boxes filled with pan chan to elementary school while everyone else ate Wonderbread sandwiches. I certainly did not anticipate that someday people would be lining up for food inspired by the stuff I used to eat unceremoniously as a child.
I applaud Chego for its existence. The focus of Chego is on its various rice bowls, which are creatively inspired offshoots of the traditional Korean bi bim bap dish. I had the buttered kimchi chow bowl. While I enjoyed it, the inner child in me prefers the traditional dish a little better - a little less schizophrenic, a little more basic, and little more focus on fresh vegetables (but still with the fried egg of course). Coupled with the ooey gooey fries, it’s still a satisfying meal and I will be returning to try other items. The desserts are supposed to be quite good and I do enjoy the experience of eating Korean street food amongst the diverse crowd (in fact I feel like some of these items could be served at Susan Feniger’s Street on Highland). And to little Jimmy Gallagher from fourth grade, FUCK OFF. Who is laughing now, beeyatch?
A bit of warning to the gastrointestinally unprepared: I would harden your stomach lining with a few chili sauce food runs before coming here.
3300 Overland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034, (310) 287-0337
