Komodo

I always find perfectly executed fusion food to be wonderfully intriguing and especially delicious, and Komodo on Pico Boulevard in the Kosher Corridor seamlessly combines modern California cuisine and Southeast Asian flavors to create a unique blend of “dangerously good food,” as the restaurant’s mantra proclaims! Having originated as the Komodo Truck during the Los Angeles food truck Renaissance in the early 2000’s, Chef Erwin Tjahyadi – a graduate from Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena and a former apprentice of Wolfgang Puck’s – honed his inventive, signature style of California Asian dishes, which gained a loyal following for Komodo Truck and led Chef Tjahyadi and his brother and co-owner Eric to be two of the earliest first food truck champions to open a brick and mortar location (Komodo also has a second restaurant on Main Street in Venice). Utilizing seasonal and local produce, along with 100% grass-fed beef, Chef Tjahyadi’s fusion menu features salads, sandwiches, tacos, bowls, and plates that are distinctly creative in their flavor profiles. The Blazin' Shrimp Taco, for example, utilizes spicy Singaporean-style shrimp combined with traditional taco accompaniments like sour cream, lettuce, and cilantro. The Mochiko Fried Chicken, with its Hawaiian-style chicken marinated in a homemade wet batter, is fried and then oven baked, creating a sweet, succulent, slightly crispy dish that pairs perfectly with brown (or white) rice. And the Nasi Goreng Indonesian fried rice is served with garlic aioli and corn salad, topped off with green onions and a sunny side egg (and chicken, in my case!). Chef Tjahyadi’s food is as thoughtful as it is delicious, and my boyfriend and I find ourselves regularly sating our taco cravings with a Komodo fix.

Dress: Kate Spade New York
Lips: Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in American Doll
Brows: Anastasia Beverly Hills DIPBROW® Pomade in Soft Brown
Shoes: Modcloth On a Stroll flats
Glasses: Marc by Marc Jacobs (old)

Signature Taco with marinated top sirloin steak, guacamole, and cotija cheese.

Nasi Goreng - Indonesian fried rice with garlic aioli and corn salad topped off with green onions and a sunny side egg (and optional chicken).

Blazin' Shrimp Taco with spicy Singaporean-style shrimp, sour cream, salad, and cilantro.

Mochiko Fried Chicken - Hawaiian-style chicken marinated in a homemade wet batter, fried then oven baked. Served with salad and brown rice.