Tacos at Komida

Komida, the new taqueria from Chef Brock Kleweno opened in the Hollywood & Highland complex in Hollywood earlier this month.  The restaurant, which is a bricks and mortar outpost of his Thursday night taco truck at the Yamashiro Farmer's Market, serves gourmet tacos with an Asian twist.

Unlike many of the Kogi-imitators, the tacos are no simple kalbi in a tortilla but rather are creative Asian fusion with quality ingredients.  I sampled the Black Cod, the Spiced Hoisin Duck Confit and the Soy and Red Wine Braised Short Rib (below).  The Miso Hoisin Black Cod was my favorite taco as the fish had a rich and sweet flavor.  The salsas are also recommended and can be coordinated to which taco you order.  These are no ordinary tacos and they are full of flavor.

The vibe is comfortable and surprisingly casual for the Hollywood & Highland complex.  The Komida space includes an outdoor patio which is where I recommend sitting.  The entrance to the restaurant is decorated with a homemade mural listing out the menu items and the whole environment is playful.

The tacos are expensive compared to taquerias ($4- $6) but Chef Kleweno is using a higher level of product and Komida provides ambiance which most taco trucks and taquerias do not.  Best to think of it as an inexpensive restaurant than joint like Tacos Mexico and you can appreciate what they are doing.

Komida is open Thursday evenings from 5 - 9 pm and Saturday mornings from 10 - 2 pm.  So get some tacos while you shop at the Hollywood Farmers' Market tomorrow morning.

Komida: 1738 N. Orange Drive, Hollywood.  Twitter: @komida_la  Facebook: Komida.LA

Komida, tacos from Yamashiro's Chef Brock, Opens Tonight

If you have been to the weekly Farmers' Market at Yamashiro, then you have likely seen the lines for the creative tacos created and prepared by Yamashiro Executive Chef Brock Kleweno.  Now you no longer have to take the shuttle up to the mountain; the mountain (or at least the tacos) are coming to you.  Beginning tonight, Chef Kleweno's tacos will have a home of their own at Komida, in the Hollywood & Highland complex.

As of now, Komida is only opem Thursday nights (5 pm - 9 pm) and Saturday mornings (10 am - 2 pm) but sources say that days and hours will likely expand next month.  Expect to find tacos with Asian fillings inspired not by the ubiquitous Korean taco joints but by the food at Yamashiro, so Miso Sake Black Cod and Spiced Hoisin Duck Confit are among the delectable choices.  The tacos are $4-6 each and for the first time Kleweno is now offering his salsas for sale, in glass jars.

Beer, wine and sangria will all be available to wash down a plate full of tacos. This could be the perfect pre-Library Bar stop, for cocktail enthusiasts.  Alas, for now Komida is cash-only, with an on-site ATM.

To celebrate the opening of Komida, all customers who purchase a taco before 8:30 pm tonight will be entered into a drawing for Tacos for a Year.  The lucky winner gets three free tacos each week at Komida for a whole year.  Only one entry per customer and the winner will be announced at 8:45.

Komida: 1738 N. Orange Drive, Hollywood.  Twitter: @komida_la  Facebook: Komida.LA