A healthy take on the Food Truck craze

If you've been out and about during lunch you've tasted, smelled, or at least seen the food trucks.  They are no longer nondescript silver behemoths that scare away the faint of heart who suffer from a weak stomach.  No, these vessels of culinary delight are distinguishably bright and waiting for you to find them as they maneuver around town; most using Twitter to help you locate your favorite truck.

While wandering around Downtown, I stumbled upon a lunch encampment of trucks ready to serve those that work in walking distance of the 7th and Fig Plaza.  I had a hankering for something healthy and to my surprise was greeted by the sparkling, Greenz on Wheelz truck; with the slogan, "Lettuce Serve You" welcoming me right on up.  The truck offers numerous options including wrap versions of the numerous salads as well as sandwich melts.  As I hoped they offered a steak salad which happened to be the most expensive option at a mere $9. Luckily they accept credit cards as I was out of cash.

It took longer than I anticipated for them to call my name, but it was well worth the wait.  Inside by disposable container was a huge salad of mixed greens, cucumbers and juicy tomatoes, all tossed with a delightful balsamic vinaigrette and rich blue cheese, topped with chopped pieces of steak.  The fresh vegetables, steak, cheese and dressing complimented each other perfectly.  Before I opened the box I was concerned I would have to battle with large pieces of steak but the individual ingredients were so well prepared that they filled the fork to perfection, enabling a little bit of everything on each forkful.

I was utterly surprised by how tasty and fresh a food truck salad could be!

Castle, Korean BBQ

Within the confines of the city of Los Angeles there are numerous ethnic subcultures: Little Ethiopia, Thaitown, Historic Filipinotown, the largest of these loosely defined areas is Koreatown.  These sections of Los Angeles are represented by a large concentration of natives from the various regions of the world.  Along with cultural centers and block parties to celebrate the holidays and heritage, there is a plethora restaurants serving authentic cuisine.

Korean Barbeque is one of the most recognizable of these ethnic cuisines. Hungry patrons are surrounded by an abundant amount of banchan (side dishes) and they grill the meat themselves at a barbeque on the table.  The fare ranges from exotic seafood like conch and squid, to staples such as bulgogi (marinated beef) and kimchi (spicy cabbage).  There are Korean BBQ places peppered throughout town, but the best are found in the heart of Koreatown.  Through numerous excursions to Koreantown, Castle on Western has become a stand out.  Castle is an all you can eat BBQ where the 3 tiered pricing determines the varietal selection.  Usually, the all you can eat joints are poor quality but Castle has fantastic flavor, high quality meats and the price is great!

The banchan is a little light as far as selection is concerned, but what they do serve is done to perfection.  The Kimchi is spicy and crisp while the tofu soup is the right mixture of soybean and broth.  As far as the meat is concerned, Castle is top notch.  The bulgogi rivals the best in town as does the bone in pork chop.  The Galbi falls into the top tier price, and though not that much more expensive, it is not worth the additional money as it is only fair in comparison to other options.  The only problem with Castle is the service.  Though very nice, they are not very attentive.  I've never been to a Korean restaurant and not had the staff response to the table bell, until Castle that is.  That said, if you go in knowing that you will receive a great meal at a great price and are not in any sort of hurry to leave, why not stay?  After all, it is all you can eat!