Reviewed by Caitlin Ginn, a writer.

In the midst of several dining options in Parklab Gardens, San Francisco, lies a gem: KoJa Kitchen, an Asian fusion food truck. Surrounded by tables, turf, tents, and couches sprawled out across roughly a block of San Francisco, the whole environment is very casual and slightly hippie: those ambling by include foodies, wedding party attendees, and random teenagers enjoying a day off from school. The menu, conveniently listed on the side of the truck with pictures and descriptions of all items, features an eclectic mix of fusion dishes, ranging from french fries with kimchi to burgers with fried rice buns to tacos with Korean barbecue. 

I ordered the teriyaki zen koja and the beef taco. The koja was an Asian fusion take on a burger, with fried rice buns, a soy and portobello patty, sweet teriyaki sauce, and grilled pineapple topped with sesame vinaigrette lettuce and toasted sesame seeds. The flavors were well-balanced: the sweet teriyaki sauce, which could have been overpowering, was countered by the umami of the patty, the acid of the pineapple, and the freshness of the lettuce. There was also a nice combination of textures—the softer patty worked well with the crunchy fried rice and crisp vegetables. 

The beef taco was another feat in fusion cooking. It contained Korean barbecued beef, sauteed onions, hot sauce, Japanese mayo, fried onion, nori flakes, and the same sesame vinaigrette lettuce as the Koja. This dish was also delicious, but the star of the show was by far the koja. 

Cost- and convenience-wise, the truck isn’t half bad, either. In keeping with the casual tech-hippie environment of San Francisco, customers place their orders on tablets and pay via Venmo, PayPal, Apple Pay, credit card, or cash. The entire operating system is very easy to navigate, and those in the truck text you once your order is ready (in addition to calling your name out loudly and somewhat incoherently in the old-fashioned food-truck style). It’s evident that the people working at the truck are friendly, even if you don’t interact with them much; they are happy to answer any questions or crack a few jokes about the interesting weather (including the fog, which is apparently named Karl). 

Overall, the truck is worth a second visit, especially because of its proximity to a mini-golf course. Make a day of it—tackle the greens, take a seat in the sun, and enjoy the adorable photo booths placed all around. 

Other locations in Alameda, Berkeley, Cupertino, Dublin, Emeryville, Fremont, Santa Clara Westfield Valley Fair, Sacramento Downtown, San Francisco Westfield, San Mateo, and Spark Social SF.