In case you haven't noticed, Kogi has been making routine weekend stops in O.C. this month.
Two Saturdays ago, it was Fullerton. This past Saturday, it was Orange. This coming Saturday, it will be Costa Mesa, at the Holiday Inn on Bristol near the 405, from 6 p.m.-midnight.
When I rendezvoused with Kogi in Orange this past weekend at around 9:30 p.m., there was no line whatsoever — a lucky break. I walked right up and told them what I wanted. It still took 20 minutes for them to prepare my food, but everyone who was waiting along with me was in good spirits, simply because of the nonexistent queue to place an order.
I heard from others in the crowd that the line was massive earlier in the evening. Some, including myself, considered themselves fortunate to have arrived later. So therein lies the trick for you crowd-averse Kogi virgins: be willing to eat late, and you shall be rewarded with virtually no waiting time.
And oh, the Kogi burrito I had? Even more magnificent-tasting. No lines = increased deliciousness.
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.