What to Look for at LA Street Food Fest (Preview and Highlights)

Now that the menu for LA Street Food Fest is up, you can start planning your visit! There are plenty to look forward to, and I found even more at a recent media preview event held at Iota Coffee in Koreatown (opening soon).

These are what I have my eye on: sea urchin tostada from La Guerrerense in Ensenada (one of my favorite stops in Baja), shoyu tonkotsu ramen from Ramen Jinya, whatever Javier Plascencia and Benito Molina (two of the finest Baja chefs) are serving, cocktails from Julian Cox, and more new things from the preview:

Okonimiyaki from Glowfish Truck filled with bacon and cheese.

The last time I had okonomiyaki was at Gaja in Lomita, so I'm glad to find out there will soon be an option (hopefully) closer! The Glowfish Truck, specializing in "Japanese Festival cuisine" is making their debut at the Food Fest.

Buttermilk Popcorn Chicken from The Mighty Boba truck. Very crispy and full of flavor!

There will also be Fried Squid Balls at the fest, which I heard were equally great (of course, they'll have boba).

The owner of Iota Coffee (which roasts their own coffee), Moo Dae Po, and Moo Dae Po II will be hosting a K-town section with korean sweets, hand drip coffee, and Korean green tea.

The interior of Iota. Spacious and sleek.

At the preview we were privileged to see a traditional Korean tea ceremony in action, performed by the president's daughter of the Hankook Tea Company. Since green tea's flavor is fragile, the tea must be brewed in small batches.

I tried the first flush of the Jaksul green tea. It was lightly grassy and delightful, the taste is closest to the Long Ching/Dragon Well tea from China.

The Ice Cream Social will feature many delicious goodies, including ice cream sandwiches born from a partnership between Batch from Scratch and Scoops Westside.

Mayan Chocolate Inferno Cookie and Salted Caramel ice cream

It's Carmageddon and all, but the team at LA Street Food Fest has made it easy for you. They're running a free shuttle every 30 minutes from the Memorial Park Metro station in Old Town Pasadena, so leave your cars and metro down there this weekend. If you're thinking about a staycation, they've also gotten you some nice hotel deals in Pasadena.