The Joy of Discovering a Food Startup

If you were in Vegas last week, you were very aware of the festival happening at Silverton Casino.  It is afterall, right off the 15 on the way to the strip.  The festival was Las Vegas Foodie Fest, calling upon all foodies to taste the offerings of food trucks originating from Vegas, California and everywhere in between.  I came to try trucks from everywhere except here but got hooked on a local start-up shop.

From across the way, the big yellow sign really caught our eyes.  "Kaba Curry," tugged at our curiosity and we made our way in that direction.  So here we were, finally figuring out they serve the beloved Japanese style curry.  The curry itself comes with the standard bits of beef and veggies(carrots/onions/potatoes?) for $5.50 which can be dressed up with corn, cheese, rakkyo(pickled scallions,) spinach or the traditional pickled ginger, each for less than a dollar.  For protien you have the option of chicken katsu or marinated beef, being a huge fan of katsu curry that's what we went with, even opting for an extra serving of katsu for a buck.






This is what our order came out to look like, a nicely sized bowl with a scoop of rice immersed in curry with katsu pieces floating up top.  For less than $7(because we added extra katsu,) this was a perfect serving.  Before taking my first bite, I had one question to ask..."Is this made from scratch?"  Seems silly but you'd be surprised with the lack of commitment to fresh ingredients these days, luckily this was not a problem for Kaba Curry, the answer was a definitive yes!








The biggest test for me was the curry itself obviously.  The curry sauce did not disappoint, with excellent balance of consistency.  I get turned off when the sauce is too thin, a sign of diluted flavor, or too thick where it's simply overpowering.  With Kaba, you get a great curry flavor from their scratch-made sauce, where garam masala really comes through but not soo much that you're afraid to speak to people after eating because of the smell.  The tender bits of beef and veggies are a nice compliment to the sauce and the little chicken katsu nuggets were tender, playing their role as the meat compliment to the dish.  Overall a definite Success.

After investigating a little more, we talked to Keiko who I am convinced is one of the owners, to find out more about Kaba Curry.  Keiko said that they started out as a clothing design company, taking their Hippoe mascot and talents to the stove.  After much trial and error they found a curry they can call their own and Foodie Fest sprouted their first vending location.  I feel like nothing is more pure than a start-up food spot.  A commitment to fresh ingredients and flavor, not soo jaded over the money side of the food business.  Ever since the fest, I've seen little spots on the internet proclaiming their love for Kaba Curry, and they have every reason too.  I hope they get their truck soon and we will all be able to find them on the streets of Las Vegas to fulfill our curry needs.  Who knows, maybe I'll be nursing that craving with a curry topped with cheese soon!

Kaba Curry
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KoMex, my first fusion taco

hmmmm.....

I always thought that my first Korean taco would come from a beloved food truck, but I'm just as happy that it came from a little hole in the wall in North Vegas called KoMex Fusion Express.  The only thing that kind of had me going back and forth on the place was the questionable logo character but I'm thinking that's something other blogs can address.  Anyways, it was a pleasant surprise to see that not only does this establishment specialize in Korean-Mexican fusion, but they tackle and integrate some Chinese or American food into the mix.




Ever since I started eating Korean BBQ, I've had a soft spot for the spicy pork and if you know me, you'll know that my favorites will somehow include that incredible white meat.  Naturally, I order the Daeji Bulgogi (Spicy Pork) Fusion tacos.  They come with green and purple cabbage, onions, cilantro and optional kimchi.  You can get the kimchi fried but I'm kind of a purist when it comes to fermented cabbage and I love it au naturale.  The pork is marinated well and comes out fairly tender.  You get great contrast and bite from the veggies, especially the sour of the kimchi.  This being my first fusion taco, it's definitely not like anything I've ever tried, they were small but filling.  A nice surprise especially for just $1.29.

It's a great idea to get something to share like fried rice, especially for a group of 4 like us.  We went with the Bulgogi(Marinated Beef BBQ,) fried rice which was surprisingly large for just $6.99, more than enough to share.  As far as the fried rice is concerned, it's pretty standard preparation if not a bit greasy.  What made this great was the Bulgogi, a bbq that lends a sweetness in the meat you don't find in plain fried rice dishes.





We had a great experience here, even the gringos.  In total I think we only spent around $20 which is VERY college budget friendly.  The menu is huge with a lot of interesting offerings that need to be tried, so I'll have to just wait until next time to...Nurse my craving ;)

The perfect blend of Latin and Asian!

KoMex Express
633 N Decatur Blvd Suite H
Las Vegas, NV 89107
(702)646-1612