AZN Eats

I loved ANZ’s bulgogi. I just tried it when it was by the National Geographic Museum on M and 17^th. It was flavorful, and served with rice and a nice cabbage slaw that was complementary to the bulgogi, rice, and a side of kimchi that I requested. Their rice bowls are $ 9 – 10 (so a price increase from a couple years ago), and the bulgogi is $ 10. I didn’t mind paying it though because it really was excellent. It wasn’t too much food that I felt sick after eating it, but it wasn’t too little that I felt like I really overpaid. (I feel like I overpaid, but not too much). Really recommend it!

Meat: best from any Korean food truck. Go Galbi
Veggies: way out of touch
Rice: Inconsistent, sometimes dry and crumbly, other times perfect.
Price: competitive with other trucks who break $ 10 per meal. Packaging is superior, you get a bulletproof plastic tub
Overall: do something about the vegetables and this truck becomes king of DC’s Korean trucks

So this would be my first DC food truck experience. I chose this only cause the guy in the truck was really nice to me. So I went with their Kalbi Bowl.
The Kablbi was great. Flavorful and not chewy. However the veggies were a little on the bland side and baby carrots were not fully cooked all the way through giving it a rubbery taste. Perhaps I made the wrong choice and should’ve went with the Kalbi sub instead? I’ll have to go for another round.

4.5 Stars

Had the kalbi cheesesteak (one of the specials of the day). The kalbi tasted great, but two things that were a bit lacking: 1) the bread was nothing great and, in my opinion, detracted from the great tasting kalbi and 2) there was no kimchi on it! The «kimchi» they gave me had no napa cabbage, but instead had cucumbers, carrots, and onions. I’ve had kalbi cheesesteak at other trucks in the past and AZN Eats’ was a bit meh compared to them. I’m giving them 3-​stars because I think the kalbi itself tasted great and next time I’ll stick with the kalbi bowl and see how that tastes.

Bulgogi steak and cheese was decent, but not nearly as good as Wassub’s. Standby for me.

The Kalbi is quite tasty. But lord, it’s as if they steam their veggies in a salt lick. I have never tasted something as salty in my life. You think «Oh good, I get some healthy broccoli with my beef» but then you realize that it is practically inedible.

Absolutely love this truck. I’ve never had Kalbi short rib so juicy or tender in my life. And its served in the form of a cheesesteak? It’s god’s gift to man. Seriously.
Oh yeah, my friend had their bulgogi cheesesteak as well. Both agree it was an orgasm in our mouths.

Had to give this place another go, as their take on Cheesesteaks again redefines the «Cheesesteak» genre. This time, I tried their AZN Kalbi bowl. The difference is that I now have steamed veggies and white rice. Again, ask for the additional Kim Chi, it really makes the flavors come out that little something extra! First off, the Kalbi (Beef ribs) is as succulent and that tiniest hint of sweetness that makes this a combination of both desert and meal all at the same go. The additional sprinkle of dried sesame seeds gives a slight bit of crunch and that wonderful hint of a nutty flavor that adds to the over all enjoyment of this disk. The white rice was quite fresh, quite sticky and wonderfully flavorful, … and then there were the steamed vegetables… I am once again eating my words, they must have added some form of vinegar and something else to these steamed veggies ‘cos quite frankly I’ve never liked cauliflower and theirs was quite addictive! I made Kirby sounds devouring that one tortuously ecstasy inducing portion. The broccoli florets, mini carrots and the little bit of onion added quite well to the flavor of the Kalbi.
The only reason I can’t give this five stars is that they could do with a bit more of the steamed veggies, and more Kim Chi.
I highly recommend the above dish, for the same $ 9.00 as one would spend on a redefinition of a Cheesesteak. Poor Phillie, thou hast been surpassed…
Now, I want to try their Bulgogi Cheesesteak and AZN Bulgogi.

Still no great strides from this truck. They have solid flavorful offerings but execution and portion sizes can still be weak.
I must say I have become a big fan of their «cheese-​steaks» (both Kalbi and Bulgogi) which are a great fusion item that can be eaten on the run, though beware of the drippy sauces. My last visit found me arguing withe vendor over lettuce on my sandwich. Upon getting my sandwich I opened the box to add some hot sauce and discovered my missing «greens» the vendor insisted that the lettuce was under the meat. However, after digging around in the sandwich and showing them that there was no lettuce they finally added it…
Portion sizes seem to have gotten smaller. The sandwiches (while very tasty) do not have much meat; however, it is still a satisfying meal. The bulgogi and kalbi «bowls» however, seem to have become quite anemic since my first visits. They are loaded with rice but only scant quantities of meat. I also agree with others and my original review that the steamed mixed veggies are boring, uninspired, and generally do not «fit» with the overall concept.

It wasn’t bad. I was just expecting more. The bulgogi was flavorful and tender, but the overall dish just didn’t make me want to go back.

AZN Eats joins a long line of Korean food trucks in DC and manages to fall short of most of them. For a lunch where you are just craving Korean BBQ, really any of the food trucks will do. But if you have a couple different options in your area, it is worth comparing them.
For AZN Eats:
–The bulgogi/​kalbi itself is good (better than Korengy’s and about on par with Yellow Vendor’s)
–Likewise, the kimchi is as good as the kimchi in other food trucks (except for Kimchi BBQ’s which is better, but smaller in size)
–There is a smaller portion of rice, but I found that to be a good thing as most places pack way too much into the containers
–The side dish, steamed Green Giant vegetables (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower) were weird. I’ll take pickled veggies or a salad over limp carrots any day.

Damn, they put a lot of meat in there. I have to say you get a good value for the $$$ Sadly, I forgot my drink, and inadvertently over-​Tiwttered them. (It was an accident, becasue my iPhone Twitter app said can not post, but it did)
Anycase, it was a pretty good meal, and I really like the bulgogi, I’m not a vegi fan, but thankfully, they don’t over do it so I can’t complain. I’m glad I tried them, and will hit them up again when I See them.

Why do they serve their bulgogi with steamed veggies? Not used to having a bulgogi bowl without the traditional Korean veggie sides. This was just weird.
The portion was decent and they take credit cards and for $ 7, you are getting a pretty decent deal. I think the bulgogi tasted pretty decent, however, it’s a shame I felt like I only had half a dish with the white rice because of the odd addition of steamed veggies that did not taste good. I added some chirachi sauce for good measure, but that just wasn’t going to be enough to make me want to see this truck out again. Another Korean food truck fail, I guess.

For Korean food in the city, it’s pretty decent.
For starters at $ 7 for the spicy pork, bulgogi or teriyaki chicken or $ 8 for the kalbi, they give you a good portion of meat, rice and veggies. You can also ask for kimchi for free. The kimchi is pretty good, with the right amount of crispness and vinegary fermentation, but not at all spicy.
I had the spicy pork and was pleased (though not blown away) by my meal. The pork definitely could’ve been spicier but I understand they have a spicy lowest common denominator they have to cater to. They do have lots of condiments like sriracha (which I love) and sweet chili sauce (random and not Korean at all), but I would’ve loved there to be a squirt bottle of extra gochujang (the red pepper paste that is the base of the spicy pork). I’ll echo what others have said about the boiled frozen veggies — they are bland and weird paired with Korean food but I also think there needs to be some veggies so I don’t mind that they’re there. The rice was not Korean rice… I don’t know what it’s called but it’s the slightly stickier kind you get in Korean restaurants. The rice they served is fine but I was just surprised to be eating obviously Korean food with the usual rice. I understand though, that rice is probably more expensive.
Service is really friendly. They are happy to give out samples if you ask. I asked for a sample of the bulgogi which was flavorful, but a little too sweet for my tastes.
I don’t think it beats the Yellow Vendor but it comes pretty close. I’ll be back.

Oh, the name just hurts me. Painful memories of high school friends with screen names that include «AZN» in them just came flooding back the first time I saw this truck. I finally mustered up the courage to ignore the ugly name and try the food, for food’s sake. I ordered the beef bulgogi and it immediately reminded me of the beef bowl from Yoshinoya, the Japanese fast food restaurant that was exported to NYC about 10 years ago. With that being said, I was a huge fan of Yoshinoya because it was a great alternative to American fast food.
The beef bugolgi from AZN Eats was served with deliciously seasoned beef piled under a bed of soft white rice. The side of steamed veggies tasted fresh. I will definitely keep a lookout for this truck.

Didn’t bring my lunch again so I ventured off to see what fancy roach coaches were setting up shop at L’enfant. I’d never seen this one around and they had Korean food on the menu. I love Korean food so I decided to give em a go.
I had the AZN kalbi (beef short ribs). It came with steamed rice and vegetables. Included was a side of sliced dill pickles. WTF? The flavor of the Kalbi was ok. It was tender, but not mind-​blasting. At one point I bit a huge mouth sized chunk-​o-​fat and suffered some mild gagging. I spit it out in my napkin.
I was also dissappointed in the fact that they gave me steamed vegetables. The kind that you buy in your local safeway’s frozen section that comes in a bag and contains baby carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli. and there was no trace of sauce or flavoring. This is supposed to be Asian fusion? I’m sorry, I really don’t appreciate.
I don’t expect a lot from food trucks. But as far as Korean food goes, if given the choice between this one and another. I’d go to the other.

Short:
If you’re considering going to a food truck, this is a cheaper and yet more filling option than some others; however, it’s not going to blow you away. I’ve tried about ten food trucks, and it’s probably in the top four, all things considered.
Long:
The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. I wasn’t sure what I wanted, and they let me sample the spicy pork bulgogi, which I decided to order. It came with meat and steamed vegetables on a bed of white rice, and a few slices of cucumber on the side. (It was served in a closed plastic container which didn’t leak).
The meat was tender and flavorful. The sauce on the meat was just enough, and was pretty viscous and didn’t really «flow» to the veggies and rice, which were unseasoned and thus bland. However, I am certain they would add some sauce if you asked for it. Additionally, on the ledge with the napkins/​chopsticks, they had sriracha, soy, and spicy chili sauce, so you could flavor things yourself if you so desired. The ratio of meat/​rice/​veggies was probably an equal weight of all three, which can be read as either a generous serving of meat or not enough rice. The whole meal was $ 7, and was extremely filling, so I would say the former.

While I agree with some of Justin’s review, I think I had harsher expectations because I left AZN Eats with a sour taste in my mouth. I also trekked out there on their inaugural day and fought the impending rain storm to try out the newest food truck on the block. Overall, their food was good and I can see myself going back (though part of this is due to the severe deficiency in quality places for a quick bite in the Navy Yard) but they need to make several improvements before I’d go so far as to say I am a fan.
The menu options are spot-​on, if you ask me. They should probably add some sort of subtext below the Kalbi and Bulgogi to let the uninformed know what they are, but otherwise they have a nice selection. I prefer my food trucks to offer fewer options but do a damn good job at preparing them, which seems to be the philosophy AZN Eats subscribes to. They seriously, seriously need to drop the steamed vegetables, though. They were overcooked, tasteless and mushy in consistency. They offered absolutely nothing to the meal and I would even go as far to say that they lessened the entire experience. On that note, where is the kimchi? Subbing out the steamed vegetables for kimchi would go a long way in improving the taste of the overall meal. Especially when you’re, for better or worse, in direct competition with Yellow Vendor who have their ducks in order.
The ordering was a complete disaster. There was no ticket or name system so that orders could be kept straight and people ended up randomly taking whatever was given. It was great for them, but it screwed over everyone else and there ended up being a 10 – 15 minute wait while they frantically prepared more bulgogi (which was, by far, the most popular thing on the list). I’m willing to excuse most of this as opening-​day kinks, though.
Their bulgogi was good with a strong savory flavor, but it could have used a bit more of a punch. If I was comparing it head to head against Yellow Vendor, I’d skip on AZN Eats every time. The Spicy Pork was delicious (and much better than the Kalbi I also tried) and offered a nice amount of spice (though, still, I would have preferred to be able to add more flavor via condiments).
AZN Eats shows a lot of promise, but there are a few hiccups for them to iron out before I’d call them a great food truck experience. For now, their biggest boon in the Navy Yard area is that they don’t have any direct competition for asian food on the same day they choose to roll up.

In order to continue my quest to eat at every food truck in DC, I trekked all the way out to Navy Yard, risking the rain sans-​umbrella, in order to sample AZN Eats on their debut day. I was rewarded with some pretty tasty food that’s a nice new addition to the scene here. This seems to be a very professionally run truck, who thought out most things prior to launching, but still has just a few steps to go in order to reach the pinnacle with trucks like Benethiopia, Pi, and PORC.
For starters, the menu consists of 4 options: Kalbi, Bulgogi, Spicy Pork, and Chicken Teriyaki. There are no descriptions or prices for any of the items, which is fine with me because I’m familiar with them all and don’t really care how much things cost when I decide I want them, but for the line of people in front of and behind me this obviously caused quite a bit of confusion. There are also no vegetarian options, but I could care less about that. Pricing runs $ 7 for all items except the Kalbi, which is $ 8, and everything is served with a large quantity of rice, steamed vegetables, and a side of picked daikon.
I decided to do my usual routine of ordering multiple dishes, and split them between today and tomorrow, eating half of each. I started with the Kalbi, which are marinated short ribs (sometimes also known as galbi) that are then grilled and usually chopped up with scissors. They do it pretty authentic on the truck, and quite a few people were curious why they were cutting the meat that way. The meat is somewhat tender when you get it, perhaps just a bit overcooked, but the flavor is extremely mild. The vegetables are a nice addition here since the meat definitely needs something to help it out.
The Spicy Pork was my other choice, and it definitely delivered a bigger flavor punch than the Kalbi. Although, when I compare it to the spicy chicken I get from the Yellowvendor truck it’s nowhere near as potent, and unlike that truck there’s no option to make it even spicier. The daikon slaw does pare exceptionally well with this though and bouncing back and forth between the two provides a nice contrast. For anyone who may be borderline about what you can handle when it comes to spicy, don’t worry, this is mainly just spicy in flavor and not really in mouthfeel.
As for what really needs to be improved on this truck, aside from the obvious deficiency in menu clarity, let’s begin with the ordering process. All orders are written down on a ticket that’s given to the people preparing the food, however no # or name confirmation is given to the customer. With only 4 menu items, this obviously results in a lot of people standing by the window not sure whose order is actually being called out, as they simply say «bulgogi order» or «spicy pork» etc… I wound up getting my food before 4 or 5 other people who were ahead of me because I was the only one who wanted to take what was handed out… hopefully it was mine. The preparation of the food could use a bit more efficiency as well. The lady in charge of one half of the lunch box uses chopsticks to pull out vegetables almost individually, causing things to slow down significantly. I understand if you want to be authentic in some aspects, but c’mon use a spoon and speed that process up. As for the box itself, it’s really nice and sturdy plastic container similar to what S’abora Street uses, but they don’t give you any napkins, and even though they use chopsticks they give you a fork instead. Finally, zero condiments are offered for you to add to your order, such as Sriracha or soy sauce that are pretty much common at all Asian style food trucks, a major disappointment.
I still want to come back and see how their bulgogi stacks up against the competition at Yellowvendor, and overall I’m pretty pleased with the value and how much food you get, especially since it’s pretty balanced between meat, vegetables and rice.