One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Meet the Frysmith Truck: Fries with Grilled Meats, Kimchi, Vegan Toppings & More...
This Friday night, another long-awaited food truck will hit the streets. Meet Frysmith, a creation of Erik Cho, who loves one of America's favorite foods: delicious, greasy and tasty fries. Yes, fries with meat, with vegan chili, with kimchi, with chicken or with beef. And, oh yeah, there are sweet potato fries, too.
Inspired by his mother, who owned burger joints while he was growing up, Cho had been planning to open one himself. But when Kogi BBQ came around last year, that's when he decided it should be a truck. "This is where I wanted to be," he said with a big smile on face as he stood chopping food. Cho has a big heart and a hearty laugh that you'll surely see on a visit to his truck.
Regular food trucks did not fit the bill for Cho's vision. So he bought a Frito Lay potato chip truck and custom built one the most amazing truck on Los Angeles' streets, complete with two deep friers, a stove, griddle, sidewalk-side windows (so you can watch him cook your food) and the most exciting of all, a bar-b-que. Next week, he plans to make the truck sustainable by converting it to a bio-fueled system. That is to say, he will take used grease from his deep fryers and drive around town on that.
Over the weekend, Cho took the truck out for some unannounced sneak peeks (there is another tonight). The homemade vegan chile fries are excellent (add some Sriracha to spice it up) and LAist's meat eating operatives gave a big thumbs up the meat-based fries. Of particular note is the Rajas ($6), which is fries topped with fire-roasted poblano chiles, caramelized onions, Angus skirt steak and jack cheese. Also the Kimchi fries ($6), topped ith Kurobuta pork belly, onions and cheese. Specials, such as Poutine, will be offered on a rotating basis.
You can follow Frysmith on Twitter at @Frysmith.
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
