HELLOOO, mah pretties

Speaking of pretties, you might have noticed that the pretty faces have been a-changing, as they’ve been partaking in a game of musicaL chairs.

No longer do you see Jae’s handsome mug for those warm, hungry Naranja nights — and I’m sure aLL the ladies (and gentLemen) are missing YoungHo’s Koreanized version of Rico Suave at the AzuL dinner window.  But not to worry.  I’ll give you a rundown of  the new faces with the new shifts, making it that much easier to staLk and hunt down your fLavorite manager…like a puma.

Or an aLLey cat in heat.

Why?  Because I love y’aLL so damn much.

That, and cuz most of them are so totaLLy singLe that it’s downright criminaL.

But first — some mood music:

ROJA LUNCH

Take a look, a good look at this mug right here.  Cuz it beLongs to Santos PaLma, who was once the appLe of mine eye at the ALibi.  BUT NOW I CAN FIND HIM AT ROJA LUNCH.  Consistent and consistentLy meLLow, he aLways makes sure that you’re taken care of without breaking a sweat.

I don’t know why, but I aLways feeL compeLLed to hug him whenever I see him.  FeeL free to act upon that impuLse, ladies.  He is very, VERY huggabLe.

ROJA DINNER

Meet Duke Lim, the Duke of Roja dinner service.  I’m not too sure if he’s singLe, but he IS singuLarLy interested in getting things right the first time.  It might not happen the first time, but he’s working on it!  Like Santos, he’s aLso an ALibi veteran — and my fLavorite Gemini in aLL of KoGi next to my spacey, Virgo-rising rittLe brother.  He’s a littLe young and a littLe green, so be gentLe these first few weeks as he gets the hang of aLL things Roja.  And, once things settLe down, let him charm and enchant you with his strange and strangeLy unassuming sense of humor.  You’LL get what I mean when you get to know him. 

AZUL LUNCH

Meet the other sLeeping Gemini, Eric Shin.  Yes, he’s had a rough night — which is why you see him snuggLed up and recuperating next to our favorite littLe cousin YoungHo.  He’s known as the veteran photog of our FLickr account as weLL as the manager of the truck that griddLes up the crispiest tortiLLas for your tacos.  A bumbLing perfectionist at heart, he may be known to be so set on having everything run smoothLy that he’LL occasionaLLy forget that you’re stiLL waiting there to put in your order.  OCCASIONALLY.  But if something’s wrong or even a littLe off about your order, you can be sure that he’LL be the one making sure that it’s JUST right when you hoLLer (poLiteLy) at him.  But if you’re not nice to him, he might occasionaLLy forget to be nice to you.  (He IS my littLe brother, after aLL.)

AZUL DINNER

Say hi to Juan.  Juan FLores.  He’s one of those strong, siLent types.  Just take a look at those dark, debonaire eyes.  But don’t look too long.  Cuz he’s TAKEN.  His food, however, does speak for itseLf.  Oh — and be sure to ask for his speciaL chicken tacos — they are soooooooooooooooo damn dericious, you wiLL WEEP when you eat them.  Just ask for chicken with cheese, onions and saLsa verde.  No sLaw.  No saLsa roja.  You wiLL be AMAZED.  I sure was.

VERDE LUNCH

When it comes to Mike Semaza, he’s got a gentLe giant sLeeping inside that big heart of his.  Soft spoken and Kogi’s reguLar lunch run sweetheart, he’s one of our managers who has the hardest time turning away customers at the peak of lunchtime.  Trust me, when he has to cLose up shop and there’s stiLL a line out the door, his heart’s bLeederin aLL over the pLace.  So, if he ever has to teLL you he’s done taking orders, try not to look too disappointed.  Because that disappointment’s gonna hang over him for the rest of the day.  But cross the line with his famiLy and you’LL find yourseLf knocked out quicker than you can remember your own name.  Take a good look at his resume — professionaL boxer is not too far down the list of accompLishments.  It’s right after FamiLy Man.  And Sweetheart.

VERDE DINNER

Meet Moises, but we caLL him Moi.  You think Eric’s the perfectionist?  You’ve yet to meet Moi.  Or his food.  There’s a certain kind of conscientiousness with which he approaches his service.  He’s quick, he’s meticuLous and when it comes to jumping on the griLL, he is one of KoGi’s secret undercover ninjas.  His styLe’s kind of quiet, but beLieve you me, his mind is running a miLLion miLes a minute.  HE SEES AND HEARS EVERYTHING.  ALL THE TIME.  Which are one of the few reasons why we adore him so very much.  So when you see him, teLL him I send him my love and that I think his jeans are SLAMMIN.

NARANJA LUNCH

Ahahaha.  I bet y’aLL were scared, like, “WHERE’S LUIS???!!”  No worries, Luis is stiLL with us.  He’s just moved down on over to the OC.  I think he’s had enough of the crazy night shift and is ready to enjoy aLL that CaLifornia sun whiLe it’s stiLL out.  And if you have yet to meet Luis during your reguLar KoGi run, you are in for a treat.  I mean, there was a reason why he got awarded truck manager of the year in ’09.  Throw any kind of situation his way — crazy crowds, broken engines, thunderstorms or gridLock traffic — and he somehow figures out how to make it work.

NARANJA DINNER

And who can forget (or forgive) my crazy cousin YoungHo?   Don’t be upset or jeaLous when he fLashes them pearLy whites for your friend’s granny or that drunk pretty girL at 2 in the morning.  It doesn’t mean he loves you any less.  HE LOVES AND ADORES ALL OF YOU.  To be honest, there is just onLy so much YoungHo to go around.  And who can bLame him?  He’s young, he’s a sweet taLker and an overaLL smooth operator when it comes to running the dinner shift.  Work hard, pLay harder is how he roLLs these days.  But don’t let that fooL you into thinking he doesn’t take serving you seriousLy.  HE WILL MAKE SURE YOU’RE TAKEN CARE OF.  Even the midst of 20 beautifuL new strangers bLowing up his phone in the middLe of his dinner run. 

HopefuLLy this has heLped y’aLL pick a fLavorite manager to hunt down or dedicate locker space to at the end of the day.

Love and tacos,
Aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice