Recently, I had the lucky privilege to be invited to a private tasting for one of the newest gourmet food trucks to be hitting the town: Asian Soul Kitchen. Of course, in keeping with my recent theme of how social media affects us, and how gourmet food trucks make use of it, this invitation was only made possible through a line of communication established through Twitter.

After receiving the invitation (I’m NEVER one to turn down food), I scooped up my homie Danny (@mexicandude) and we excitedly made our way into LA with a healthy appetite and an excited anticipation for trying this fusion cuisine of asian/soul food. What we got when we arrived was much more than delicious food (and believe me delicious is an understatment), but a glimpse into the makings of a what is sure to be the next fantastic food truck on the So Cal streets.

Hit the jump to read the full review and to see more photos of the delicious grub!

The first thing that jumped out to us was that the owners of Asian Soul Kitchen, Akiko & Richard Wright (pictured above), chose to open their doors of their home to host this very intimate tasting of their food. Not only was this an extremely kind gesture, but it reinforced the home-cooked feeling that is what makes soul food truly Soul Food, and allowed us to get to know both the food and the family on a fantastically genuine level.

While the food was being prepared, we took some time to speak with the Wrights about why they chose to start this Asian Soul Kitchen experience. The Wrights are not newcomers to the food industry game. The family and the food were created in New York, where both Akiko and Richard were following their passion in the culinary world. It was here that these New York natives owned several restaurants where they enjoyed years of success in New York introducing the citizens to the world of Japanese/Southern Soul food. After a stint in Las Vegas, where Richard worked as an executive chef, they moved out to LA where they always kept their desire of bringing their delicious cuisine from the Eastside to the Westside. With the rise of the gourmet food trucks, and their explosion of success the Wrights knew that this was their time to strike while the frying pan was hot; with food this delicious thank God they did.

The best way to describe this blend of Japanese and Southern cuisine is a focus of traditional Japanese entrées, like Yakisoba, Black rice, Tamarind chicken wings with a lollipop glaze and Nikujaga, served with Southern “Soul Food” sides like braised string beans, mac ‘n cheese, collared greens and more. The two flavors so culturally different in flavors and tastes, blend together seemlessly providing bold contrasts that keep the palate guessing and begging for more.

After sipping on some freshly brewed iced barley tea (Danny drank a delicious green tea w/ agave nectar), Akiko and Richard presented the food at which point i think i shed a tear of joy. Each box housed a golden brown chicken wing, lightly glazed with a tamarind lollipop sauce, some string beans, braised in a chicken broth with bacon, onions and tomatoes, traditional yakisoba topped with pickled ginger, and our choice of either white rice, or Thai-style black rice (pictured above) with a bowl of nikujaga on the side.

- We started the meal by trying/inhaling the nikujaga soup. A hearty bowl of thinly sliced meat, noodles, carrots, potatoes and onions, bathed in a subtly sweet broth. The soup was simple, and the taste of the broth was incredible and refreshing. The textures were straight-forward with the large chunks of vegetables, the tender meat, and chewy noodles. The soup was filling, but left you wanting much more. This soup is something that will go perfect on those cold winter evenings.

- Next up was the beautiful little gift box of Japanese/Soul food morsels. The colors of the food where awesome, the bright pink of the ginger, the greens of the green beans, the stark contrast of the black rice, and the golden brown chicken wing all worked perfectly together. I had the yakisoba first, and the taste was spot-on. The ginger really “kicked it up a notch” (don’t tell Akiko I said that ), the noodles were tender and the veggies were fresh.

- Next up was the green beans, and one bite into these screamed southern cooking. The beans held their snap when eaten, and the bold flavors of the bacon and chicken broth were a great compliment to the sweet broth of the soup and the simple flavors of the yakisoba.

- The black rice, a short-grained Thai style rice provided a great visual accent and had a similar taste to brown rice as was a bit firmer than the white. Last, but certainly not least, was the tamarind lollipop chicken wing…..

- This chicken wing was so delicious that I was thinking about it the rest of the night, and even the next morning. The skin was perfectly fried and crispy, not greasy, and the glaze was perfect. A touch of sweet and spice, to compliment the tender meat and delicious skin, made for one of the best chicken wings I’ve ever had….and if you’ve ever been to Pluckers in Texas, you know that’s a big feat. In fact, just typing this paragraph has made me salivate.

Once we finished eating (I had to resist asking for seconds), we made way for the rest of the lucky newcomers who had joined us for this great event. Akiko mentioned additional items that were on the menu (this was a sampling after all), such as Salmon croquettes, Asian sliders, and their take on Asian tacos (lettuce wraps w/ pork or tofu). As we said our goodbyes and thank yous, we knew that Asian Soul Food kitchen is the real deal. A company with a great story, ran by great people, providing an amazing service which is based off a passion. They aren’t trying to be the next Kogi BBQ, they have a clear identity about who they are and what their cuisine is. They just want to bring their love of food and their Asian Soul family to all of So Cal (possible locations would be O.C, the valley, Eastside LA, and other locations) and with food this good, I for one, welcome them with an empty stomach!

They have a soft launch planned for Thanksgiving weekend, with a possible hard launch date of the first week of December, just in time for the holidays. Make sure to follow them on Twitter, become a fan of them on Facebook, or follow their updates on their website. I hope to see you all out there and if you see me, come say hi and I’ll treat you to some food!