Kogi, often dubbed the pioneer of the gourmet food-truck movement, was started in 2008 after a late-night glass of champagne. Mark Manguera was eating a taco with his fizz, when he had the lightbulb idea that Korean barbecue and tacos were a match made in heaven. Some weeks later Kogi BBQ Taco Truck hit the streets serving dishes such as Korean short-rib tacos and Korean hot dogs with kimchi. Roy Choi was in the kitchen, Mark Manguera out front, and Caroline Manguera, Mark’s wife, out back totting up numbers.

These incredible restaurants started out as food trucks