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Komodo, Eric and Erwin Tjahyadi’s modern Asian food truck gone brick and mortar restaurant closed for good yesterday. A call to the restaurant received the following voicemail, “As of November 13, 2018, all locations of Komodo have permanently closed.”
The shutter is a bit of a mystery, even as Komodo’s Facebook page shared posts as recently as November 12, with a number of positive Yelp reviews shown on November 13. Eater reached out to Tjahyadi, but has not heard back.
Tjahyadi popularized the “pho-rrito” back in 2014, an amalgamation of Vietnamese pho and a Mexican burrito. But he also built a menu showcasing bowls and burritos with fillings like bánh mì-flavored chicken, pork bulgogi pastor, as well as Korean nachos, tacos, and steak with jalapeño aioli and corn.
On the other side of town, the Tjahyadis also opened Bone Kettle, a Southeast Asian kitchen and bar in Old Town Pasadena in early 2017. Both Komodo locations in Venice and Pico-Robertson opened only six months apart from one another in 2013.
UPDATE, 11/15/18: Eric Tjahyadi provided the following statement to Eater:
Erwin and I haven’t been a part of the Komodo business in the last three years ever since our involvement with Bone Kettle, but have remained a supporting voice to our operating partners. In the last few years, the business demands have evolved and we realized that we have to continue to evolve/innovate for us to have a sustainable business, otherwise a reset/drastic pivot is in order.
On that note, my business partners Mike Cho and Thomas Choi decided that it was time for a reset and they wanted to go back to their homes in Maryland/start families so it was a mutual decision that we all close out and reset. It was a bittersweet decision as it is our first business together and one that really changed our lives.
For that, we are grateful for the support our customers in the past few years of business. We had nothing but great memories, teachable moments and meaningful highlights. We look forward to future projects and concepts.
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