Dragon Trucking

After scoring a few Groupons to Roaming Dragon Food Truck a few months ago, it was time to test them out. One location is just outside my work, along Georgia, between Burrard and Thurlow. So I've been walking by this place everyday, but never actually tried it. I've had it before at PNE, but never outside of the fair. 

The first thing we had was a pair of the Korean Tacos. Made with a corn and nori tortilla, it was something I was not accustomed to, but for those of you bored of the plain old flour tortillas, these are a nice touch. The beef short rib was really tender, well marinated and reminded me of Korean BBQ. The taco was filled out with a slew of toppings, much like the side dishes that you would get at K-BBQ, such as marinated bean sprouts, spinach and matchstick carrots. All this is topped with some kimchi dressing, so tasty!  

The next thing we had were the Pulled Pork Belly sliders, which I first tried and fell in love with at the PNE. These did not disappoint, I was worried that my memory would have made these impossibly good, but thankfully, they were just as I remembered. Tender pulled pork with some cucumbers and green onions, with a slather of hoisin sauce, sitting atop tender white steamed Chinese bun. The only complaint is that they might be a little dry, ask nicely and I am sure they will give you an extra slather of hoisin.

Another of their popular dishes is the Chicken Karaage. Since I prefer dark meat, I was delighted that the cut they chose is the thigh...marinated in soy and sake, boneless tender morsels, breaded and deepfried. There was a sweet/tangy flavour that I couldn't quite place, I thought it was orange juice/rind in the sauce, but after reviewing the menu again, it turns out it's due to passionfruit juice and palm sugar. What an unexpcected flavour combo. Another bonus for this dish is the rice that the chicken pieces sits on top of, definitely serves to fill you up, but not overly so. And I love the attention detail, serving it with a mix of white and black sesame seeds. What a pretty dish!

We also got to try the "not really a Banh Mi". It was again filled with pork, but I think they offer tofu for their vegetarian option. The bread was really good, not too crusty as to crumble all over. There were a lot of pickled veggies inside, as well as some truly tender pork. There are some slices of raw onions, which we took out, purely a personal thing. I really liked the spicy mayo they used, giving the sandwich something of a kick but nowhere near hot.  

As part our the Groupon, we also got their basil lychee iced tea. I know it sounds a little weird, but it totally works...a good blend of sweet from the lychee and fresh herb taste from the basil. Really refreshing, it would be awesome on a hot summer day.
It's definitely a must-try for lunch, if you go with a friend, you can get four tapas for $20 (they are $6 for one, $10 for two), which gives you a nice variety. Be prepared to wait a few minutes though, as everything is made fresh to order.