PDX Food Truck Frenzy - Day 1

Last summer, we decided to maximize our holidays and went on a 5-day road trip from Vancouver to Portland with a few days in Seattle in between. Having heard the amazing food truck scene in Portland, I was doing tons of research before heading down. We figured out that there were hubs of food trucks and we decided to hit the two largest ones in the two days we were there. 
On the first day, we went to:

• The Dump Truck
• Nong's Khao Man Gai
• Island Grill Hawaiian Barbeque
• Euro Dish

First up, the Dump Truck.

 

Although "The Dump Truck" is not the most appetizing name, it made me think of bodily functions and junk removal, we had heard a lot about this and decided to give it a shot anyways. 
We opted for the Super Sampler, which is a assortment of 8 dumplings for $7. The three kinds we got included their famous Bacon Cheeseburger. That's the darkest on on the right. We also got a more traditional Asian-style dumpling, the Mr. Ma's Special, a pork, green onion with ginger dumpling. These are really juicy and almost XLB-like. The last one was a vegetarian one, Down To Earth, made with portabello, cabbage and some rice noodles. The juiciness is again present here, and the hot sauces they have available give it that extra hint of punch. I would say that the Bacon Cheeseburger was a letdown, probably due to our high expectations. I was surprised that I didn't enjoy the bacon stuffed item, but it was a bit dry and bland.

Off to Nong's Khao Man Gai

 

The trucks in PDX are not as mobile looking as the ones here in Vancouver, in fact, they seem like actual shops or store fronts, albeit very small ones. 
The packaging of this Chicken and Rice (Khao Man Gai) is amazing, and very environmentally friendly.
The chicken is poached, and there is a blend of white and dark meat. The rice is cooked in chicken stock and tons of Thai herbs. The dipping sauce to the left has a soy sauce base, with a blend of ginger, garlic, chilies and some vinegar or lime for a pucker. To enhance the freshness of the whole thing, they garnish with cucumbers and cilantro. For $7, you cannot beat this deal! 



Then, a taste of Maui with Island Grill Hawaiian Barbecue
Ever since we had Spam Musubi in Maui, we have been searching for more. Who would have thunk we would find it in Portland!? The food truck is named Island Grill Hawaiian Barbecue but all we saw were Musubi. 
These Spam Musubis are made fresh to order so be prepared to wait. But oh my goodness, they are the best thing to happen to rice since a fried egg! The rice is slightly warm to the touch, it's soft and moist and very reminiscent of sushi. They top it with a slice of marinated Spam, and the sauce is sweet, similar to a teriyaki sauce, but not too much to avoid "over-wetting" it. 
We were going to get just one to try, but the owner looked like he was closing up, and to make it more worthwhile for him to make them, we ordered a trio of them. The Spam had a nice crust and the crispy seaweed covering made this dish exceptional. What more could you ask for, they're just $2 each! 


Then, a taste Poland with EuroDish
So moving away from the Asian dishes, we decided to visit Euro Dish, also known as the "Traditional Polish Food Cart". This was the only place where we got more than one item. I really wanted to try their cabbage roll, but the schnitzel looked amazing on the menu.
This Golabki - Cabbage Roll is gigantic! Inside this baby are pork and beef, tons of rice as well as spices such as thyme and marjoram. Once rolled up, these are slow cooked in a tomato sauce until fork tender. This looks like it should be really juicy, but unfortunately, the cabbage roll was actually quite dry. The flavours were good, but the texture was a bit lacking. 

The second item we got from Euro Dish was the Schnitzel Sandwich. The pork cutlet was fried to order and the topping of slow cooked onions and peppers were amazing. Don't get me wrong, this is a messy sandwich and the ciabatta bun did it's best to hold all the filling, but be prepared to have juices running down your arm. The best part of the sandwich was the crunchy pork cutlet, which retained its crispiness despite the plethora of toppings. 

xxx xxx

Munching at Mogu

It's been a while since I had a food truck lunch, so on a fairly bright day last month, we ventured over to Mogu just a few blocks away. There wasn't a lineup, which was a bit surprising for me. But I think the food truck frenzy is slowing down a touch.  For $11, you can get a Sandwich Combo, with a Mini Chicken Karaage and your choice of three types of sandwiches, pork, chicken or kobacha (squash) and a drink as well.

   

This is the Sweet & Spicy Chicken Karaage. There are three pieces in the cup and it's definitely freshly fried. I think the combo only comes with two pieces now. It was super moist and juicy on the inside with a very satisfying crunch on the exterior. My only complaint would be that utensil that accompanies the chicken. It's just a small skewer, and doesn't really stab securely onto the chicken. I would hate to drop this on the ground, but then again, that's a minor complaint. 

 

With the karaage devoured, we started on the Pork Miso Katsu sandwich. The pork cutlet is breaded and deep fried. The sauce is miso based, and slighlty on the sweet side. The The coleslaw had a nice  punch, with hints of wasabi in the dressing. The cutlet was large, juicy and satisfying, I also liked that fact the grilled the bun too. Next  time you're looking for a burger, skip the fast food chains and give Mogu a try. 

Social Media Week Cross-City Challenge

***Press Release dated Sept. 14, 2012***

Social Media Week and Invoke Introduce Social Media Week Cross-City Challenge

Social Media Week Cross-City Challenge showcase unification of the food truck and technology communities  

Vancouver, BC (14/09/2012) – The street food revolution has given rise to North America’s tastiest fleet of mobile eateries and social media has been one, if not the main driver in helping revolutionize the food truck industry. To further unite the food truck and technology communities while showcasing how both have embraced social media to further the street food movement, Invoke Media has teamed up with Social Media Week Los Angeles to host the Social Media Week Cross-City Challenge. The challenge will be held during Social Media Week Los Angeles, September 22-27, 2012.
“The food truck community is not unlike the tech-forward, social media community and in fact often straddle the two worlds seamlessly. Amateur foodies look to their devices and social networks to share their foodie experiences, swap tips on how best to enjoy their meals, and share photos of their most recent delicious adventure,” said Dario Meli, Invoke Co-CEO and  Board of Advisors for Social Media Week Los Angeles. “Food truck vendors have taken to Twitter and Facebook by storm to spread the word out about their unique cuisines and their ever- changing locations. These social-savvy groups of hyperconnected influencers epitomize Social Media Week’s core mandates: content, collaboration and conversation.”

Invoke Media is a digital innovation company that created the Eat St. application with Paperny Entertainment to complement the popular Food Network television series. Through its work with Eat St. the company has leveraged mobile and social technology to help food trucks engage with local consumers and build out their business. Through the  Social Media Week Food Truck Cross-City Challenge these technologies will be harnessed in four specific cities - London, Chicago, Los Angeles, Vancouver - to showcase just how the street food movement is being driven by social savvy consumers and vendors alike. Social Media Week Los Angeles is part of Social Media Week (September 24-28), a worldwide event that takes place in 14 cities and explores the social, cultural and economic impacts of social media.

How The Challenge Works
The Social Media Week Cross-City Challenge is built around sharing your favourite street food finds and feasts through tweets. Social media savvy food lovers in London, Chicago, Los Angeles or Vancouver can enter to win while rising to the cream of the social media crop. Participants who post text based tweets will receive 10 points. Twenty extra points will be allocated to tweets that include a photo (uploaded via any means including Twitpic, Lockerz, Instagram etc.) and 25 additional points will be allocated to tweets generated directly from within the Eat St. App. The Most Valuable Player (and prize winner) will be the person who shares the most street food tweets in their city!

Rules of the game
1. Tweets must be shared to @eatsttweet
2. Tweets must include your city's designated challenge hashtag:

• Vancouver - #eatSMWVAN
• Los Angeles - #eatSMWLA
• Chicago - #eatSMWChicago
• London - #eatSMWldn

3. Tweets must include the food truck's name or Twitter handle

Prizes
Most Valuable Players in the Winning City will receive:
Grand prize (1st place): Eat St. Prize Pack + $300 Whole Foods (US/CAN) or Marks & Spencer (UK) Gift card
2nd place: Eat St. Prize Pack + $200 gift card
3rd place: Eat St. Prize pack + $100 gift card

Remaining City’s MVPs
1st place: Eat St. Prize Pack + $200 gift card
2nd place: Eat St. Prize Pack + $100 gift card
3rd place: Eat St. Prize Pack + $50 gift card

Additional prize categories:
Best photo of a food truck (to be judged by individual SMW teams)
Winning city’s best photo winner: $100 gift card
Remaining cities’ winners: $50 gift card

Best photo of a street food dish (to be judged by individual SMW teams)
Winning city’s best photo winner: $100 gift card
Remaining cities’ winners: $50 gift card

About Invoke Media Invoke is an award winning digital innovation company that works with the world’s leading brands to bring meaningful web and mobile social applications and digital experiences to life. Invoke was founded by David Tedman, Dario Meli and Ryan Holmes. Together the three developed the leading social media dashboard HootSuite and built the first two million users in HootSuite’s first 24 months. Invoke’s deep industry expertise and successful track record of leading multichannel digital strategies for global brands such as NBC, The Walt Disney Company, Dove, EA, GAP, Wells Fargo, ViaCom, Jim Beam and the family of Piaggio scooter and motorcycle brands. Invoke is based in Canada, with offices in New York. For more information, visit http://www.invokemedia.com/

Food Truck - Nu Greek Street

Taking a stroll down on Granville and smell something yummy? It's probably the aroma of the grilled lamb or chicken (or vegetables) from this food truck. I tried their Lamb Souvlaki Pita and after a short wait, the hot little bundle was in my hands.

Two of my pet peeves about Food Trucks is the messiness of the whole thing, and the other is  that trucks parked nowhere near a decent seating area. Well, these problems do not exist here. These little hot pockets are packaged tightly, so no risk of dripping sauces onto your nice work clothes. What struck me first about the pica was the hotness of it. We trekked to Nu on a cool day, so it was nice to hold this to warm up, akin to holding a mug of hot chocolate on a wintry day. 

The pita is filled with grilled lamb, a healthy squirt of satziki and some roughly chopped tomatoes and onions. The lamb chunks were tender, well marinated and quite flavourful,  though I do wish there was more of it! The pita is more naan-like in texture, super doughy, soft and fluffy. The wrapping keeps the pita together while you eat your way to the bottom, so no mess, no fuss. 
They have a few other options in addition to their pitas, you can get just the skewers or just the pita, and then add a side of satziki or hummus. Oh, and yes, they do have a Greek salad too, must try that next time! 

Food Truck - Cartel Taco

Over the summer, I went on a bit of a Food Truck Tour and tried quite a few trucks. One day, I was meeting a twitter friend, and we decided to take on another food truck This time, we chose Cartel Taco.  Why? Because my friend is on a gluten-free diet, and that is what their hand-made corn tortillas are, gluten-free! Located outside of Culinaria, the smell of barbecue coming from this truck makes them easy to find.
They only have two things on the menu, beef or pork tacos. With a deal of 4 tacos for $10, the decision was pretty easy. One of each for each of us! 

The beef was served with their green salsa and the pork was served with the red version. I know the red looks like it would be spicier, but it's not...the green one packed more of a punch. 
The kimchi was applied a bit erratically, but it didn't matter, the taste was fairly mild, and not as crunchy as I normally like kimchi to be. 
I like how they double up on the tortillas, and for $5, it will fill you up. Meat to Tortilla Ratio was fair so I'll probably come back. However, I wish there were more areas to sit and eat this. It's kind of hard to eat these daintily while standing up, or god forbid, while walking. 

Food Truck - Bada Bing Bomb

In our search for a Food Cart lunch one Saturday afternoon, we found ourselves at Robson and Bute, where the Bada Bing Truck was just opening up for the day. They are supposedly known for their Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches, as well as poutine, I think. 

According to the menu, the sandwiches are made to order and can come with Beef or Chicken. We weren't overly hungry, and were looking forward to a big dinner later, so we decided to share one sandwich. These are pretty much made to order, so once you place the order, you've got quite a wait ahead of you, and we were like second in line. Once we got the sandwich, we asked them to cut it in half...the filling, along with your choice of protein, is supposed to be a mix of melted Monterrey Jack cheese, mushrooms, with grilled onion and peppers.  

Well, I had to admit all those things were probably present in the bun, but I think they forgot to season it. The sandwich was bland, the bun to filling ratio was way off, and it wasn't even messy to eat! If they are going to cook the meat to order, they should take the time to toast the bun too. And I think they should marinate their meat and fixings a bit more, instead of giving you an assortment of hot sauces so you can "do-it-yourself". I can think of many other trucks I would spend my $7 at instead of this one. 

Food Truck - Feastro

On a week of food truck hunting, we found ourselves at Feastro, the Rolling Bistro is parked at Thurlow and Cordova, near the Olympic Cauldron. YOu can't miss the Purple Truck! 

As this was during spot prawn season, i tried their Spot Prawn Taco. It's pilled high with organic greens, and mess of spot prawns as well as some tortilla strips. The version above has a fresh mango salsa, however, it wasn't the one I wanted. 

This was the one that I wanted...still with Spot Prawns, but with their handcut salsa. Is it just me or is the second portion suffering from a lack of prawns? It was still good, but comparing the two now, it's evident the second one was a little malnourished.

We also tried their Fish & Chips with red snapper. I really like the fries and homemade tartar sauce, key to any good Fish and Cips. The batter was light, and fried so that it wasn't soaked with oil. There is a little bit of coleslaw hidden behind one of the pieces of fish, so it was a nice well rounded meal.
Mind you,, this stuff isnt' cheap...I don't remember how much my taco was, but I would guess about $8. The fish and chips were $12, so a bit more expensive than Fresh Local Wild just a few blocks away. Try both and decide for yourself which is better. 

Food Truck - Coma Food Truck

Back in August, Eat Street was in Vancouver to tape some footage for their Food Truck show, and one of the places they were showcasing was Coma Food Truck. I hightailed it downtown and grabbed a few co-workers with me. All food photos are of half eaten food, because we were more concerned with eating than taking pictures of the food. 

The first item we dug into was the BiBimBap, hot rice mixed with julienned zucchini, carrots, daikon and slices of cucumber. There are also piles of Korean bbq beef, a bit of spicy kochujang, topped with a sunny side up egg, and then topped with a drizzle of sesame oil. This was delicious, filling and comforting. There was quite a bit of meat and the yolk was nice and runny...once you break the yolk, it makes a nice sauce for the rice bowl. Oh, and the sprinkle of sesame seeds is a nice touch too.

The second item we tried was their Korean BBQ Burrito. It was loaded with cheese, onions, corn, tofu, Korean beef, all wrapped up in a tortilla. This was massive, and definitely a two-hander. It was piping hot, and a great blend of sweet and spicy. Every bite offered something different, definitely a winner.

We also tried their Stuffed Seaweed Roll, basically a spring roll filled with vegetables and potato noodles and then rolled in a sheet of seaweed. The roll is then battered and deep fried. It is a little oily but the insides are healthy, I mean, it's veggies, right??

We were interested in trying EVERYTHING on the menu, so the last item on the menu was their Kimchi Quesadilla. It's filled with veggies, kimchi and cheese...lots of cheese. The kimchi was more on the mild side, but the quesadilla was nicely fried on both sides, and the cheese was melted into ooey gooey goodness.
Of all the dishes we tried, my favourite were the burrito and the bibimbap. Enjoy either of these and you'll be more than full enough for an afternoon back at the office...

Food Truck - Sausage a Trois

In an attempt to visit all the food carts near my work this summer, one of the places I tried was Sausage a Trois, owned by the same person who owns Fresh Local Wild, Chef Wolfe.

The special thing about these sausages is how they are cooked three ways...thus the name. They are steamed and smoked beforehand, and then grilled at the time you order them.
The beef they use is certified organic, as the other meats they offer, pork and lamb are all ethically raised as well. I love the little char they get onto the bun. Topped with mustard, ketchup or sriracha, these are really good. You can really taste the flavour imparted by the smoker...and for $5, it's an awesome deal!  

Food Truck - Fresh Local Wild

Last month, during a week of Food Trucking, I managed to try Fresh Local Wild's new location and truck! I first walked by the truck and recognized it a few months ago, but it's got some add-ons now! Something about it being carbon neutral because it runs on used frying oil? And Chef Wolfe added a little patio on the side, so you can dine somewhere instead of the stairs of the building nearby...but yeah, um...but how does the food taste? 

We tried two items, with a side of fries...the first one you see above is the Chicken Club, the guy from Sausage a Trois recommended it to me, and hey, from one food truck to another, it's high praise indeed. (Yes, same owner, but I liked the fact he didn't just say "everything is good there". Lightly toasted and stuffed full of marinated chicken, hand cut bacon and fresh lettuce and tomatoes, this was an excellent sandwich. Getting it whole and uncut is the best way to do it, it gives you more leverage to hold everything in, and believe me, the way they pile the toppings on for this sucker, you need it! I was really hungry  that afternoon, and managed  to eat half of the sammy before passing it over to try the Tuna Melt...

I am a sucker for Tuna Melt. It's one of the few indulgences I allow myself for breakfast on weekends. However, my version with canned tuna and a slice of cheddar pales in comparison. There is just so much albacore on here, it's insane. Chunks of tuna and loads of smoked cheddar. I honestly could not say which one I liked more. I know we finished both sandwiches but we did sacrifice some of the bread in favour of the fries.

Boy, I look like I ate both, don't it...I swear, I didn't, I had help. :) And I just had to post this shot...we got a seat on the cherished patio! Thanks @ChefWolfe! You can also follow them @FreshLocalWild. The next time I go (and soon since it's 5 mins away from my office) I am going to try their Fish and Chips, and the Poutine if they have it. Can you share your favourite Fish & Chips (salmon, coho, halibut or cod) and if you've had poutine there, what's a great one to try?

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.