Monday, April 5, 2010

Chasing Cars – Mobile Food Frustration

I really hate chasing all these food trucks because the fail rate is pretty high. I've been trying to chase Coolhaus for over a year now and I finally caught them twice in one week... not because I was so satisfied the first time, but because I wanted a better taste in my mouth.

Truck events are just no bueno. I attempted the LA Food Truck Festival in Downtown mid-February and that was just a hot mess (the sun was scorching that day!). I tried again at the mini-truck festival at the Americana this past Tuesday thinking that it was a school day and it is so 'effin far that less people. To my dismay, everyone + their moms were there, literally. The only reason I went was to try the Grilled Cheese Truck because I heard it was amazing. Unfortunately it also had the longest line and I unhappily stood there close to 3 hours before finding out that they ran out of macaroni and cheese. Ok… the Coolhaus line wasn't terrible in comparison but many of their flavors were out after my 45 min wait. I was left with the sorbet (pineapple, coconut, pear, lemon, blood orange) flavors and no brioche - all things that made them interesting were gone. I couldn't not get anything after such a long wait so I sucked it up and had the pear sorbet on chocolate cookie. My world was not rocked by any means, nor was I satisfied after my yearlong anticipation. If you've read any of my previous posts, you know that I am pretty particular about a "good" cookie and I don't feel Coolhaus delivered.

Fast forward to 1st Friday on Abbot Kinney and I had a MUCH BETTER food truck experience. The Grilled Cheese Truck line was still the longest of them all but I was happy to finally succeed in trying the monster Mac-N-Cheese, BBQ Pulled Pork, and Caramelized Onion in a Grilled Cheese sandwich. It made me so happy. One bite reminded me of a BBQ plate lunch from a backyard summer BBQ with The Dove Shack's "Summertime In the LBC" playing in the background. This truck is so worth all those fail attempts at trucking. I wished I had gotten my 5 sandwich per person limit…

Coolhaus at 1st Friday – The lines were still long but I was more than happy that most of the flavors, minus pistachio truffle, was still available. I finally got to try the brioche bun, which I paired with the brown butter and candied bacon ice cream. Yummy… The Brioche was ingenious - pairing such delicate, eggy bread with ice cream. It was nice and soft, and the portion was suitable to the focus of the sandwich - the ice cream. I thoroughly enjoyed the Brown Butter & Candied Bacon Ice Cream - I ate it so fast I didn't even have any thoughts for it. You'd think it'd be odd because bacon is so salty but it was subdued from the caramelized coating. The ice cream was such a dynamic combination of sensations. Crunchy. Savory. Sweet. Creamy. Cool. Softness from the brioche.

I had a bite of my friend's dirty mint chip and that was a pleasant surprise. I expected your run of the mill mint flavor, but it tasted like actual mint leaves. Very refreshing and very surprising - I would have polished one of these off myself too if there had been a shorter line!

The obvious bad thing about these trucks is that they're limited in their resources and staffing, and their schedules are rather inconsistent. I like the idea that there are festivals
where they are all in one spot, but I guess everyone else feels the same way. It is much better to catch them on an off-night when they're just rolling to your local hot spot for late night snacking. One thing I hate most is when everybody waiting for their food or in line to order complains the heck out of their experience because of the slow service and long lines. It's a food truck people! Save your bad energy for home or get Chinese takeout if you wanted a convenient, smooth experience.

With the abundance of trucks these days, it's hard to keep track of them all. One tip is to use an aggregator site like www.findlafoodtrucks.com. This will list all trucks in the LA
area and where they are along with any specials of the day.

I have not had the chance to try them all but these are/were the ones I am/was most excited about and recommend trying:

Kogi BBQ – The originator of the LA Food trucks. Korean tacos and burritos. My faves are the spicy pork and chicken tacos. I would avoid the kimchi quesadilla and sliders, which I found underwhelming.

Komodo Truck – Uhh only the sexiest truck around! They've been on KTLA morning news and Tasting Table. They use only the finest ingredients and are not restricted to a food genre unless unique is part of the descriptor. I've only had their fish 'n grape taco, and can say they know how to perfectly fry a fish which can be difficult in a truck!

Grilled Cheese Truck – If you've read my post, you know my stand on this. Get it. I wouldn't get a plain grilled cheese here though – go big and get the one with the mac 'n cheese and bbq pulled pork. You only live once right?

Coolhaus Ice Cream Sandwich Truck – If they're nearby, have most of their flavors still, try it. They are good in that they do have some inventive flavors and will surprise you with their take on the classics but their lack of appearances and incognito schedules really piss me off. I would much rather go to The Milk Shop who is there when I need them to be.

Frysmith – French fries with melted cheese and meat on top? Sign me up! It's a pretty hefty meal on its own, which can be surprising since this carb is usually a side accompaniment. I recommend the kimchi chicken – unique and the pickled vegetable keeps your appetite up when you think you can't go any further.

Don Chow Tacos – Chinese Tacos and one of the longest standing trucks which popped up soon after Kogi. This truck is made up of one of the nicest people in this industry. Their special chow fun is bomb, their char siu is damn delicious and not a fake red, and they serve horchata. See any flaws? They'll also be on on Guy Fieri's Dives, Diners, and Drive-Ins later this year.

South Philly Experience – Very low key and under-rated. I stumbled upon them on Pico Blvd. after Kogi ran out of my favorite tacos. I've never been to Philly so I can't compare but I really liked their bread. It was soft and buttery, which is more than I can ask for. The food is just more pricey than I figured for a food truck at $8-9 average.

Buttermilk Truck – I have not tried but I saw someone with Red Velvet mini-pancakes… Next mission…

Chasing cars is an exhausting task. My patience for them is shot. Can they just be in a restaurant already so I don't have to find you? I'm a lady and I enjoy being catered to.

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