Food Truck Friday - Papa Bois

This week, I had hoped to put together a post after visiting a new truck twice, but it just didn't happen, so I opted to post about one I visited once, but had two menu items, and am not in a big hurry to return to: Papa Bois Carribean Food Truck.



I tend to order specials, and today the Jerk Chicken Tacos ($8) were hand-written on the menu, so I gave it a go. I got two tacos with a cabbage slaw, mild jerk chicken, a creamy sauce and something crunchy that looked a little like pulverized pistachios or corn nuts. Each taco was on a single corn tortilla, which were soaked through by the time I got back to my desk to eat them, so they fell apart immediately. There was a little heat to the jerk seasoning, but certainly not the type of spice I suspect you get in Jamaica.

When I ordered the tacos, I got up-sold on the Black Bean Corn Salsa ($4), which reportedly went really well with the tacos. I can be a little overly susceptible to up-selling, and am also very put off by it. I don't like to haggle or argue, and after a lifetime of struggling with over-eating, I don't like someone pressuring me into eating more than I planned. But alas, I did.

The Salsa was just that - a simple mix of black beans, corn kernels, onion and a little bit of green pepper (not clear if it was bell pepper or something else). It had more flavor than I anticipated, but seemed superfluous. And pricey. $4 for a small tub of beans and corn.



Given the tacos fell apart, I was pressured during my customer experience, the prices were higher than comparable products elsewhere, and the food wasn't very memorable... and the fact that I have dozens more food trucks to try out... I likely won't be back to Papa Bois soon. If you had a different experience, or have a menu item you absolutely recommend, let me know!

Food Truck Friday - Falafel Salam

There are a few trucks in Seattle offering up Middle Eastern favorites, one of which I visited for this week's Food Truck Friday: Falafel Salam.



On my inaugural visit, I went for their namesake Falafel, as part of the Middle Eastern Salad ($8). It was a big portion and the falefel were great. Not raw in the middle or overly fried. It was several weeks ago, and I honestly failed to write down much more detail. But hopefully the pictures help. I believe that's a tahini sauce on top.




This week, I returned and went for their pita sandwich, opting for the 'Purple Style' rather than 'House Style', and the Organic Chicken Shawarma, Spicy ($10). Purple Style includes purple cabbage slaw, tzatziki and creamy sheep milk feta, whereas the House Style includes 'Arab salad' (cucumber, tomato, cabbage, parsley, lemon), tahini, and a dash of pickled mango. It's all packed inside a homemade pita.

I took my lunch to the outdoor Van Vorst courtyard so my dog, Hilo, could get some outside time and sniff some random dogs and people. He ended up getting to meet a little girl, which he did in his usual fickle way (walk up, sniff, turn around and walk away - realizing they have no food - just as hands try to pet him). But it's great to see him so comfortable around people of all ages, given what a nervous boy he was 3 years ago. But I digress.



My first bites were super messy, and I'd foolishly only grabbed a single napkin. I was convinced that my beard was full of delicious, creamy feta mixed with tzatziki. The next bites were full of meat... lots of meat... moist meat with a decent amount of flavor to it. Initially, I balked to myself that the 'spicy' wasn't presenting itself, but then I realized their heat likely comes from cayenne... about the time the glow began in my mouth. Still not spicy by Thai, Indian, or Mexican standards, but enough to warm you up. After I chowed down on the meat, I came to a solid layer of slaw... still with about half the soft pita left. I diligently ate my vegetables, and was delighted to find another layer of meat below the slaw. Seriously.... MORE meat. And this meat had all the juices from the meat and slaw and was even more delicious. It might've also had more spice, but it was more likely the cumulative effect.



Falafel Salam is definitely a spot I'll return to, and one I'd recommend to friends. If I wasn't trying to re-lose 10 pounds I keep gaining back, I would've also tried the baklava. Maybe next time.

Food Truck Friday - Contigo

My first visit to Contigo was long ago, when I believe they first started visiting South Lake Union with their 'Modern Mexican' food truck. Somehow, it wasn't until today that I made it back.



On that first visit, I started with a Pork Carnitas Taco ($2.5), which I recall being good, but not mind-blowingly better than the tacos down at El Tajin.



I also ordered the Sweet Potato and Pecan Gordita - a delicious little fried ravioli of dough, packed with sweet potato goodness. I recall it was like a little bite of Thanksgiving.

My visit to Contigo today was after their 2014 Taco Truck Challenge win.  This time I went for one of their 'Bowls' - a huge portion each of rice, beans and the meat of your choosing.  I went with the Chicken en Mole. ($8.25 + tax).

During my very brief wait, I got a sample of their habanero lemonade, which was excellent and left a burn in your throat (but not mouth).  It was a clear sign that they don't shy away from flavor and heat, which was reiterated when I dug into the rich mole chicken.  Each piece was coated with the sauce, which was more like a dry rub, and filled my mouth with flavor with each bite.  A little spicy, smokey, and just plain good.  The price seemed steep, but the portion is huge, and the service was quick and friendly.

Food Truck Friday - Thai-U-Up

I just realized I'm the #6 ranked blog on UrbanSpoon's Seattle Leaderboard, so I figure I should probably get to work putting blog posts together, huh? I guess that explains them inviting me to special events.

As a first attempt to dive back into blogging, and Food Truck Friday (again), I tried out a couple dishes at the provocatively named Thai-U-Up



On my first visit, I couldn't help but try a dish that sounded vaguely Hawaiian and hopefully spicy: Volcano Chicken ($8.75). It seemed only appropriate to order it with at least 4 stars, so I did. Served with two scoops of rice (there's the Hawaiian part!) and on a bed of crisp iceberg lettuce, the Volcano Chicken itself is fried chicken pieces with what I suspect is a rice flour based breading studded with green onion and spices, that yields a super-crispy outside.



Add to that some sweet-spicy glaze and you've got chicken candy - and I ate every last piece. Very sweet and decadent... but surprisingly not very spicy at all. Not noticing much red pepper on it, I grabbed a packet of Sriracha, just in case, though I powered through my chicken candy so quickly I didn't end up using it.



On my return visit, I was in a less decadent mood, so opted for the Cashew Delight with Tofu. Based on my last experience, I asked for 5 stars this go-round. It was a pretty standard, as-expected Cashew dish with veggies and fried tofu, way too much celery (though for me, any celery is too much celery), no spice whatsoever. The interesting surprise of the dish was when I'd finished all the veggies and tofu (except the celery), and found the broth in the bottom of the container, which was rich and had wonderful depth of flavor... so I poured it all over the rice and devoured that, too.



Although they only take cash, which is inconvenient, I'll likely go back to Thai-U-Up the next time I craving some crispy delicious Volcano Chicken... and I'll be sure to grab some hot sauce. Cuz if someone's gonna Thai me up, I wanna feel smacked across the face by the heat.

Food Truck Friday - Saffron Spice

The success of some food trucks eventually results in a physical location (or two), like Skillet and Marination. In fact, I'm excited to be heading to Marination Makai for the first time tonight. Other trucks, like Saffron Spice, are an expansion from an existing physical location. In their case, they have a booth at the Pike Place Market, and now have a bright yellow truck that visits South Lake Union regularly.







On my first visit, I went for one of their Rice Bowls, which they seemed to be pushing. In addition to basmati rice and a spring greens salad, you pick 2 items from the list. I went with Spinach (Palak) & Paneer and Lamb 'Kebab' w/ Mint ($8)





Although the Palak Paneer looked a little anemic, with just a few small pieces of un-fried paneer on top, when I tasted the spinach I was really pleased. It's full of flavors from a range of spices - probably the most flavorful spinach I've had at an Indian/Pakistani restaurant. The lamb was similarly flavorful, and cut into small pieces - making it easy to eat with a little rice in every bite, though not what I expected as 'kebab'.





Also, it seemed like you might get a drink w/ the rice bowl, but it wasn't written anywhere or clearly communicated to all customers, so I'm not sure.





I enjoyed the food on that visit, but my chief complaint is that the menu is confusing. To me, it's not a good sign for your business model if you have to have someone explain the menu to every customer. They seemed to be pushing the bowls, but the sign threw more than just me off. It says pick any two, but then some items have varying prices listed, and some don't have any. Turns out they charge the higher of the two prices of the two items selected, but that's not apparent. I would just go with a flat amount. If nothing else, I would add numbers next to each item, to streamline communication.







On my second visit, I decided to switch to the other menu of "Wraps 2 Go".





I went with the Bombay Chicken Wrap ($7.99, theoretically), which included Chicken Tikka, creamed spinach and garam masala, along with cucumber, and a cabbage/carrot slaw, all wrapped up in a whole wheat tortilla. Somehow, the branding made me think they were pre-made (2 Go suggests they're the quick grab-and-go option), but they were made to order like the rice bowls. And they're sizable. My wrap was 7 inches long and 3 inches in diameter. Just like my previous lunch, this one was really flavorful, with the garam masala (cloves, cardamom, cumin, pepper, cinnamon) very evident. It wasn't at all 'hot' spicy, but every bite was packed with spices.





My only complaint on this visit was that the menu listed what I ordered as $7.99, but I got only $2 back from my $10 bill. They decided, I guess, to keep that penny. If they don't want to deal with change, they should change the prices on the menu to avoid shorting their customers. It's just a penny, but still. Given the quality of the food, I'm sure I'll be back though.

Food Truck Friday - Santi's Kitchen

Food Truck Friday headed to Indonesia (in the culinary sense) this week, visiting Santi's Kitchen.







On my first visit, I couldn't help myself but to order the Spicy Chicken (aka Ayam Balado) ($8.50), a Sumateran dish of chicken thighs cooked in a chili sauce with onions, green beans and green peppers. It was served over rice in what I consider the classic Asian fast food style. It was awhile back that I tried it, but recall enjoying it. American dining has been so breast obsessed when it comes to chicken (with the exception of fried chicken), I was glad to see the flavorful, moist thighs being featured.





This week, I wanted to try something else and opted for the "Chicken Peanut Sauce" ($8.50), making the false assumption it would be a similar dish, but with a peanut sauce rather than the chili sauce. I was thinking maybe a Swimming Rama style dish. Boy, was I wrong.







Instead, it was a very thin soup (and a lot of it) served in a plastic tub, with a box of rice on the side. The soup was way too thin to pour over the rice without making a huge mess, so instead I added the rice to the soup. I found it pretty bland. It also had lots and lots of celery. I hate celery. Can't stand the smell or taste of it, raw or cooked, except when it's used as part of the classic mirepoix (carrot/onion/celery) that is cooked down completely for stocks, etc. This was not cooked down. I recognize I'm largely alone in my disdain for celery (except my husband, who shares it), and I had the completely wrong expectations about what the dish would be, which is on me - mostly.





My lack of familiarity with Indonesian cuisine led me to order a soup, but I do have to say that if the menu had said it was a chicken peanut soup rather than chicken peanut sauce, I would've ordered something else. Now that I'm reviewing the menu online (which I highly recommend if you aren't already familiar with this cuisine), I realize they have several dishes containing candle nut (known in Hawai`i as kukui nut), so may have to go back to try one of those out... but not before more research.

Food Truck Friday - The Grilled Cheese Experience

I'm once again bridging time with my Food Truck Friday post. I first visited The Grilled Cheese Experience back in September, but finally made it back this month.







Back then, I went for the Super Deluxe ($10) - a very crispy, very buttery grilled cheese sandwich with smoked chipotle cheddar cheese, bacon, greens, sun-dried tomatoes and avocado. I found it a little on the greasy side, which I realize now may be due to the Parmesan Sourdough bread. The flavors were outstanding, though.







This time, I opted for the Bluesy Girl ($10) (despite feeling a little emasculated when ordering it). This one features smoked Jack cheese paired with smoked chicken, Gorgonzola, caramelized onions and greens, served on a bacon-crusted bread. I didn't experience the same greasiness as my previous visit, and was happy that the blue cheese didn't overwhelm all the other great ingredients inside the sandwich... nor did it turn my tongue numb, which some blue cheese does to me. (Anyone else have that issue?) As you can see from the picture, they included a free 'shot' of their tomato basil soup on the side - which proved challenging to transport back to the office without spilling while also wrangling my 55lb dog.







The next time I visit The Grilled Cheese Experience I've got to remember one of the additional add-ons they offer. I tasted a bite of a sandwich once that had it (thanks to my pal Clover Honey), and it's super decadent. What add-on could I be talking about? Mac & Cheese. Yes. Mac & Cheese ON a grilled cheese sandwich. Ridiculous? Genius? You make the call. I may opt for their $6 basic grilled cheese plus the mac & cheese ($2) to enjoy the purity of it. We'll see.

Food Truck Friday - Off The Rez

This week my Food Truck forays led me to Off The Rez - a truck serving Native American frybread as the base for delicious "Indian" tacos.







The tacos come in pork, chicken, beef and veggie, all served on top of the frybread, which is kinda like naan meets a donut: definitely savory, but fried and fluffy. I started with a Pulled Pork Indian Taco ($4.50), which was topped simply with a purple cabbage slaw.







Then I dove into a Chicken Indian Taco ($4.50), which was loaded with cheese, lettuce, tomato, cilantro and a crema.







On my next visit I opted to try something a little different, and went for their Burger ($5.50). I assumed it would be served on the signature frybread, but it turned out to be a beef burger on standard 4" diameter bun, with lettuce, bacon, cheese, cumin crema, and purple cabbage slaw. It was a pretty standard burger, cooked medium, with a nice smokiness from the cumin, and creaminess from the cheese. When I say standard, I mean it no disrespect - it was a tasty, satisfying burger of a good size (not too big, not a slider). It just didn't have any sort of spin on it, unless you count the cumin. Spin seems to be such a standard with food truck food, I come to expect it. But honestly, this burger didn't need anything else.







I was torn on what to get as a final item. The menu includes chili, fries, and a bunch of sweet offerings served on frybread, like the seasonal nectarine marmalade or nutella. But since I've been indulging a bit too much this week already (I made doughnuts for Dan & I to take to work, but ended up eating too many myself), I decided to go with a healthy option: the Quinoa Succotash ($3 for a small). It was a fresh mix of quinoa, corn, zucchini, asparagus, red onion and red pepper with a slightly spicy sauce served in a 4.5" diameter, 1.5" deep container. It turned out be the perfect pairing for my burger, giving me a mix of fresh, brightly colored veggies I could feel good about, packed with lots of flavor and a little heat.




Although the frybread is a bit of an indulgence, it definitely transforms the tacos into something unique, and something I'll be going back for. That, and the nutella frybread.

Food Truck Friday - Athena's

This week's Food Truck adventure took me to Athena's - a Greek food truck that seems to have won the SLU lottery. You see, South Lake Union is going through some growing pains right now. Up until a few weeks ago, there were tons of parking lots, and many of them rented portions of their parking to food trucks. It was a veritable food truck heaven. But all those property owners are now attempting to cash in on the growth in the area, turning their lots into underground parking with buildings on top. I've been forced out of two parking lots now, and we lost two of the best food truck 'pods'. That means a big reduction in food truck options. Hopefully, I'll still be able to find new places to try out so I can keep this series going!



But enough about my first-world problem of not enough food truck options...





My first trip to the truck was way back in October, and I took an old friend's advice and went for the Souvlaki. I'd never had it, but it's apparently her go to item. I went for the Chicken Souvlaki Gyro. The meat was a little over-done (chewy), but the sauce helped that a lot.







I followed that visit up (8 months later) by giving the 'Greek Philly' a try. It's described as "Thin shaved beef, green peppers, grilled onions, Provalone melted to perfection, Wrapped in a warm pita.". The pita and beef were definitely there, and a little bit of cheese, but almost no peppers.




If they end up being one of the few trucks around, I may find myself there again to try some other menu items (the lamb has my attention), but I wasn't blown away by either of my selections so far.






(sorry for the delay on this post - I lost my phone the day I was supposed to write it, then got very busy)