3 Bahn Mi in a Bahn Bao Bun

INTRODUCING HOANGIE'S!

Siblings Jenny, Ken, and Michael set out on their mobile culinary career on the night of Friday the 17th of February at the 57 Degrees Food Truck Gathering. I was absolutely honored to catch them on their very first night and to be the very first person to interview them.

I stepped up to the new truck and a winning - if not beaming - smile greeted me. I handed her my card and asked if they'd care for an interview and food review. She practically leaped through the window to hug me!

I don't think I have ever met such enthusiastic food truck owners before! Just the nicest people ever!

I took a look at their menu and found it fantastically whimsical. You have your choice of Bahn Mi in either a delicious french/viet bread hoagie style or slider style using fresh Bao Buns.
However, while what is in them may be familiar, they are hardly ordinary. You have your choice of:  Moo, Doodle-Do, Oink, or Tofu.

The caricatures in the logo represent themselves. Michael is fond of pork, Jenny loves chicken, and Ken can't live without his beef.

If Ken looks familiar to you, then you are most likely a fan of the show, Survivor.  Ken "The King of Smash" Hoang survived 37 out of the 39 days in Gabon back in 2008.   When he was interviewed and asked what he would do with the money he won, he had said that he would open a restaurant with his family, and low and behold he kept his word!

 They gave me some of their delicious Bahn Mi Sliders in the Moo and Doodle-Do variety. They were beautiful! Well, just see for yourself!

 

Fresh strips of carrot, cucumber and sweet onions that they had been up prepping at 3AM that morning! The chicken (pardon me) "Doodle-Do" was succulent and full of flavor. The savory or the meat, mixed with the heat of the Sriracha based sauce and cilantro and simultaneously elevated with the sweetness from the onions and the Boa bun itself. Soft rice dough, crunchy veggies, tender meat . . .  the whole thing was a flavor/texture treat!  

Now take all those elements, subtract the chicken, erm, Doodle-Do, and add steak, I mean Moo, instead!

That Moo was comparable to a well seasoned slab of beef you'd get at your favorite steak house.  The only thing missing was a ginormous portion of mashed potatoes . . . . . . .

This means something. This is important . . . . . . 

These little sliders pack a super sized flavor punch.  I will DEFINITELY be back for more the next chance I get!

WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY HOANGIE'S!! 

http://www.hoangiesfoodtruck.com/

Pearson's Louisiana Cajun Food

Meet Clinton Pearson!

Originally from East Texas, Clinton met his Louisiana born wife Danielle and began a culinary journey together tracing Danielle's Cajun roots! Her Grandparents taught her most of what she knows, but she learned a proper Gumbo recipe from an old Cajun man Des Allamandes, Louisiana.

For the past 4 years, they've been touring back and forth from coast to coast chasing Jazz and Crawfish Festivals and private catering events with their mobile trailer kitchen. Clinton asked me if I'd still do a review even though they cook from a trailer and not a truck. I told him as long as it moves and there is food involved I talk about it!

So lets talk about it!  They have a wonderful menu loaded with southern goodies with your choice of fish, chicken, shrimp and of course . . . .Gator! Pearson's is well known for their Gator Bites, as well as their Catfish and Bayou Tenders.

I had the pleasure of trying out those Gator Bites, along with some Hush Puppies and Cajun Fries, and a nice tall glass of their Sweet Tea.

I was in Southern Heaven!

Their Gator Bites, looked like chicken tenders at first glance, but when you bit into them you'd be in for a surprise! Just like Jazz, they are big, bold, and brassy! That punch of gator flavor isn't for everyone but for folks that like gator, you can't miss out on these ones! Perfectly seasoned, golden bites of swapland predator!

I would just like to take a moment to pay ultimate homage to the BEST Hush Puppies I have ever had in my life! The whole thing was just too darn perfect! Crispy outside, moist inside, and the cornmeal itself was so savory and light. I would gladly eat these every day.

The Cajun fries carried a nice big wallop. I was expecting them to be a light hint of selected herbs and spices and I nearly choked with surprise at how full flavor they were. Pearson's holds nothing back peeps!

Last but not least, there was the beautiful, beautiful Sweet Tea. Now folks, I've been spoiled rotten when it comes to Sweet Tea. My best friend, Moe, is from Georgia, and she is ever so picky when it comes to this particular subject. She knows good from bad, fake from genuine, and I'm happy to say that she's taught me how to spot a genuine when I am presented with one. I am 100% sure that Moe would classify this Tea as the Real McCoy.

It was a pleasure to meet these wonderful people and taste their true Southern Fare.

The Dog Shack ~ Mmmmmurder and Mmmmayhem

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Galley. . . . 

I submit for your patronage, Exhibit A:

The Trailer in question, and it's kitchen within are guilty of tasty identity theft!  Before this review is over I will have proven, without a shadow of a doubt, that not only is The Dog Shack guilty of deceitful deliciousness, but also cold blooded murder!

. . . . . I hope you can handle the truth . . . . .

EXHIBIT B:                                     EXHIBIT C:

Ladies and Gentlemen .. . To your left (exhibit B) is a picture of the Victims. Their names are Corn Dog and Curly Fries.  . . . . and to your right (exhibit C) are the Impersonators! 

We are all very familiar with the Victims, are we not? How many times have we called our old friends Corn Dog and Curly Fries over for dinner? Well the next time you call them, you may very well end up with the culprits from The Dog Shack's design!  

Their reign of delightful deception began in July of 2011, when one family took it upon themselves to mimic their favorite "dog" eatery from their home in Michigan. They made their own changes of course. For example: That golden glow of corn replaced by the darker pallor of Honey Wheat.  Those seasoned curly fries that we know so well, replaced by healthier, tastier shoestrings of never frozen goodness . . . .

Sorry. I got carried away there for a moment.. .                                  *ahem*

May it please the Galley, I submit that these morsels come in many guises! Sometimes those dogs appear dressed up in a bun instead of a stick. Sometimes the imposter fries try to hide under blankets of cheese, or bacon . . . . But we know better don't we folks? How could it be possible that 100% smoked beef could ever replace our childhood friend? 

EXHIBIT D

The accused in one of their many known disguises.  

 

Here are the crime scene photos. I warn you, they are graphic:

EXHIBIT E                                                      EXHIBIT F

 

And last but not least, photographic evidence of the culprits fleeing the scene of the crime !!!

EXHIBIT G

The images you see before you speak for themselves.  I shall let you be judge and jury.

Thank you.

Two For The Road ~ Cakes of a Different Color

 

Two For the Road, a truck I had heard so much about but hadn't yet tried. Famous for their retro music, and their crab cakes. At the 57 Degrees gathering back in December, I finally got the chance to catch up with them and get the scoop!  

                                                                                                                              

          Meet Lisa!

She and her Italian Chef husband, Roberto used to tour around the country stopping off at all their favorite eateries and savor the flavors from East to West! Having traveled quite extensively, they thought,                                        "Wouldn't it be great to collect all of these flavors and share them with others?"  So that is exactly what they set out to do!                                               

Their dream became a reality back in February 2011, (Happy 1 year anniversary!) when Two For The Road came to be.  Serving up all their favorites from their travels, and coming up with a few of their own.

Take for example this dish: The Capt. Crunch Crab Cake! This invention was inspired by the Capt. Crunch chicken fingers at Planet Hollywood.

I only have one word for this dish. "Yum!" I know at first mention of the children's cereal most people would turn green and stick out their tongue, however the cereal makes for a fantastic breading. Its actually light and crispy and only slightly sweet. I would say it reminded me of panko bread crumbs.
And believe it or not, the natural sweetness of the crab works very, very, well with it. The sauce is tangy and creamy. All around delicious!

And for desert, seeing as it was nearing Christmas, they had a delicious concoction! BLUE Velvet Pancakes with Peppermint Whipped Cream.

I would like to say they were delicious to the last bite . . . . .  but my mom stole them from me  . . . .
I only got one bite . . . . . . . but it was tasty. . . . . my mom sure thought the world of them . . . .


Thats the last time I take you to a Food Truck Gathering mom. . . . . .   *pouts* . . . . . . . . . .  stealmypancakeswillya . . . .

I mentioned retro tunes before, thats not the only retro exuding from the truck. They also serve up retro sodas including Bubble Up, Shirley Temples, and a rare original recipe Dr. Pepper that unless you live in the town of Dublin, Texas, you just can't get!

In addition, they have an awesome line of chips with neo-retro designs by the name of Mama Zuma's Revenge. They also have these amazing cookies made by The Cravory. with delicious, and bizarre flavors!

Check out Two For the Road next time you are hankerin' for a bit of Retro Flavor!

Delicioso ~ California Burrito

Jorge always spoils me rotten whenever I visit.  I told them about how much I loved the Nemo taco last time and before I could blink I found myself stuffing my face with one! After I was done he says,
"Okay, now what do you want to try next?" 

I took a look at the menu for the day and everything sounded delicious! No! Delicioso! I finally settled on the California Burrito, and it's as big as a whale but not priced like one. I had to get him to cut it in half not only so I could take a picture of it for the blog, but also so I could eat one half and safe the other for later!!!!

Here in "OMGvision", we see the detail of the carne asada, fresh herbs, tomato, cheese, and of course . . . the French Fries! Stuffed to the gills!  Meat and veggies with such flavor magic!


Now, I know there are some of you out there that would count Delicioso as just another roach coach serving up Mexican food. But 2 things. . . . one, they are serving up Tex-Mex, and gourmet Tex-Mex at that . . . and two, roach coaches don't hold a candle to the food quality and flavor that Delicioso is dishing out with a totally different menu TWICE A DAY!

In between lunch and dinner, they go shopping for the produce they will use that night. You can't get that kinda freshness from your typical roach coach now can you? Nope! No way Jose!. . . I mean Jorge!

<3 LOVE YOU GUYS! <3

Ciao Cupcakes

(back in late November) I rolled up to the North Park Farmer's Market to get my pumpkin hummus from one of the vendors there and to say hello to the folks at the Food Farm truck who are usually there, and lo and behold there is a mini green truck parked right next to them!

While the Recess truck is the largest truck in the city, the Ciao Cupcakes is easily the smallest! I knocked on the side and introduced myself to a lovely young lady named Misty who told me all about the cupcakes they make!

Having opened their truck in June of 2011, their vision was to create a place where while the eats were sweet, they were also healthy. There is absolutely nothing artificial in these cupcakes!
Misty told me that while their menu changes from week to week, they aren't ones for buying their products in bulk in advance. She jokingly admitted that hey do a lot of shopping just to keep things as fresh as possible. They don't even have time to refrigerate anything, they just make it and go!


To start off, I was given their version of a Red Velvet (you know I love them!) Since nothing artificial goes into them, Pomegranate juice was added to the batter to give the cake it's delicious dark red color. It was fluffy and light with a good Pom flavor. The icing was a whipped Marscapone cheese with pomegranate seeds on top. The Marscapone has a slightly sweet flavor of it's own so when paired up with the bittersweet of the pom, it was the perfect combination. This cupcake is a winner!

Next up, I was given their best of the season, the Pumpkin Spice with Ricotta and Walnuts. This cupcake was not only flavored with my favorite seasonal gourd, but hidden within strewn throughout like chocolate chips was bitty chunks of Ricotta. Every bite was full of flavor and texture and while I felt totally bad for eating 2 whole cupcakes, I took comfort in the knowledge that Ciao Cupcakes' creations have ABSOLUTELY NO TRANS FAT!!!!!

If I wasn't stuffed, I would have gone back for more. These cupcakes are seriously huge! No skimpy mini cakes for these gals!

Tantilizingly Tasty Teasers

Ciao Cupcakes ~ Pomegranate Velvet Cake with Marscapone

Ciao Cupcakes ~ Pumpkin Spice Cake with Ricotta and Walnuts

Delicioso~ California Burrito

Two For the Road ~ Captain Crunch Crabcake

Two For the Road ~ Blue Velvet Pancake with Peppermint Whip

Dog Shack ~ Irish Setter and Curly Fries

REVIEWS ON THESE ITEMS COMING SOON!