The sudden arrival of Kogi, the wandering Korean-Mexican taco joint, in 2008 kicked off LA’s gourmet food truck craze, transforming the city into the centre of food truck America and driving devoted foodies to Twitter in search of their next roving fast food fix.
From artistic mini-lasagnas and salted lobster sliders to fine Parisian pancakes, LA’s roaming restaurants have it all covered. Here we share our pick of LA’s hottest meals on wheels.
Border Grill Truck
“Too Hot Tamales” chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger have transported the upscale Mexican fare of their Border Grill restaurants to a nomadic taco truck; think Yucatan pork tacos and Poblano chili quesadillas.
Coolhaus Truck
Blending food and architecture into “farchitecture”, Coolhaus whips up ice-cream-and-biscuit sandwiches with an experimental twist.
Sweet and savoury flavours come together in quirky offerings such as olive-oil rosemary ice-cream wedged between brioche cookies.
Lobsta Truck
Inspired by Maine’s Lobster shacks, Lobsta Truck ships in fresh lobster and split-top bread rolls directly from New England.
Simple lobster and crab rolls dominate the menu, but you’ll also find Cape Cod chips and clam chowder on offer.
Kogi
Under the eye of chef Roy Choi, Kogi BBQ has reached food truck celebrity status as the original LA rover.
Swing by for affordable Korean-Mexican barbecue specialities, like calamari tacos and sweet chili chicken quesadillas, and good value combos.
Vizzi Truck
Hunt down Vizzi Truck for French-inspired treats modernised with coastal flavours from around the world. Think garlic poached lobster tail, sweet Hawaiian bread, and chicken tacos with maple-crushed chili sauce.
Heirloom Truck
The Heirloom Truck is the roaming half of eco-friendly hospitality outfit Heirloom Catering LA. Try the signature lasagna cupcakes: flavour-packed pasta bites brimming with freshly melted cheeses, herbs, and seasonal meats.
Grill ‘Em All
For a healthy dose of rock and roll accompanied by gourmet burger creations, give this hard-rock themed truck a try; the Dee Snider burger comes packed with peanut butter, bacon, and jelly.
Fist of Fusion
Inspired by homemade recipes, the friendly folks at Fist of Fusion dish up exotic combinations of Filipino and Hawaiian fare, like Sisig tacos filled with citrus-marinated pork and Notorious R.I.B. short ribs.
Grilled Cheese Truck
An all-time childhood favourite gets a splendid makeover at LA’s Grilled Cheese Truck, where decadent mouthfuls of cheesy goodness come in all shapes and sizes.
Keep things simple with a traditional cheddar grill, or go all-out with a banana, ricotta, and cinnamon swirl French toast melt.
Written by insider city guide series Hg2 | A Hedonist’s guide to…
whose guides cover all the best hotels, restaurants, bars, clubs, sights, shops and spas
(Featured image: © Heirloom LA Catering)
