Jul 2010

Yatta-! Truck – Los Angeles

Yatta Truck - Los Angeles

I was initially frightened by the thought of cheeseburger sushi. Both dishes are delicious in their own right, but combining them seemed like a terrible, half-baked idea. As positive reports rolled in from Serious Eats, Grub Street, and Squid Ink, my fear transitioned to intrigue. I eventually succumbed to my curiosity and tasted Yatta-! Truck‘s headline-grabbing roll at this month’s Downtown Art Walk.

Yatta Truck - Los Angeles

Owned and operated by Jun Hua and chef Hiro Igarashi, Yatta-! is L.A.’s first fusion sushi bar on wheels. The truck offers a small menu of inspired rolls, as well as a “creation station” that allows customers to dream up a customized roll. Yatta-!, which means “I did it!” in Japanese, is what one is supposed to proclaim when “u get ur own favorite rolls.” Or something like that…

Yatta Truck - Los Angeles

Yatta-! is far and away the silliest nouveau food truck that I have ever encountered. There’s a sign posted on the truck claiming that “no Pokemon were harmed during the making of your roll” and a mysterious ninja sneaks in and out of the truck during service. Not to mention, Yatta-! is staffed by some really funny dudes. I must say that it’s  pretty refreshing to be around an establishment that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Yatta Truck - Los Angeles

We started off with the Sweet Aloha, which “combines the sweet tropical tastes of pineapple and Hawaiian BBQ with traditional Japanese teriyaki” (4 pieces for $3.75).

Yatta Truck - Los Angeles

The entire roll was dipped in a light tempura batter and deep-fried till golden. The finishing touch was a teriyaki glaze on top. My favorite element of the roll was the juicy and tart pineapples that kept the grease-factor in check.

Yatta Truck - Los Angeles

The roll that I had been waiting for was the All American (4 pieces for $3.75). The cheeseburger-inspired roll was comprised of sliced beef, pickles, and cheese wrapped in seaweed and rice, then deep-fried and served with ketchup and mustard. It tasted exactly like those little McDonald’s hamburgers, but with a crunchier and beefier profile. I applaud Yatta-!’s creativity.

Personality and shtick aside, the food aboard Yatta-! wasn’t nearly as awful as I had anticipated. As far as heart attack-inducing fare goes, it was actually quite pleasant.

Follow Yatta-! Truck on Twitter @YattaTruck.

POWER RANKINGS

The Manila Machine > India Jones Chow Truck > Dim Sum Truck > World Fare BustaurantAhn Joo > Border Grill Truck > Cool Haus > Kogi > Lomo Arigato > Don Chow > Yatta-! Truck > Marked 5 > Dosa Truck > Phamish

Yatta Truck on Urbanspoon

Yatta Truck in Los Angeles on Fooddigger

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10 thoughts on “Yatta-! Truck – Los Angeles

  1. I remember the McLean! You are making me really want to try the all-american roll… cheese, pickles, but no lettuce tomato and onion? That looks like a fun stop, I’d want to question the mysterious ninja personally.

  2. This is bad ass. Food trucks just don’t mean the same thing anymore. And In-n-Out had better look out because the cheeseburger war just got a bit more interesting.

  3. “the food…wasn’t nearly as awful as I anticipated” If that doesn’t bring in the throngs, I don’t know what will.

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