The Manila Machine, Los Angeles’ first and only Filipino food truck, debuted last Thursday night at Downtown’s Art Walk. While it’s usually not a good idea to check out an eatery on its first night of service, I couldn’t help myself in this situation. In addition to being the first to introduce Pinoy cuisine in mobile form, The Manila Machine is also the first truck to be owned and operated by bloggers! My friends Nastassia Johnson of Let Me Eat Cake and Marvin Gapultos of Burnt Lumpia are the two talents behind the project. To show my support and admiration, I just had to be present for their inaugural service.

The Manila Machine’s menu is straightforward and full of crowd pleasing fare. There are freshly fried lumpias (Filipino egg rolls), pan de sal sliders made using traditional Filipino bread, and a slew of island-inspired desserts. Marvin heads up the savory side of the menu, while Nastassia handles sweets. The truck will also be selling a number of specials each day, including soups and stews.

The Astronomer and I hadn’t eaten any Filipino food since our visit to Manila and Palawan nearly two years ago, so we were more than ready for a potent hit of Pinoy goodness.

We started with an order of lumpiang Shanghai ($2), which was served with a well-balanced sweet and sour sauce. Filled with seasoned pork, carrots, and ginger, the egg rolls were deep-fried to golden perfection. [Marvin, you’ve come a long way since the days of regularly burning lumpias!] (more…)