Jul 2009

Dosa Truck – Los Angeles

It seems that Los Angeles’ flourishing mobile food scene grows more interesting, and not to mention competitive, by the day. The little Korean taco truck that could has inspired entrepreneurial Angelenos from every corner of the city to bring their gourmet offerings to the streets. In just the past few months, dozens of trucks have popped up serving everything under the sun from Japanese rice burgers to Hawaiian-style shaved ice. And most recently, Indian dosas.

In this down economy, roach coaches have become the great equalizers. The lower start-up costs associated with these ventures have made it possible for ordinary people who possess the essential combination of drive and creativity to take the wheel, literally and figuratively. The food can oftentimes be hit or miss, but the awesome passion of these individuals is always present.

I’ve wanted to sample L.A.’s brand of street food ever since Kogi hit the ground running, but alas, only the Westside was privy to such trendy action. The San Gabriel Valley always gets the short end of the hipster stick.

My dreams of meals on wheels were finally realized this weekend while chilling in Venice. A collection of trucks, including Kogi, Cool Haus, Fishlips Sushi, Get Shaved Ice, and Dosa Truck, were gathered at The Brig on Abbot Kinney. Since I don’t find myself surrounded by mobile food vendors very often, I wanted to hit them all.

First up, Dosa Truck.

The proud Brooklynite who owns Dosa Truck chose to sell these delicate South Indian morsels as a nod to the cuisine she grew up eating. Upon hearing that she hailed from New York, I asked if her venture was inspired by Washington Square Park’s famous Dosa Man. She said that she gets that all the time, but no, the idea for Dosa Truck was all her own. In fact, she has always wanted to open a restaurant, but couldn’t afford to do so financially. The mobile food trend allowed her to fulfill her dreams in an unconventional way.

The sweet potato dosa ($6) that I sampled was made to order and arrived hot, long, and lean. The filling, which was a touch too cool, provided an interesting spin on traditional potato and onion dosas. The crepe was crispy in the right spots, but too sour for my taste. What made the dosa experience worthwhile were the bloomed spice chutneys served alongside. The mint and coconut chutney was especially appealing.

Follow Dosa Truck on Twitter @dosatruck.

POWER RANKINGS

India Jones Chow Truck > Dim Sum Truck > World Fare Bustaurant < Border Grill Truck > Cool Haus > Lomo Arigato > Don Chow > Kogi > Marked 5 > Dosa Truck > Phamish

Dosa Truck on Urbanspoon

Dosa Truck in Los Angeles

Jul 2009

Lorca Restaurante – Tijuana

1:45 p.m. It’s a given that Tijuana will have superb tacos, but a thoroughly authentic Spanish restaurant? Well, that’s just gravy, baby. Granada-born chef Margarita Prieto’s Lorca Restaurante brings Andalusian cuisine to Tijuana in a cool, calm, and decidedly European space. The restaurant’s specialties include roasted meats, hotpots, stews, and seafood prepared using age-old family recipes. Lorca is Chef Margarita’s maiden name.

To make our food and media posse feel muy especial, the Chef prepared an incredibly fragrant and undeniably decadent lechón for our visit. A hug and a kiss on the cheek are fine Spanish pleasantries, but nothing says “Welcome!” quite like a whole roasted piglet fresh out of the pit.

To accompany the crispy-skinned and moist-meated piglet, Chef Margarita prepared paella Valenciana (Valencian paella) and papas a lo pobre (potatoes sauteed with olive oil, salt, and bell peppers). All three dishes were totally fresh and perfectly seasoned, magically transporting our taste buds from Tijuana to Spain.

Lorca
Calle Brasil 8630
Tijuana, B.C., Mexico
Phone: 664-634-0366

BAJA BITES: 2 Days, 3 Cities, 18 Meals
Introduction > 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > 7 > 8 > 9 > 10 > 11 > 12 > 13 > 14 > 15 > 16 > 17 > 18

Jul 2009

Churros Rellenos – Tijuana

1:15 p.m. Off the corner of 2nd and Revolucion, in the heart of Tijuana’s tourism district, lies a simple stand hawking a churro to shame all other churros. For a buck twenty-five, one receives a foot-long rod of deep-fried dough rolled in cinnamon and sugar and piped with dulce de leche, chocolate sauce, or custard. Churros rellenos were not on the official chow itinerary, but it would’ve been a travesty to leave Mexico without one in my gullet.

BAJA BITES: 2 Days, 3 Cities, 18 Meals
Introduction > 1 > 2 > 3 > 4 > 5 > 6 > 7 > 8 > 9 > 10 > 11 > 12 > 13 > 14 > 15 > 16 > 17 > 18