L.A. has always been at the forefront of the new food truck world, going back to when Kogi BBQ launched the entire scene back in 2008, so it’s no surprise when more good eats on wheels pop up. The city has seen its fair share of great food trucks, but there is still room for some new and innovative meals on wheels. Here are five new LA food trucks to keep an eye out for if you happen to be hungry and roaming the streets.
In sprawling LA County, there’s certainly no shortage of Chinese restaurants offering authentic Chinese food. The problem, however, is the location. The main hub of all good Chinese food in LA lies in the San Gabriel Valley. This means that every Angeleno craving some good Chinese eats usually has to make a trip out of it. Luckily, we live in modern times with a huge (and growing) availability of food trucks. This is where The Chinese Laundry Truck comes in. Thanks to Chef Leo Lamprides, you’re able to get your Chinese food fix all over LA. From the beef risotto to Hainan chicken and spicy Sichuan noodles, everything is bursting with flavor. During lunch, you’re also able to score any of their bowls plus a daily special, like their handmade Shandong-style Napa cabbage and pork buns with cold noodle salad. If you happen to catch them for dinner, you can order any of their tacos, meat or veggie. The best part of it all is the option to add a five-spice tea egg to anything you want.
You can only catch this truck in the morning and even then, you have to catch them early. They tend to run out of ingredients and the line only gets longer the later it gets. Serving up New York-style bagels, Yeastie Boys perfectly pairs with the popular coffee spots in LA where they’re stationed. From Stumptown to Alfred Coffee and Dinosaur Coffee, you’re able to sip on a cold brew while munching on their cream cheese filled goodies. The chewy bagels come in a variety of flavors like cheddar, poppy, sesame and good ol’ plain. You can choose to build your own by adding ingredients or go with their unique and traditional bagel fillings, like The Mishka, a vegan sun-dried tomato spread, sliced red onion, and alfalfa sprouts on an everything bagel. Or, maybe fill your omega-3 needs with the Lox Deluxxe; a sesame bagel filled with sliced lox, capers, red onion, tomato, and plain cream cheese. You can also choose more breakfast-y items like eggs and bacon. If you happen to miss the truck, you’re in luck because starting just a few weeks ago in early March, they opened a permanent pop-up inside of Alfred Coffee’s alley location in Melrose where you can catch The Yeastie Boys serving up bagels early from 7am till 3pm.
Another breakfast truck, but this one also happens to cook late. The Rooster truck, started by Chef Rouha Sadighi who was featured on Cutthroat Kitchen, officially launched in late January. If you decide to venture to this brunch-inspired truck, you can get a variety of egg breakfast items like the Rico Suave, their popular breakfast burrito made with eggs, bacon, cheddar-cotija cheese blend, tater tots, avocado, molcajete salsa, and cilantro crema all held together by a beautifully grilled flour tortilla. This filling burrito is one of the better breakfast burritos around, and you’re certainly getting a bang for your buck. If you decide to try the other menu items, you can go for the Co-op: an assortment of bacon, fried eggs, avocado, tater tots, and toast. Got a sweet tooth? You can opt for the WTF?! - French toast dipped in pancake batter, topped with an over-medium egg, preserves, and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Catch them from the Westside outside of Blue Bottle on Abbot Kinney all the way to Blue Bottle’s LA flagship in the Arts District.
What’s better than Pad Thai on wheels? White Guy Pad Thai has been serving up new Thai eats for a few years now, but in December of last year they finally got a food truck. Now you’re able to get your pad Thai fix all over LA. Chef Bryan Sharp was inspired after a trip to Bangkok and wanted to recreate the pad Thai he experienced overseas. Cooking on a wok, he fires up authentic eats like their namesake, in addition to creative dishes like the off-menu pad Thai omelette; a crispy omelette filled with pad Thai, or the Thai fried chicken and buttermilk waffles, topped with sriracha maple syrup. Catch them at their usual spots outside of Alfred Coffee, The Wheelhouse LA, and the Arts District farmers market during the week.
Started by Sean Popock, a New York native who’s on a mission to bring real New York pizza to Angelenos, this brand new food truck is filling the NY style pizza void in LA. Equipped with a dual deck gas pizza oven, like the ones found in New York, Popock fires up slices, whole pizzas, and even pepperoni Stromboli. He’s managed to perfect the signature New York flavor in his dough, and tops his pies with everything you’d expect at any respectable New York pizzeria: pepperoni, veggies, mushrooms, and the highest quality mozzarella around. If you feel guilty about indulging in these magical slices, you can pair the pizza with their salad made with a variety of greens, tomato, cucumber, and Italian dressing.
